Sujanagar Upazila HQ

 fourth-level administrative division, local government

Sujanagar Upazila (pabna district) with an area of 334.40 sq km, is bounded by santhia upazila on the north, rajbari sadar and pangsha upazilas on the south, bera upazila on the east, Pangsha and pabna sadar upazilas on the west. Main rivers are padma and atrai; noted depressions are Gajna Beel and Gandahasti Beel.

Sujanagar (Town) a municipal town, consists of 9 wards and 12 mahallas. The area of the town is 6.97 sq km. The town has a population of 18272; male 51.41%, female 48.59%; The density of population per sq km 2622. Literacy rate among the town people is 36.9%.

Administration Sujanagar thana, now an upazila, was established in 1872. It consists of 10 union parishads, 191 mouzas and 195 villages.

Historical events Sujanagar is named after the Mughal Prince Shah Suja. During the Sepoy Revolt in 1857 Zamindar Govinda Chowdhury of Village Tatibandha helped the British in resisting the revolt by employing guards on the banks of padma and jamuna rivers so that the suspects could not cross the rivers. In recognition of the services of the zamindar the Governor Lord Mayo visited Tatibandha village. Peasant rebellion and communal riot were held in Sujanagar in 1872 and 1926 respectively.

Marks of the War of Liberation Mass killing site 3 (Bhabanipur, Nischintapur and Satbaria).

Population 214132; male 51.86%, female 48.14%; Muslim 94.30%, Hindu 5.68% and others 0.02%.

Religious institutions Mosque 293, temple 47, tomb 1, most noted of which are Dulai Jami Mosque, tomb of Hazrat Shah Mahtab Uddin (R) at Sagarkandhi and Sideshwari Kalibari Mandir.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 26.7%; male 32.5% and female 20.4%. Educational institutions: college 6, high school 26, junior high school 6, madrasa 36, government primary school 92, non-government primary school 50, community school 1 and kindergarten 2. Noted educational institutions: Khalilpur High School (1901), Satbaria College (1966).

Cultural organisations Club 71, public library 3, mosque library 20, cinema hall 1, women's organisation 1, voluntary organisation 73, women's welfare society 5, playground 13, stadium 1.

Main occupations: Agriculture 40.63%, agricultural labourer 23.53%, wage labourer 3.52%, industrial labourer 1.62%, commerce 10.59%, service 4.95%, weaving 4.96% and others 10.2%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 26333.47 hectares; fallow land 80.94 hectares; single crop land 23.51%, double crop 67.54% and treble crop land 8.95%; land under irrigation 30.74%.

Land control: Among the peasants, 15.31% are landless, 21.34% marginal, 31.46% small, 22.37% intermediate and 9.52% rich.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, onion, garlic, ground nut, brinjal and patal.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Dairy 124, fishery extension centre 9, hatchery 22.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 29 km, semi pucca 8 km and mud road 324 km; waterways 38 nautical mile.

Manufactories Textile mill 1.

Cottage industries Weaving 2959, bamboo and cane work 89, blacksmith 78, goldsmith 15, potteries 110, wood work 14.

Main exports Onion, garlic and ground nut.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, ccdb, Samata, Palli Pragati Sangstha, Swadesh Unnayan.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 10.