Puthia Upazila HQ

 township, subdistrict, fourth-level administrative division, local government

Puthia Upazila (Rajshahi district) with an area of 192.64 sq km, is bounded by Durgapur (Rajshahi) and Bagmara upazilas on the north, Charghat and Bagatipara upazilas on the south, Natore sadar upazila on the east, Paba upazila on the west.

The location of the Puthia town is 24.3750°N 88.8500°E. Puthia (Town) consists of three mouzas. The area of the town is 4.52 sq km. The town has a population of 6558; male 52.81% and female 47.19%; population density per sq km is 1450. Literacy rate among the town people is 48%.

Puthia thana was established in 1869 and was turned into an upazila in 1984. It consists of six union parishads, 128 mouzas and 183 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics: Puthia Rajbari and Mandir and Dolmancha Hawakhana at Tarapur.

Historical events: As a result of the defeat of Afghan Jagirdar Laskar Khan in the hands of the Mughal Commander in the sixteenth century, Pitambara, son of Bathsacharya (Bhrahman) received the jaigir from the Mughal empire. After the death of Pitambar his brother Nilambar received the title of Raja and from that time onward the dynasty became known. This dynasty is the earliest zamindar of Rajshahi.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 149405; male 50.9%, female 49.1%; Muslim 91%, Hindu 6.5%, Christian 0.27% and others 2.23%; ethnic nationals 32 Santal families.

Religious institutions Mosque 388, temple 18, church 9, tomb 1; noted religious institutions: Biraldaha Mosque, Naohata Jami Mosque and tomb of Hazrat Karam Ali Shah at Biraldaha.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 25.5%; male 32.6% and female 18%. Educational institutions: college 11, high school 31, madrasa 11, technical high school 1, government primary school 51, non-government primary school 28, community school 4. Noted educational institutions: PN Technical High School (1865), Dhokrakul High School (1949), Baneshwar College (1964).

Main occupations: Agriculture 42.18%, agricultural labourer 28.65%, wage labourer 2.50%, commerce 11.27%, service 4.55%, transport 2.69% and others 8.16%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 16570.26 hectares; fallow land 140.02 hectares; single crop 35%, double crop 46% and treble crop land 19%; cultivable land under irrigation 57%.

Land control: Among the peasants 23% are landless, 22% marginal, 30% small, 20% intermediate and 5% rich.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 18, fishery 14, hatchery 2.

Communication facilities- Roads: pucca 67 km and mud road 645 km; railway 7 km.

Manufactories: Rice mill 16, ice factory 2, saw mill 2, printing press 2, battery manufacturing 10 and welding 25.

Cottage industries: Bamboo work 250, goldsmith 45, blacksmith 42, potteries 10, wood work 326, tailoring 250.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, CARE, proshika, caritas, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, Rangdhanu, Karbala and Palli Karmasangstha.

Health centres: Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 1.