Gouripur Upazila HQ

 township, fourth-level administrative division

Gauripur Upazila (Mymensingh district) with an area of 374.07 sq km, is bounded by purbadhala and netrokona sadar upazilas on the north, ishwarganj upazila on the south, kendua and Netrokona Sadar upazilas on the east, mymensingh sadar and phulpur upazilas on the west. Main rivers are Old Brahmaputra, Soai, Suria and Mogra; Noted beels (depressions) are Sidhal and Dalia.

Gauripur (Town) consists of 9 wards and 34 mahallas. Gauripur municipality was established in 1927. The area of the town is 7.86 sq km. It has a population of 21612; male 49.81% and female 50.09%. The density of population is 2750 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 45.05%.

Administration: Gauripur thana, now an upazila, was established in 1981. It consists of one municipality, 9 wards, 10 union parishads, 247 mouzas and 280 villages.

Archaeological relics and heritage: Sixty feet high and sixty feet broad mud-built defense wall of the capital of Umar Kha (seventeenth century), tomb of heroin Sakina at Maoha (seventeenth century), Kellah Bokainagar mosque (built by Khwaja Usman during the rein of Emperor Alamgir; the date of erection of the mosque is inscribed as 1105 BH); single domed Isulia Jami mosque and Muhuria Jami mosque (seems to be Mughal mosques).

Historical events: The capital of the Afghan hero Usman Khan Lohani (who fought against the Mughal) was at Bokainagar (Kellah Bokainagar). In 1601/1602 Mansingh attacked Bokayanagar, Usman Khan was defeated and fled to Sylhet. Later, in a battle with the Mughals at Daulambapur he was killed. Kellah Tajpur of Maoha was the capital of Umar Kha during the rein of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The love story of Sakhina, the daughter of Umar Kha, with Feroj Kha, the grand son of Isha Khan and its satiric end in armed war is still a legend.

Religious institutions: Mosque 352, temple 97, tomb 5. Most noted Rokainagar and Gujikha mosque, Govinda Geor temple at Gauripur and tomb of Nizam Uddin Aoulis at Rokayanagar.

Population 247945; male 50.70%, female 49.30%; Muslim 95.02%, Hindu 4.68%, Buddhist 0.02%, Christian 0.03% and others 0.23%; ethnic Garo 58 family.

Literacy and educational institutions: Average literacy 24.40%; male 32.30% and female 20.30%. Educational institutions: government college 1, non-government college 1, government high school 1, non-government high school 31, madrasa 43, government primary school 90, non-government primary school 69, vocational training institute 1. Noted educational institutions: Ramgopalpur Power Joyendra Kishore High School (1906), Sarajubala Government Primary School (1932), Gauripur Rajendra Kishore Government High School (1911).

Cultural organisations: Club 16, public library 1, cinema hall 2, co operative society 564, community centre 11, stadium 1, opera party 2, literary society 1, women's organisation 1.

Main occupations: Agriculture 55.3%, forestry 1.62%, agricultural labourer 17.73%, wage labourer 2.6%, commerce 7.96%, service 3.52%, others 11.27%.

Land use: Total cultivable land 23202.75 hectares; fallow land 4472.68 hectares; single crop11%, double crop 79% and treble crop 10%; land under irrigation 63%.

Land control: Among the peasants 27% are landless, 50% small, 20% intermediate and 3% rich; cultivable land per head 0.9 hectare.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Fishery 30, dairy 4, poultry 21, hatchery 14.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 38 km, semi pucca 2 km, mud road 564 km; railways 20 km.

Manufactories: Cotton mill 1, flour mill 19, rice mill 109, chira mill 1, ice factory 4.

Cottage industries: Goldsmith 30, blacksmith 200, potteries 6, wood work 1500, tailoring 2000, welding 25, bamboo work 3000.

NGO activities: Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, Sara, Sheba and National Mahila Unnayan Sangshta.

Health centres: Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 5, family planning 4.