Thakurgaon District

 district, invisible, second-level administrative division

Thakurgaon District (Rangpur division) with an area of 1809.52 sq km, is bounded by Panchagarh district on the north, West Bengal of India on the west and south, Panchagarh and Dinajpur districts on the east. Annual average temperature: maximum 33.5°C, minimum 10.5°C; annual rainfall 2536 mm. Main rivers are tangon, punarbhaba, nagar, Pathari, Talma, Kulic, dhepa.

Thakurgaon (Town) consists of 9 wards and 23 mahallas. The area of the town is 10.70 sq km. The Town has a population of 40336; male 51.62%, female 48.38%; population density per sq km 3770. Literacy rate among the town people is 58.5%.

Administration: Thakurgaon subdivision was established in 1860 and was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of 2 municipalities, 18 wards, 32 mahallas, 5 upazilas, 51 union parishads, 643 mouzas and 643 villages. The upazilas are baliadangi, haripur, pirganj, ranisankail and thakurgaon Sadar; municipalities are Thakurgaon Sadar and Pirganj.

Archaeological heritage and relics: Bangla Garh, Sangaon Shahi Mosque, Fatehpur Mosque, Jamalpur Mosque, tomb of Syed Nasir Uddin, tomb of Pir Sheikh Sirajuddin, tomb of Hazrat Adam (R), Govinda Jeo Mandir (eighteenth century), Goraksanath Mandir, Ramrai Dighi, Khunia Dighi, Adhar Dighi, Shapla Dighi and Rani Dighi.

Population 1196429; male 51.04%, female 48.96%; Muslim 74.97%, Hindu 24.05%, Christian 0.54%, Buddhist 0.05% and others 0.39%; ethnic nationals: Santal 0.87% of the total population.

Religious institutions: Mosque 2141, temple 290, church 28 and tomb 8.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 27.3%; male 36.80% and female 17.2%. Educational institutions: college 27, high school 241, junior high school 43, madrasa 74, government primary school 495, non-government primary school 345, primary teachers' training institute 1, vocational training institute 1, vocational textile institute 1, sugarcane training institute 1, motor driving institute 1, community school 12, satellite school 2. Noted educational institutions: Thakurgaon Zila School (1904), Madarganj MB High School (1945), Ruhia High School School (1939), Lahiri Hat high School (1932), Pirganj Pilot High School (1907), Ranisankail Pilot High School (1913), Nekmarda High School (1902), Charta High School (1928), Kalamegh R Ali High School and College (1940).

Cultural organisations Club 272, public library 3, cinema hall 19, theatre group 13, theatre stage 1, opera party 2, officers' club 1, town hall 1, auditorium 1, co-operative society 455, women's organisation 198, playground 123, TV Relay centre 1, radio station 1 and shilpakala academy 1.

Main occupations: Agriculture 52.29%, agricultural labourer 25.44%, wage labourer 3.06%, commerce 7.66%, service 4.43% and others 7.12%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 141039.90 hectares, fallow land 37698.74; single crop 31%, double crop 55% and treble crop 14%; cultivable land under irrigation 52%.

Land control: Among the peasants, 9% are landless, 13% marginal, 15% small, 58% intermediate and 5% rich; cultivable land per head 0.14 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, sugarcane, pulses, brinjal, patal and other vegetables.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 151, fishery 21, dairy 107, hatchery 1.

Communication facilities: Roads: pucca 159 km, semi pucca 28 km and mud road 1955 km; railways 45 km; airport 1 (extinct).

Manufactories: Husking mill, sugar mill, textile mill, silk mill, rice mill, flour mill, chira mill, ice factory, PVC pipe factory, oil mill, cold storage, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, welding.

Cottage industries: Weaving, bamboo work, jute work, mat work and leather and rubber work, goldsmith, blacksmith, wood work, bidi and tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 174.

Main exports Paddy, rice, potato, pulses, vegetables, mango, jackfruit, sugar, watermelon.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, grameen bank, Grameen Krishi Foundation, RDRS, Manab Kalyan, CDA, Palli Gana Sanhati Parisad, Uttara Development Programme.

Health centres Zila sadar hospital 1, upazila health complex 4, union health & family welfare centre 52, mother & child care centre 1, diabetic hospital 1, TB hospital 1, leprosy hospital 1, nursing institute 1, maternity centre 31, union satellite clinic 13.