Belabo Upazila HQ

 township, fourth-level administrative division, local government

Belabo Upazila (Narsingdi district) with an area of 117.66 sq km, is bounded by Katiadi upazila on the north, Raipura upazila on the south, Kuliarchar and Bhairab upazilas on the east and Shibpur and Manohardi upazilas on the west. There are high and low hillocks in some areas of Belabo, Amlabo, Bajnab and Patuli unions. Main rivers are old Brahmaputra and Arial khan.

The location of the Belabo town is 24.1028146N 90.8494778E. Belabo (Town) consists of five mouzas. Its area is 9.24 sq km. The town has a population of 15815; male 52.03% female 47.97%; population density is 1711 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 27.7%.

Belabo thana was turned into an upazila in 1982. The upazila consists of seven union parishads, 52 mouzas and 97 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics: Sultanate Mosque and tomb of Shah Irani at Habashpur, elevated chimney of Nilkuthi at Mahmudabad. Many archaeological relics of pre historic and Maurya period have been discovered at Wari and Bateshwari villages of the upazila.

Population 145708; male 51%, female 49%; Muslim 96.67%, Hindu 3%, Christian 0.05%, Buddhist 0.04% and others 0.24%.

Religious institutions Mosque 292, temple 5, tomb 2, most noted of which are Shah Irani Mosque, Belabo Mamud Ali Bepari Mosque, Jalalabad Akhra and Temple.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 25.9%; male 31% and female 20.6%. Educational institutions: college 3, high school 24, madrasa 6, technical college 1, government primary school 62, non-government primary school 8. Noted institutions: Poradia Muslim High School (1930), Narayanpur Sarafatullah High School (1941), Narayanpur Rabeya College (1986).

Main occupations Agriculture 61.49%, agricultural labourer 12.61%, wage labourer 2.21%, industry 1.1% commerce 9.73%, transport 1.26%, service 3.17%, others 8.43%.

Land use Total land 11767.30 hectares; cultivable land 8104 hectares; fallow land 3663.30 hectares; single crop 74.67%, double crop 23.94% and treble crop land 1.39%.

Land control Among the peasants, 18% are landless, 40% small, intermediate 32% and 10% rich; cultivable land per head 0.05 hectare.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Fishery 92, dairy 18, poultry 58.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca road 18 km, mud road 260 km; waterways 26 nautical mile.

Cottage industries Bamboo and cane work 135, goldsmith 31, blacksmith 17, potteries 12, wood work 180.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are asa, proshika, Shapla Nir, Deshseba and Papri.

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