Atwari Upazila HQ

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

Atwari Upazila (Panchagarh district) with an area of 209.92 sq km is bounded by West Bengal on the north, Panchagarh sadar upazila on the north-east, Boda upazila on the east, Thakurgaon sadar and Baliadangi upazilas on the south, and Indian border on the west. Main rivers are Tangon, Nagar and Pathraj.

The location of Atwari town is 26.23361N 88.4090895E. Upazila Town consists of three mouzas. Its area is 14.05 sq. km; As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, population 8545; male 51.93%, female 48.07%. The density of population is 593 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 50.2%.

Atwari, established as a thana under Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal in 1903, was included in Dinajpur district after the partition of 1947 and had been a thana under Panchagarh sub-division since 1980. It is now an upazila. It consists of 6 unions, 62 mouzas and 64 villages.

Archaeological heritage Three-domed Mosque at Mirzapur, Chhapra-jhar (Pahar-Bhanga) and at village Sardarpara bear relics of Mughal architecture; remains of the ruined Zamindar-Bari of Aloakhoa.

Historical events tebhaga movement originated from this upazila (1946).

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 103906; male 51.42%, female 48.58%; Muslim 74.27%, Hindu 25.14%, others 0.59%; ethnic population- Santals 43 families.

Religious institutions Mosque 130, temple 36, church 7, mazar 1. Notable institutions are Mirzapur Masjid, Bara Awliyar Mazar, Pahar-bhanga Darkhor Masjid.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 37.8%; male 50.6%, female 24.1%. Educational institutions: college 4, high school 36, madrasa 13, primary school (government) 51, (non-government) 51.

Main occupations Agriculture 59.38%, agricultural labourer 59.38%, non-agricultural labourer 2.91%, commerce 3.9%, service 2.74%, others 2.5%.

Land use Cultivable land 21009 hectare; land under irrigation 8.74%.

Land control Among the peasants 36% are landless, 37% small, 23% intermediate, 4% rich.

Farming Poultry 13.

Communication facilities Roads- pucca 46 km, mud road 650 km.

Manufactories A number of husking mills.

Cottage industries Bamboo works 150, goldsmith 25, blacksmith 50, wood works 75.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are rdrs, asa, brac, proshika, Disha.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 5, satellite clinic 7, Islamic foundation hospital 1.