Sirajganj District সিরাজগঞ্জ জেলা | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top-left:Al-Aman Bahela Khatun Mosque,Jamuna Bridge, Hard Point,Dargah of Makhdum Shah Daulah, Jamuna Eco Park, China Barrage | |
| Nickname: The Gateway to North Bengal | |
 Location of Sirajganj District in Bangladesh | |
 Expandable map of Sirajganj District | |
| Coordinates:24°20′N89°37′E / 24.33°N 89.62°E /24.33; 89.62 | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Division | Rajshahi Division |
| Established | 1984 |
| Government | |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Dr. Farook Ahmed |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,402.02 km2 (927.43 sq mi) |
| Flood plain and Marsh land | |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,357,706 |
| • Density | 1,397.87/km2 (3,620.46/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Sirajganji, Shirazgonji |
| Time zone | UTC+06:00 (BST) |
| Postal code | 6700 |
| Area code | 0751 |
| ISO 3166 code | BD-59 |
| HDI (2023) | 0.696[3] medium ·7th of 22 |
| Website | www |
Sirajganj District (Bengali:সিরাজগঞ্জ জেলা) is a district inNorth Bengal,Bangladesh, it is located inRajshahi Division.[4] It is the25th largest district by area and9th largest district by population in Bangladesh. It is known as the gateway to North Bengal.
Its administrative headquarter isSirajganj. It is famous for its hand-loom cottage industries. In 1885, Sirajganj emerged as athana. Formerly underMymensingh District in Dacca Division, it was transferred toPabna District on 15 February 1866.[5] It was upgraded to become a subdivision of Pabna in 1885. In 1984, it was upgraded to a district.
In 1762, a severe earthquake changed the flow of theJamuna river and created a new river namedBaral on the west bank of the Baral river, new land emerged and most of the land in the surrounding areas belonged tozamindar Siraj Ali Chowdhury. Gradually, this area got its recognition as Sirajganj after his name.
The historic Salanga Movement in 1922 led to 1,200 deaths, most notably in a massacre of pro-independence activists on 27 January 1922, referred to as theSalanga massacre in Bengali history and memorialized with "Salanga Day" annually.[6] In 1924, a conference ofAll India Congress Party there. The convention ofBrahmo Samaj in Sirajganj took place in 1928. In 1932,Kazi Nazrul Islam, currently known as the National Poet of Bangladesh visited Sirajganj. In 1940, the thenPrime Minister of Bengal,A. K. Fazlul Huq laid the foundation stone ofSirajganj Government College. In 1942, a conference ofAll-India Muslim League there was attended byMuhammad Ali Jinnah.
Sirajganj District is the gateway to theNorth Bengal. It is bordered on the north byBogra District andNatore District; on the west byNatore District andPabna District; on the south byPabna District andManikganj District; on the eastManikganj District,Tangail District andJamalpur District. It is composed mainly of low-lying alluvial deposits.
Sirajganj District ofRajshahi Division has an area of about 2,497.92 square kilometres (964.45 sq mi). The main rivers areJamuna,Baral,Ichamati,Karatoya, Phuljor andHurasagor. The annual average temperature reaches a maximum of 34.6 °C, and a minimum of 11.9 °C. The annual rainfall is 1,610 millimetres (63 in).
The district has severalbeels, the largest of which isChalan Beel on the border with Pabna district.
Sirajganj district is in the Jamuna river basin. The Jamuna forms the eastern border of the district. It contains numerous small chars. The Karatoya river flows into Tarash upazila from Bogura district and flows southeast. It sends distributaries to the Bangali, a previous distributary which flows parallel to it on the east. These rivers flow into the Hurasagar river on Sirajganj's southwest border, which flows southeast into the Jamuna.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1,559,007 | — |
| 1981 | 1,878,025 | +2.70% |
| 1991 | 2,263,573 | +1.88% |
| 2001 | 2,693,814 | +1.76% |
| 2011 | 3,097,489 | +1.41% |
| 2022 | 3,357,706 | +0.74% |
| Sources:[2][7] | ||
According to the2022 Census of Bangladesh, Sirajganj District has 842,308 households and a population of 3,357,706 with an average 3.93 people per household. Among the population, 651,384 (19.40%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 1,398 people per km2. Sirajganj District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 69.48%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 98.51 males per 100 females. Approximately, 20.25% (680,019) of the population live in urban areas. The ethnic population is 20,319 (0.61%), concentrated in Rayganj and Taras upazilas.[2]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 95.61% | |||
| Hinduism | 4.37% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.02% | |||
| Religion | 1941[9]: 96–97 [a] | 1981[7] | 1991[7] | 2001[7] | 2011[7] | 2022[8] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 816,539 | 79.52% | 1,726,967 | 91.96% | 2,114,864 | 93.43% | 2,551,708 | 94.72% | 2,948,505 | 95.19% | 3,210,116 | 95.61% |
Hinduism | 204,842 | 19.95% | 149,479 | 7.96% | 146,032 | 6.45% | 141,406 | 5.25% | 147,514 | 4.76% | 146,523 | 4.37% |
| Others[b] | 5497 | 0.54% | 1,579 | 0.08% | 2,677 | 0.12% | 700 | 0.03% | 1,470 | 0.05% | 1,067 | 0.02% |
| Total Population | 1,026,878 | 100% | 1,878,025 | 100% | 2,263,573 | 100% | 2,693,814 | 100% | 3,097,489 | 100% | 3,357,706 | 100% |
Muslims make up 95.61% of the population, while Hindus are 4.37% of the population. The Hindu population has remained relatively constant while the Muslim population has constantly increased. The remaining 0.02% people follow other religions, mainlyChristianity andSarnaism.[7][1]
Sirajganj is home toSirajganj Economic Zone, the largest private economic zone in Bangladesh as of March 2024 spanning 1,041 acres of land. The government is building a flyover to link the zone with the Dhaka-Bogura Highway. The zone supplies water from Jamuna river after treatment.[10]
As of June 2024, Sirajganj has a growing dairy market worth over BDT 100 core and receiving export orders. There are around 33,000 dairy farms in Sirajganj.[11]
Sirajganj sub-division was established in 1885 under Pabna district and it was turned into a district in 1984. Of the nine upazilas of the district Ullahpara is the largest (414.43 square kilometres (160.01 sq mi)) andKamarkhanda is the smallest (91.61 square kilometres (35.37 sq mi)). Moreover, the district has six municipals, six Parliament seats, 82 unions and 2016 villages.
There are nine (9)Upazilas, namely :
Sirajganj District's transportation system is very good. It has the most important highway and railway ofBangladesh which connects the entireNorth Bengal and a part ofSouth Bengal with the rest of the country. It is very easy to travel through the district because of its great transport system. It has the 2nd largest bridgeJamuna Bridge and the largest railway bridge ofBangladesh. Sirajganj District is also famous for itsRiver-ports.
Like many other districts in Bangladesh, Sirajganj is also a district with many rivers. The main bridges are Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge over the River Jamuna, Nalka Bridge Over the River Foljodre, Eliot Bridge etc.
There are 3 medical colleges in the district, the publicShaheed M. Monsur Ali Medical College, established in 2014, the private North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, established in 2000, and the private Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College & Hospital, established in 2005. They are respectively allowed to admit 65, 85, and 95 students annually.[12]
There are 2 universities in the district, the publicRabindra University, established in 2017 and the privateKhwaja Yunus Ali University, established in 2012.
There are 6 government colleges under National University in the district. They areIslamia Government College,Government Akbar Ali College, Sirajganj Government College, Government Kazipur Mansur Ali College, Government Rashidazzoha Womens College, Government Shahjadpur College.[13][4]
There are 3 government high schools in the district. They are Bonowari Lal Government High School, Saleha Ishaque Government Girls High School and Kazipur A.M.U. Government Girls High School.
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| Barisal Division |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chittagong Division | ||
| Dhaka Division | ||
| Khulna Division | ||
| Mymensingh Division | ||
| Rajshahi Division | ||
| Rangpur Division | ||
| Sylhet Division | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
