Sirajganj District ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ জেলা) is a district in the

North Bengal North Bengal ( bn, উত্তরবঙ্গ/উত্তর বাংলা) is a term used for the north-western part of Bangladesh and northern part of West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. G ...

region of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

, located in the

Rajshahi Division Rajshahi Division ( bn, রাজশাহী বিভাগ) is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2011 Census of 18,484,858. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 district ...

. It is an economically important district of Bangladesh. Sirajganj district is the 25th largest district by area and 9th largest district by population in Bangladesh. It is known as the gateway to North Bengal. Its administrative headquarter is

Sirajganj Sirajganj ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ) is a city in north-western Bangladesh on the right bank of the Jamuna River. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirajganj District, and with a population of 167,200 is the fourteenth most popul ...

. It is famous for its hand-loom cottage industries. In 1885, Sirajganj emerged as a thana. Formally under

Mymensingh District Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Ne ...

in Dacca Division, it was transferred to

Pabna District Pabna District ( bn, পাবনা জেলা) is a district in central Bangladesh. It is an economically important district in Bangladesh. Its administrative capital is the eponymous Pabna town. History Archeologist Cunningham conjectured ...

on 15 February 1866. It was upgraded to become a subdivision of Pabna in 1885. In 1984, it was upgraded to a district.

History

In 1762, a severe earthquake changed the flow of the Jamuna river and created a new river named Baral. On the west bank of this Baral river, new land emerged and most of the land of surrounding it belonged to

Zamindar A zamindar (Hindustani language, Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian language, Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous Raja, ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughal Em ...

Siraj Ali Chowdhury. So, after his name gradually this area got its recognition as Sirajganj. The historic Salanga Movement in 1922 led to 1200 deaths, most notably in a massacre of independence activists on 27 January 1922, referred to as the

Salanga massacre The Salanga massacre is commemorated annually "Salanga Day today"
''The Daily Star'' (Dhaka, Bang ...

in Bengali history and memorialized with "Salanga Day" annually. In 1924, a conference of All India Congress Party there. The convention of Brahmo Samaj in Sirajganj took place in 1928. In 1932, Kazi Nazrul Islam, currently known as the National Poet of Bangladesh visited Sirajganj. In 1940, the then

Prime Minister of Bengal The Prime Minister of Bengal was the head of government of Bengal Province and the Leader of the House in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in British India. The position was dissolved upon the Partition of Bengal in 1947. History The office was ...

A. K. Fazlul Huq Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq ( bn, আবুল কাশেম ফজলুল হক, ur, ; 26October 1873 — 27 April 1962), popularly known as Sher-e-Bangla (''Lion of Bengal''), was a British Indian and Pakistani lawyer and writer who present ...

laid the foundation stone of

Sirajganj Government College Sirajganj ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ) is a city in north-western Bangladesh on the right bank of the Jamuna River. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirajganj District, and with a population of 167,200 is the fourteenth most populo ...

. In 1942, a conference of All-India Muslim League there was attended by

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

Geography

Sirajganj District is the gateway to the

. It is bordered on the north by Bogra District and Natore District; on the west by Natore District and

; on the south by

and Manikganj District; on the east Manikganj District,

Tangail District Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল জেলা) formerly a small Mohokuma of Greater Mymensingh district is a district (''zila'') in the central region of Bangladesh. In 1969, Tangail district was created by Tangail Mohokuma from its 237 s ...

and

Jamalpur District Jamalpur ( bn, জামালপুর জেলা, ''Jamalpur Jela'' also ''Jamalpur Zila'') is a district in Bangladesh, part of the Mymensingh Division. It was established in 1978. Geography Jamalpur occupies 2031.98 km2. It is locat ...

. Sirajganj District of

Rajshahi division Rajshahi Division ( bn, রাজশাহী বিভাগ) is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2011 Census of 18,484,858. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 district ...

has an area of about . The main rivers are Jamuna, Baral, Ichamati,

Karatoya Karatoya River (also spelt Korotoa River) is a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Etymology The name of the river is formed of two Sanskrit words ''kar'' (hand) and ''toa'' (water). Course The Karatoya, known as Phuljhur rises i ...

, Phuljor and Hurasagor. The annual average temperature reaches a maximum of 34.6 °C, and a minimum of 11.9 °C. The annual rainfall is .

Demographics

According to the

2011 Bangladesh census In 2011, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, conducted a national census in Bangladesh, which provided a provisional estimate of the total population of the country as 142,319,000. The previous decennial census was the 2001 census. Data were reco ...

, Sirajganj District had a population of 3,097,489, of which 1,551,368 were males and 1,546,121 females. Rural population was 2,660,912 (85.91%) while the urban population was 436,577 (14.09%). Sirajganj district had a literacy rate of 42.05% for the population 7 years and above: 45.11% for males and 39.00% for females.

Religion

Muslims make up 95.19% of the population, while Hindus are 4.57% of the population. The Hindu population has remained relatively constant while the Muslim population has constatnly increased. The remaining 0.24% people follow other religions, mainly

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

and Sarnaism.

Language

Most of the people of this district are

Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of ...

, nearly 99.16%. They speak a local dialect of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

called Sirajganji dialect. The remaining 0.84% people are tribals, mainly Oraon and

Mahato Mahto or Mahato is a surname used by several castes and communities in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India. Mahato is also a popular surname in Nepal. In the zamindari villages, "Mahto" was a title given ...

. The tribal population is 19,772.

Economy

Sirajganj District is economically one of the most important district of

. It is known for its unique economic structure. Sirajganj District has a own identity of clothes. Half of entire

's weaving industries are in only Sirajganj District. Sirajganj District's great communication system helps to grow the entire

and

's economy. Almost all kinds of crops are cultivated in this district.

Points of interest

* Chalan Beel : Chalan Beel is a wetland in Bangladesh. It is a large inland depression, marshy in character, with rich flora and fauna. Forty-seven rivers and other waterways flow into the Chalan Beel. As silt builds up in the beel, its size is being reduced. * Homestead of Behula * Shiva Temple * Maha Prabhu Temple * Gopinath Bigraha * Kalika Debi Bigraha * Pratap Dighi * Joysagar Dighi * House of

Suchitra Sen Suchitra Sen ( ; born as Roma Dasgupta (; 6 April 1931 – 17 January 2014) was an Indian actress who worked in Bengali and Hindi cinema. The movies in which she was paired opposite Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali cinema ...

* Sirajganj Road : Sirajganj Road is one of the most important crossroads of entire

* China Barrages : There are four barrages located near Sirajganj city which are also a part of Sirajganj economic zone. *

Hard point * Jamuna Eco Park * Tarash Palace * Navaratna Temple : * Katar Mahal Jamidar bari * Rautara Jamidar bari * Sannal Jamidar bari *

Elliott Bridge The Elliott Bridge, in North Dakota, United States, also known as Souris River Bridge, was built by Fargo Bridge & Iron Co. in 1902. and The bridge "was designed to replace a county-owned ferry boat that had been operating across the Souris R ...

: A bridge located in the centre of the Sirajganj city. * Makka Aoulia Mosque * Shahjadpur Dargah Mosque *

Shahzadpur Kachharibari thumb Kachharibari ( bn, কাছারি-বাড়ি ''revenue office'') also known as Rabindra Kachharibari (রবীন্দ্র কাছারি বাড়ি) or Rabindra Memorial Museum in Shahzadpur, Sirajganj District in ...

: * Tomb of Khaja Yunus Ali Enaetpuri * Tomb of Shamsuddin Tabrizi * Tomb of Abdul Ali Baki Shah * Tomb of Makhdum Shah Doula *

Jamuna Bridge Bangabandhu Bridge, also known as the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge ( bn, যমুনা বহুমুখী সেতু ''Jomuna Bohumukhi Setu'') is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998. It connects Bhuapur Upazila, Bhuapur on the Jamun ...

: Also known as the

Bangabandhu Bridge Bangabandhu Bridge, also known as the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge ( bn, যমুনা বহুমুখী সেতু ''Jomuna Bohumukhi Setu'') is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998. It connects Bhuapur on the Jamuna River's east ...

. It is 4.8 kilometers long and it has 50 pillars and 49 spans. * House of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani * House of

Syed Ismail Hossain Siraji Syed Ismail Hossain Siraji ( bn, সৈয়দ ইসমাইল হোসেন সিরাজী; 1880–1931) was a Bengali author and poet from Sirajganj in present-day Bangladesh. He is considered to be one of the key authors of period o ...

* Rasel Park * Milkvita * Baghabari Riverport * Megaighat Riverport

Administration

Sirajganj Sub-division was established in 1885 under Pabna district and it was turned into a district in 1984. Of the nine upazilas of the district Ullahpara is the largest () and Kamarkhanda is the smallest (). Moreover, the district has six municipals, six Parliament seats, 82 unions and 2016 villages.

List of Upazilas

There are nine (9) Upazilas, namely : *

Sirajganj Sadar Upazila Sirajganj Sadar ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ সদর) is an upazila of Sirajganj District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Sirajganj Sadar is located at . Demographics According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Sirajga ...

Kazipur Upazila Kazipur ( bn, কাজীপুর) is an upazila or sub-district of Sirajganj District in the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Geography Kazipur is located at . The total area of the upazila is . The main river is the Jamuna, which branches a ...

* Ullahpara Upazila *

Shahjadpur Upazila Shahjadpur ( bn, শাহজাদপুর) is an upazila or sub-district of Sirajganj District in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. History Makhdum Shah Daulah Shahid was a Fourteenth Century Muslim saint recognized for his preaching of Islam ...

* Raiganj Upazila * Kamarkhanda Upazila * Tarash Upazila *

Belkuchi Upazila Belkuchi ( bn, বেলকুচি) is an upazila, or subdistrict of Sirajganj district in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Belkuchi is located at . It has 42,413 households and a total area of . There are two main rivers, Jamuna ...

* Chauhali Upazila

Transport

Sirajganj District's transportation system is very good. It has the most important highway and railway of

which connects the entire

and a part of South Bengal with the rest of the country. It is very easy to travel through the district because of its great transport system. It has the 2nd largest bridge

and the largest railway bridge of

. Sirajganj District is also famous for its River-ports. Like many other districts in Bangladesh, Sirajganj is also a district with many rivers. The main bridges are Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge over the River Jamuna, Nalka Bridge Over the River Foljodre, Eliot Bridge etc.

Education

There are 3 medical colleges in the district, the public Shaheed M. Monsur Ali Medical College, established in 2014, the private North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, established in 2000, and the private Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College & Hospital, established in 2005. They are respectively allowed to admit 65, 85, and 95 students annually. There are 2 universities in the district, the public Rabindra University, established in 2017 and the private

Khwaja Yunus Ali University Khwaja Yunus Ali University is a private university in Bangladesh. It is situated in Enayetpur, Sirajganj, Rajshahi. It was founded in 2012 under the Private University Act, and named after Sufi saint Khwaja Yunus Ali Yunus Ali Enayetpuri ...

, established in 2012. There are 6 government colleges under National University in the district. They are

Islamia Government College Islamia Government College is a government owned college in Sirajganj Sirajganj ( bn, সিরাজগঞ্জ) is a city in north-western Bangladesh on the right bank of the Jamuna River. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirajganj ...

, Government Akbar Ali College, Sirajganj Government College, Government Kazipur Mansur Ali College, Government Rashidazzoha Womens College, Government Shahjadpur College. There are 3 government high schools in the district. They are B.L. Government Boys High School, Saleha Ishaque Government Girls High School and Kazipur A.M.U. Government Girls High School.

Notable people

Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani (12 December 1880 – 17 November 1976), often shortened as Maulana Bhashani, was a Bengali politician. His political tenure spanned the British colonial India, Pakistan and Bangladesh periods. Maulana Bhashani was po ...

* Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish * Captain M. Monsur Ali *

Jadav Chandra Chakravarti Jadav Chandra Chakravarti (1855 – 26 November 1920) was a prominent Bengali mathematician of the Indian subcontinent. He was famous for his two books named ''Arithmetic'' and ''Algebra''. Early life Chakravarti was born in 1855 at the village ...

Ismail Hossain Siraji Syed Ismail Hossain Siraji ( bn, সৈয়দ ইসমাইল হোসেন সিরাজী; 1880–1931) was a Bengali author and poet from Sirajganj in present-day Bangladesh. He is considered to be one of the key authors of period o ...

* Rajanikanta Sen * Abdul Matin * Abdul Latif Mirza *

Mahadev Saha Mahadev Saha (born 5 August 1944) is a Bangladeshi poet. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2001 and Independence Day Award in 2021 by the government of Bangladesh. Early life Born Dhanghara, Sirajganj, 5 August 1944. His father is Gadadhar Saha. H ...

* Rajendra Lahiri * Makhdum Shah *

Haimanti Sukla Haimanti Shukla ( bn, হৈমন্তী শুক্লা, ''Hoimonti Shukla''; born 2 December 1949) is a Bengali singer. The tradition of Hindustani classical music was in her family and this helped her to become a classically trained s ...

* Abdullah-Al-Muti * Ishan Chandra Roy *

Bappi Lahiri Bappi Aparesh Lahiri (born Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri; 27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), also known as Bappi Da was an Indian singer, composer and record producer. He popularised the use of synthesised disco music in Indian music industry and ...

* Mohammad Najibar Rahman * K G Mustafa * Fateh Lohani *

Khwaja Yunus Ali Yunus Ali Enayetpuri ( ar, يونس علي العنايتفوري, bn, ইউনুস আলী এনায়েতপুরী; 1886–1951), or simply Khwaja Enayetpuri , was a Sufi saint. Personal life Born in 1886, he studied from the ...

* Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal * Fazle Lohani *

Shakila Zafar Shakila Sharma (born 28 February 1962), better known as ''Shakila Zafar'', is a Bangladeshi singer. Early life Shakila was born in Karachi, Pakistan. She grew up in Pakistan with her family. Her family belongs to Sirajganj District, Bangla ...

Mokbula Manzoor Makbula Manzoor or Mokbula Manzoor ( bn, মকবুলা মনজুর, 1938–2020) was a Bangladeshi author and novelist. Her literary works are considered to have played a significant role in the creation of modern Bangladeshi literature. ...

Hossain Toufique Imam Hossain Toufique Imam (15 January 1939 – 4 March 2021) was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and political advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. His rank was equivalent to a cabinet minister. Early life Imam was born ...

Kamal Lohani Kamal Lohani (26 June 1934 – 20 June 2020) was a Bangladeshi journalist. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2015 by the Government of Bangladesh. He served as the director general of Shilpakala Academy from April 2009 until April 2011. Career Loh ...

Mohammed Nasim Mohammed Nasim (2 April 1948 – 13 June 2020) was a Bangladesh Awami League politician who served as the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Health and Family Welfare for the Government of Bangladesh respectively during 1999–2001 and 201 ...

Tauquir Ahmed Tauquir Ahmed (born 5 March 1966) is a Bangladeshi architect and actor, turned director in both television and cinema. His films won many international and national awards including Bangladesh National Film Awards in the Best Director, Best Scr ...

Zahid Hasan Zahid Hasan (born 4 October 1965) is a Bangladeshi film, television and stage actor. He has been working as an actor in the show business arena of Bangladesh since the 1990s. He is also a TV commercial model. He was awarded Bangladesh National F ...

* M.A.Matin *

Kanak Chapa Kanak Chapa (; born 11 September 1969) is a Bangladeshi singer. She received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer three times, for her performance in the films ''Love Story'' (1995), '' Premer Taj Mahal'' (2001) a ...

Arifur Rahman Arifur Rahman (born August 8, 1984) is a Bangladeshi- Norwegian political cartoonist, illustrator and animator. He is a self-taught cartoonist who is renowned for his contribution to cartoons both on the internet and in print media. In Bangladesh ...

* Mohammad Barkatullah *

Samudra Gupta Samudragupta (Gupta script: ''Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta'', (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of the Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of the dynasty. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the ...

* Abdul Mannan Talukder * Mak Yuree *

Husna Banu Khanam Husna Banu Khanam (18 February 1922 – 30 May 2006) was a Bangladeshi educationist, writer and Nazrul singer. She was a pioneer of Bengali Muslim women journalism. In 1999, she received the Ekushey Padak Award for her contribution in music, and ...

Abdullah al Mahmood Abdullah Al Mahmood ( bn, আব্দুল্লাহ আল মাহমুদ; 1900–1975) was a Bengali politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Industries and Natural Resources of Pakistan. Early life and education Abdullah al ...

* Gazi M M Amjad Hossain * Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku * Ataur Rahman * Mazharul Islam * G.A.K. Lohani * Syeda Issabela * Amanul Haque * Motahar Hossain Talukdar *

Kshitish Mohan Lahiri Kshitish Mohan Lahiri (also known as Kshiti Mohan Lahiri) was the Zamindar of Mohanpur in District Pabna (now in Sirajganj District, Bangladesh). His family was known for nationalist activities against the British rule in India. His son Rajendra ...

Sezan Mahmud Saleh M. M. Rahman, better known by his pen name Sezan Mahmud, ( bn, সেজান মাহমুদ) is a Bangladeshi-born American writer, lyricist, columnist and physician-scientist. He was awarded the Shishu Academy Award in 1395 Bengali ye ...

Abdul Hai Sarker Abdul Hai Sarker ( bn, আব্দুল হাই সরকার) is a Bangladeshi businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of Purbani Group, one of the largest and oldest established textile conglomerates in Bangladesh, and former president of ...

* Imtiar Shamim * Kabir Bin Anwar *

Uzzal Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Uzzal (known by the stage name Uzzal; 28 April 1946) is a Bangladeshi film actor, producer and director. In the film, he made his film debut with Subhash Dutta directed film ''Binimoy''. In addition to acting in the film, he a ...

Ibne Mizan Ibne Mizan (7 October 1930 – 28 March 2017) was a Bangladeshi film director. He directed many films. He was known for directing folk fantasy films. His sister Mokbula Manzoor is an author. Biography Mizan was born on 7 October 1930 in Sirajgan ...

* Dewan Nazrul *

Ali Raj Anwar Hossen (known as Ali Raz; born 15 March 1957) is a Bangladeshi film actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films in Dhallywood. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor twice for his roles in the films ''Pure Jay Mon' ...

* M. Rafiqul Islam * Abdul Latif Mirza * Malay Bhowmick *

Talukder Moniruzzaman Talukder Moniruzzaman (1 July 1938 – 29 December 2019) was a Bangladeshi political scientist. He was inducted as a National Professor by the Government of Bangladesh in 2006. Biography Moniruzzaman was born on 1 July 1938 at Tarakandi in Sira ...

* Rumana Mahmood * Abdul Latif Biswas * Tanveer Imam * Abdul Momin Talukdar * Abu Hasan Shahriar * Hashibur Rahman Swapon *

Manzur Quader Manzur Quader is a Bangladeshi politician, retired major of Bangladesh Army, former minister of state and the former Member of Parliament of Pabna-1 and Sirajganj-6. Career Quader was elected to parliament from Pabna-1 as a Jatiya Party candi ...

* Abdul Majid Mandal * Mozammel Haque * Mirza Muraduzzaman * Kamruddin Ahia Khan Majlish * M Akbar Ali * Ishaque Hossain Talukder * Ansar Ali Siddiqui * Mohammad Selim * Shahidullah Khan * Md. Habibe Millat * Mofiz Uddin Talukder * Dabir Uddin Ahmed * Rafiqul Islam Bakul * Syed Hossain Mansur *

Choyon Islam Choyon Islam (born 16 November 1961) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former Jatiya Sangsad The Jatiya Sangsad ( bn, জাতীয় সংসদ, lit=National Parliament, translit=Jatiyô Sôngsôd), often referred to sim ...

Tanvir Shakil Joy Tanvir Shakil Joy (born 1 August 1976) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Sirajganj-1 constituency. Career In April 2007, illegal VoIP equipment allegedly owned by Joy were seized by Rapid Action ...

* Shahidul Islam Khan * Amanul Haque * Afiea Nusrat Barsha * Akhi Khatun

Notes

References

* Bangladesh Population Census 2011. * Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. * Cultural survey report of Sirajganj District 2007: * Cultural survey report of Upazilas of Sirajganj District 2007.

External links

Digital Sirajanj

Sirajganj official website

Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College Sirajganj Bangladesh
{{Authority control Districts of Bangladesh