Kurigram District

 district, invisible, second-level administrative division

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Kurigram District (Rajshahi division) with an area of 276.45 sq km, is bounded by Cooch Bihar district of west bengal on the north, gaibandha district on the south, Assam Province of India on the east, West Bengal of India and Rangpur and Lalmonirhat districts on the west. Annual average temperature: maximum 32.3°C, minimum 11.2°C; annual rainfall 2931 mm. Main rivers: Brahmaputra, Dharla, Tista, Dudhkumar, Phulkumar, Sonaburi, Jinjiram Gangadhar, Halhali and Jalchira.

Kurigram (Town) consists of 9 wards and 107 mahallas. The area of the town is 16.17 sq km. The municipality was established in 1972. The town has a population of 66438; male 51.25% and female 48.75%; population density per sq km 4109. Literacy rate among the town people is 39.9%. The town has two dakbungalows.

Kurigram subdivision was established in 1874 and was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of 9 upazilas, 2 municipalities, 18 wards, 122 mahallas, 73 union parishads, 647 mouzas, 1907 villages and 14 enclaves. The upazilas are bhurungamari, char rajibpur, chilmari, phulbari, kurigram sadar, nageshwari, rajarhat, raumari and ulipur; the municipality is Kurigram Sadar and Ulipur.

Heritage and relics: Remnants of a mosque (Mughal period, 1176 AH) at Nayarhat (Rajarhat), remnants of a mosque near Patweshwari Bazar (Mughal period), three domed mosque (Mughal period) at village Majider Par of Thanahat Union (Bhurangamari), Arabic inscription of a mosque (Hussain Shahi period, now preserved at the Rajshahi Barendra Museum), Pangeshwari Mandir and remnants of the Rajbari (Rajarhat), two canons of Panga Kingdom (preserved at the BDR Gate).

Historical events: Devi Chaudharani and Bhabani Pathak revolted against the British. They built their secret hermitages in the deep forests and conducted many encounters against the British and their collaborators during 1760-1783. Quit-India Movement, Tebhaga Movement and Satyagraha Movement spread over Kurigram.

Population 1782277; male 49.62%, female 50.38%; Muslim 91.65%, Hindu 7.7% and others 0.65%.

Average literacy 22.3%: male 29.9% and female 14.7%. Educational institutions: government college 3, non-government college 29, commerce college 1, government high school 3, non-government high school 167, junior high school 11, madrasa 464, primary training institute 1, veterinary training institute 1, nursing training institute 1, youth training centre 1, deaf school 1, mentally retarded school 1, government primary school 563, non-government primary school 595, satellite school 12, kindergarten 8 and maktab 155. Noted educational institutions: River View High School (1915), Kurigram Government Boy's High School (1895) and Kurigram Government College (1961), Ulipur Sarnamoye Maharani High School (1868), DM Academy (Nageshwari), Pangarani Lakshmipriya High School (1939), Bhurungamari Pilot High School (1925), Chilmari High School (1933), Jasimia High School (1938, Nageshwari), Naodanga High School (1919, Phulbari), Payardanga Government Primary School (1907, Nageshwari), Raumari Government Primary School (1898), Raumari Keramatia Model Senior Madrassa (1937), Ulipur Government Girl's High School (1909).

Main occupations Agriculture 45.91%, agricultural labourer 29.57%, wage labourer 2.83%, commerce 7.12%, service 3.78% and others 10.79%.

anufactories Rice and flour mill 124, textile mill 1, oil mill 10, cold storage 1, biscuit and bread factory 25, dal (pulse) mill 2, ginning mill 2, printing press 12, chira mill 4, soap factory 3, semai factory 1, toffee factory 2, welding 89, ice factory 21, saw mill 30, steel furniture 8.

Cottage industries Weaving 373, bamboo and cane work 1070, goldsmith 251, blacksmith 273, potteries 335, cobbler 105, bidi 6, wood work 808, tailoring 535, fishing net work 32, cocoon production 40.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 241 km, semi pucca 62 km and mud road 4532 km; railways 43 km; waterways 163 nautical mile.

Health centres Government hospital 1, NGO hospital 2, private clinic 12, veterinary hospital 2, chest diseases hospital 1, union heath and family planning centre 65, satellite clinic 20, TB hospital 1, rural health centre 1, eye hospital 1, maternity and child welfare centre 2, clinic 13.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, rdrs, Care, asa, Save the Children, Swanirvar Bangladesh, Jibika, Diganta Samaj Unnayan Sangstha, Chinnamukul.