Nageswari

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

Nageshwari Upazila (Kurigram district) with an area of 415.80 sq km, is bounded by Bhurungamari upazila and West Bengal of India on the north, Kurigram sadar upazila on the south, Assam State of India on the east and Phulbari upazila (Kurigram) on the west. Main rivers are Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar, Nilkamal, Shankos and Phulkumar; depressions: 54, most noted of which are Payradanga, Teparkuthi, Naodanga and Madaikhal.

Nageshwari is located at 25.9792°N 89.7083°E. It has 51889 units of house hold. Nageshwari (Town) consists of 8 mouzas. It has an area of 35.2 sq km. The town has a population of 39731; male 52.02% and female 47.98%; population density per sq km 1129. Literacy rate among the town people is 28.1%. The town has two dakbungalows.

Nageshwari Thana was established in 1793 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. The Upazila consists of 15 union parishads, 79 mouzas and 367 villages.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 279775; male 50.72%, female 49.28%; Muslim 93.53%, Hindu 6.19% and others 0.28%; ethnic nationals: Buno, a tribe of Santal live on the bank of the river Naodanga.

Religious institutions Mosque 850, temple 17 and sacred place 2, most noted of which are Nageshwari Bus Stand and Nageshwari Bazar Jami Mosques.

Average literacy 19.4%: male 26.8% and female 11.9%. Educational institutions: college 8, government high school 1, non-government high school 52, madrasa 143, government primary school 95, non-government primary school 78, kindergarten school 5, community school 2. Noted educational institutions: Bhitarbandh JD Academy (1945), Nageshwari Dayamoye Academy High School (1945), Poiradanga Government Primary School (1907) and Nageshwari Degree College (1967).

Main occupations Agriculture 51.23%, agricultural labourer 29.64%, wage labourer 2.76%, commerce 5.38%, service 2.22% and others 8.77%.

Land use Total cultivable land 31070.78 hectares, fallow land 178.54 hectares; single crop 16%, double crop 64% and treble crop land 20%.

Land control Among the peasants 40% are landless, 28%, marginal, 29%, small 3%, rich; cultivable land per head 0.11 hectare.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Fishery 273, dairy 79 and poultry 203.

Manufactories Rice mill 47, flower mill 1, biscuit factory 7, welding 24, ice factory 11.

Cottage industries Bamboo and cane work, goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, cobbler, bidi, wood work, tailoring. Cocoon produced by women labour aided by NGO.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 53 km, semi pucca 2 km and mud road 1212 km; waterways 14 nautical mile.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, palli health centre 1, health and family welfare centre 10, community clinic 39.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, RDRS, Care, asa, grameen bank, KPAP, NBRDS, BRDS, Basundhara, Manab Kalyan.