Lalmonirhat District

 district, invisible, second-level administrative division

Lalmonirhat District (Rajshahi division) with an area of 1241.46 sq km, is bounded by Kuchbihar and Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal (India) on the north, Rangpur district on the south, Kurigram district and Kuchbihar district of West Bengal on the east, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts on the west. The district is striped shape. Main rivers 7, most noted of which are Tista, Dharla and Saniajan. The river Saniajan originating from the Himalaya has strong current. Sarnamati, Trimohoni, Ratnai and Sati rivers are almost silted. The biggest irrigation project of the country, Tista Barrage Project (length 615 m) is located at Doani of Hatibandha upazila. Temperature: highest 32.3°C, lowest 11.2°C; total rainfall 2931 mm.

The location of Lalmonirhat district town is 25.9121269N 89.4344485E. Lalmonirhat (Town) consists of 9 wards and 63 mahallas. It's municipality was established in 1973. The area of the town is 17.62 sq km. It has a population of 56672; male 52.02% and female 47.98%; density of population is 3216 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 47.9%. Lalmonirhat town is well known as a railway junction from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Once upon a time one could go to the foot of the Himalayan from Lalmonirhat. The head quarters of the western region of Bangladesh Railway are located here. At present the city is expanding towards Saptabari union to the west and Kalurghat union to the east. The town has one dakbungalow and one Circuit House.

Lalmonirhat district was established in 1984. It consists of 5 upazilas, 2 municipalities, 18 wards, 85 mahallas, 41 union parishads, 425 mouzas, 484 villages and 33 enclaves. The upazilas are lalmonirhat Sadar, Aditmari, Hatibandha, Kaliganj and Patgram; Municipalities: Lalmonirhat Sadar and Patgram.

Lalmonirhat can be called a district of enclaves. The total area of the 33 enclaves (27 are in Patgram) is 1807 hectares. The biggest and most noted enclaves are Dahagram and Angarpota. The Tin-Bigha corridor connects these two enclaves with the main land.

Archaeological relics and monuments: Subahdar Monsur Khan Mosque (known as Nidaria Mosque), Sindhumati dighi, Hussain Sarabor (dry pond), Harano (lost) Mosque (8th century AH), Dharla Bridge at Mughalhat, Tusharbandhar Zamindar Bari, Ijaradar Mosque, Kakina Rajbari, Kabi Bari (house and collections of poet Sheikh Fazlul Karim), the tomb of Hazrat Shah Sufi Muhammad Fazlur Rahman (known as Blind Hafez).

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 1088918; male 50.57%, female 49.43%; Muslim 83.2%, Hindu 16.5%, Buddhist 0.01%, Christian 0.13%, ethnic population (Koch, Rajbanshi and Santal) 0.16%.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 66.6%; male 63.9%, female 69.9%. Educational institutions: government college 3, non-government college 18, technical 2, government high school 6, non-government high school 95, junior high school 22, madrasa 75, government primary school 302, non-government primary 293, satellite school 17. Noted old institutions: Lalmonirhat Government High School (1921), Railway Children Park Government High School, Lalmonirhat Government College, Badai Girija Shankar High School (1942), Hatibandha SS High School (1946), Kakina (Kaliganj) Mohima Ranjan Memorial Bilateral High School (1901).

Main occupations: Agriculture 50.61%, agricultural labourer 26.05%, wage labourer 3.32%, commerce 7.97%, service 4.1% and others 7.95%.

Cultural organisations: Club 175, co operative society 215, public library 2, literary society 12, cinema hall 12, theatre group 15, rural opera party 21, auditorium 7, women's organisation 11, magic party 1.

Religious institutions: Mosque 1963, temple 241, church 3, sacred place 11 tomb 2, most noted of which Lalmonirhat Central Jami Mosque, Thanapara Jami Mosque, Bara Dargah at Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, tomb of Blind Hafez at Barakhata under Hatibandha Upazila, Kali Mandir, Puran Bazar Church, Pateshwari Mandir.

Land use: Total cultivable land 91771 hectares, fallow land 3484 hectares; forestry 122 hectares; single crop 23%, double crop 61% and treble crop land 16%; land under irrigation 61%.

Land control: Among the peasants 23% are landless, 27% marginal, 25 small, 20% intermediate and 5% rich; cultivable land per head 0.09 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, tobacco, sugarcane, wheat, corn, potato, ground nut, mustard seed, tomato, onion, chilli, radish, cauliflower, cabbage and vegetables.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Hatchery 75, private nursery 29.23 hectares; fishery 635, dairy 16, livestock 139, poultry 194.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 252.46 km, semi pucca 104.20 km and mud road 2264 km; railways 92 km, rail station 17; waterways 18 nautical mile.

Manufactories: Cold storage 2, flour mill 8, oil mill 3, ice factory 13, saw mill 39, biscuit factory 5, welding 42, toffee factory 2 and husking mill 212.

Cottage industries: Handloom 291, goldsmith 53, blacksmith 99, potteries 33, bamboo and cane work 339, wood work 356, tailoring 807.

NGO activities: grameen bank, brac, proshika, Family Health Clinic, Sabus Chhata, asa, rdrs, Apan Gram Progati (OVA).

Health centres: Hospital 7, upazila health complex 4, satellite clinic 13, private clinic 5, diagnostic centre 6, maternity 16, child hospital 1, union health and family planning centre 53.