Gomastapur Upazila HQ

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

Gomastapur Upazila (nawabganj district) with an area of 318.13 sq km, is bounded by West Bengal of India and porsha upazila on the north, shibganj (Nawabganj) upazila on the south, niamatpur and nachole upazilas on the east, Nachole, bholahat and Shibganj upazilas and West Bengal of India on the west. Noted rivers Mahananda and Punarbhaba; depressions 21, most noted of which are Damos Beel, Choral Beel and Bara Beel.

The location of the Gomastapur town is 24.8211115N 88.3237991E. Gomastapur (Town) consists of 2 mouzas with an area of 9.57 sq km. The population of the town is 16893; male 50.12%, female 49.88%; population density is 1765 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 22.55%. The town has one rest house. Rohanpur is famous for importing goods from India through railway. The biggest mango market of the country is located at Rohanpur.

Gomastapur upazila was established in 1983. It consists of 1 municipality, 9 wards, 33 mahallas, 8 union parishads, 167 mouzas and 263 villages.

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Population 191972; male 50.6%, female 49.4%; Muslim 91.17%, Hindu 8.22%, Christian 0.52% and ethnic nationals 0.09% (Santal. Orao and Rabidas).

Religious institutions Mosque 423, temple 10, church 1, sacred place 2 and tomb 1.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 21.9%; male 27%, female 16.7%. Educational institutions: college 8, secondary school (private) 25, secondary school (government) 1, homeopathy college 1, madrasa 28, primary school (government) 57, primary school (private) 47, KG school 1 and pre-cadet school 1. Rohanpur Yusuf Ali College and Rohanpur AB Government High School are noted educational institutions.

Main occupations Agriculture 31.85%, fishing 1.19%, agricultural labourer 32%, wage labourer 3.6%, weaving 1.06%, commerce 15.6%, service 3.21%, others 11.49%.

Land use Total land under cultivation 22,923 hectares, fallow land 128 ha; single crop 45%, double crop 50%, triple crop land 5%; land under irrigation 82%.

Land control Among the peasants 30% are landless, 25% marginal, 30% intermediate and 15% rich. Cultivable land per head 0.12 hectare.

Fisheries, dairies and poultries Dairy 15, poultry 1.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 28 km, semi pucca 14 km and mud road 385 km; railways 13 km.

Manufactories Bakery 1 and ice factory 5.

Cottage industries Weaving 935, bamboo work 25, goldsmith 40, blacksmith 62, potteries 62, wood work 50, Ghani (manual oil-grinder) 72 and welding 27.

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

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 8, sub health complex 2, eye hospital 1 and christian missionary hospital 1.