Lohajong Upazila HQ

 township, fourth-level administrative division, local government

Lohajang Upazila (Munshiganj district) with an area of 130.12 sq km, is bounded by Sreenagar and Sirajdikhan upazilas on the north, Zanjira upazila on the south, Tongibari upazila on the east, Shibchar upazila on the west. The upazila often becomes a victim to the erosion of the terrible Padma- devouring river port Tarpasha, police station, Dighuli market and the high school.

The location of Lohajang town is 23.4701488N 90.3316957E. Lohajang (Town) consists of three mouzas. It has an area of 3.82 sq km. It has a population of 11683; male 52.24%, female 47.76%; literacy rate among the town people is 43%.

Lohajang thana was established in 1916 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 12 union parishads, 115 mouzas and 134 villages.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 153433; male 50.07%, female 49.93%; Muslim 91.26%, Hindu 8.58%, others 0.16%.

Religious institutions Mosque 220, temple 10, mazar (tomb) 4. Notable institutions: Ghordaur Jami Mosque, Satgharia Mosque, Society Jami Mosque, Hat Bhogdia Jami Mosque, Malir Anka Jami Mosque, Bejgaon Kali Mandir, Tomb of Kadam Shah.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 37.1%; male 40%, female 34.2%. Educational institutions: college 2, high school 12, technical institute 2, madrasa 5, primary school (government) 66, (non-government) 5, kindergarten 5. Old institutions: Lauhajang Pilot High School (1885), Kazir Pagla A T Institution (1901), Kalma L K High School (1901), Brahmangaon Multilateral High School (1902), Bat-tali Primary School (1870), Kalma Primary School (1885), Kazirgaon Primary School (1895).

Main occupations Agriculture 21.93%, agricultural labourer 19.25%, wage labourer 2.2%, fishing 2.75%, hawker 2.87%, construction 1.41%, commerce 27.83%, service 8.29%, transport 7%, others 13.47%.

Land use Cultivable land 5070 hectares, fallow land 125 hectares; single crop 10.15%, double crop 87.94% and triple crop land 1.91%. Cultivable land under irrigation 80%.

Land control Among the peasants, 50% are landless, 39% small peasant, 8% intermediate, 3% rich; cultivable land per head 0.033 hectare.

Fisheries, poultries and dairies Fishery 5, livestock 59, poultry 25.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 20 km, semi pucca 10 km, mud road 395 km, waterways 32 nautical mile.

Cottage industries Weaving 15, copper and bell-metal work 50, welding 5, bidi (cigarette) factory 2, goldsmith 155, blacksmith 25, potteries 20, carpenter 50, tailor 150.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are caritas, brac, proshika, CARE, grameen bank.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite 4, family planning centre 8.