Sujanagar () is an

upazila An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western countries. Rural upazilas ...

of the

Pabna District Pabna District () is a district in west central Bangladesh. It is a geographically and economically important district. Its administrative capital is the eponymous Pabna town. The main five rivers of this district are: Padma, Jamuna, Baral, Atra ...

of northern

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Rajshahi Division Rajshahi Division () is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2022 Census of 20,353,119. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 districts, 70 upazilas (the next lower administrat ...

. It is the home of agriculture across the district, and the Onion Capital of the country.

History

Sujanagar (lit. ''City of Shuja'') takes its name from the time when Mughal prince Shah Shuja sought refuge with his army in

Arakan Arakan ( or ; , ), formerly anglicised as Aracan, is the historical geographical name for the northeastern coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, covering present-day Bangladesh and Myanmar. The region was called "Arakan" for centuries. It is ...

after being defeated in the war of imperial succession in 1660 CE. During this journey, Shah Shuja spent three nights in Govindaganj, which was renamed to Sujanagar in his honour. Several people are associated with the spread of Islam into Sujanagar and are part of a long history of interactions between the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Turkestan Turkestan,; ; ; ; also spelled Turkistan, is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and East Turkestan (Xinjiang). The region is located in the northwest of modern day China and to the northwest of its ...

, and South Asia. Shah Mahtab Uddin Awliya was a

Sufi pir ''Pir'' () or ''Peer'' is a title for a Sufi spiritual guide. They are also referred to as a ''Hazrat'' (from ) . The title is often translated into English as "saint". In Sufism, a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi ...

who now lies buried in the Shatania

mazar (mausoleum) A ''mazār'' (), also transliterated as mazaar, also known as ''marqad'' () or in the Maghreb as ''ḍarīḥ'' (), is a mausoleum or shrine in some places of the world, typically that of a saint or notable religious leader. Medieval Arabic ...

in the village of Pukurania, Sagarkandi Union. Sharfuddin Sarkar of

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

settled in Dulai (Ahladipur village) and his son, Munshi Rahimuddin Chowdhury, founded the

Dulai Zamindari The Azim Choudhury Zamindar Bari () is a historic estate and Bengali family based in the village of Dulai in Sujanagar, Pabna District. History Sharfuddin Sarkar and Rahimuddin Chowdhury The zamindar palace was established 250 years ago in ...

. His son, Azim Chowdhury, was a powerful landlord of Sujanagar who participated in the anti-colonial Sepoy Revolt in 1857. The zamindar's army was dealt with by the British Lieutenant-Governor in great length but was eventually defeated. On the other hand, the Hindu zamindar dynasty of Tantiband founded by Upendra Narayan Chaudhury and then led by Vijaya Govinda Chaudhury (son of Guru Govinda Chaudhury), assisted the British in suppressing the rebellion. Vijaya Govinda Chaudhury deployed his troops at the banks of the

Padma The Padma () is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River, near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is situated on the bank ...

and Jamuna as the rebels were utilising the river-routes. Vijaya Govinda Chaudhury was awarded by the British government, and the Tantiband Estate was even visited by Viceroy

Lord Mayo Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo, (; ; 21 February 1822 – 8 February 1872) styled Lord Naas (; ) from 1842 to 1867 and Lord Mayo in India, was a prominent British statesman and Conservative politician. He served as Chief Secreta ...

. In 1872, a

thana Thana means " station" or "place" in South Asian countries. The word ''thana'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''sthana'' or "sthanak", meaning "place" or "stand", which was anglicized as ''thana'' by the British. * Thanas of Bangladesh, forme ...

(police outpost) was established in Sujanagar. The people of Sujanagar rebelled against the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

again in 1872 and 1926. The Ulat Siddiqia Fazil Madrasa was founded in 1915. In the

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

period, Jamadar Abul Husayn of Sujanagar was shot dead at the Sujanagar High School playground by the

Pakistan police Law enforcement in Pakistan () is one of the three main components of the Pakistan Penal Code, criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the Judiciary of Pakistan, judiciary and the :Prisons in Pakistan, prisons. The country has a mix of fe ...

on 21 February 1969. During the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

of 1971, the Bengali freedom fighters and

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

fought each other in places like Sagarkandi, Bhabanipur, Nischintapur and Satbaria. The latter three were mass killing sites. Three Bengali freedom fighters were murdered on 14 December. Another three freedom fighters were also killed: Abdul Awwal, Abdul Barik and Abdus Sadiq. On 15 December, Sujanagar gained liberation from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Sujanagar Thana was upgraded to an

(sub-district) in 1983 as part of the

President of Bangladesh President of Bangladesh (POB), officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the head of state of Bangladesh and commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The role of the president has changed three times since ...

Hussain Muhammad Ershad Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer, dictator and politician who served as President of Bangladesh, the president of Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990. He seized power as a result of a 1982 ...

's decentralisation programme.

Geography

Sujanagar is located at . It is located on the flood plain created by silt carried by the

Padma River The Padma () is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River, near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is situated on the banks ...

. It has 63,676 households and total area 338.65 km²

Gazna Beel

The Gazna

beel A beel (Bengali language, Bengali and Assamese language, Assamese: বিল) is a billabong or a lake-like wetland with static water as opposed to moving water in rivers and canals - typically called in Bengali, in the Ganges - Brahmaputra ...

is located in the middle of Sujanagar upazila. All settlements are located on the four sides of the beel. The economy of the area is regulated by this Gazna beel. The beel consists of 16 beel, large and small. The area of this bill is 12 square miles or 3100 hector or 31 square kilometers . It is connected to the river Padma through the Badai Sluice Gate and captures the beauty of the rainy season. During the rainy season, many visitors come here to enjoy the beauty of the beel. Lots of native fish are found in the beel. In the dry season the bill dries up, at this time Eri paddy and a lot of onion are cultivated in this beel. If the canals of this beel are dug, there will be water and fish throughout the year increase the production of fish many times. All the 10 unions of Sujanagar are connected with this beel.

Demographics

According to the

2011 Census of Bangladesh 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 r ...

, Sujanagar Upazila had 63,676 households and a population of 278,096. 66,901 (24.06%) were under 10 years of age. Sujanagar had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 41.92%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1007 females per 1000 males. 35,461 (12.75%) lived in urban areas. As of the

1991 Bangladesh census In 1991, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, conducted a national census in Bangladesh. They recorded data from all of the districts and upazilas and main cities in Bangladesh including statistical data on population size, households, sex and a ...

, Sujanagar has a population of 214132. Males constitute 51.86% of the population, and females 48.14%. Upazila's population over the age of eighteen is 102,202. Sujanagar has an average literacy rate of 26.7% (7+ years), and the national average of 32.4% literate.

Administration

Sujanagar Upazila is divided into Sujanagar Municipality and ten

union parishad Union council (), also known as union parishad, rural council, rural union and simply union, is the smallest rural administrative and local government unit in Bangladesh, with zila parishads (district councils) being the largest rural authori ...

s: Ahammedpur, Bhayna, Dulai, Hatkhali, Manikhat, Nazirganj, Raninagar, Sagar Kandi, Satbaria, and Tantibanda. The union parishads are subdivided into 191 mauzas and 182 villages. Sujanagar Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 24

mahalla is an Arabic word variously translated as district, Quarter (country subdivision), quarter, Ward (country subdivision), ward, or neighborhood in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations. ...

Chairmen

Economy and tourism

Sujanagar has many tourist attractions. Aside from the natural attractions like

and Gazna beel, there is also Azim Chowdhury's Zamindar Palace in Dulai, Vijay Gobind Chowdhury's Palace in Tantiband, Shah Mahtab Uddin Aulia's

in Pukurania. The Nazirganj Ferry

Ghat Ghat (), a term used in the Indian subcontinent, to refer to the series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such as a bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, the Ghats in Varanasi, Dhobi Ghat or the Aap ...

lies opposite of

Rajbari District Rajbari District () is a district in central Bangladesh, located in Dhaka Division. It is a part of the Padma Division, Greater Faridpur subregion of Bengal due to the historical and cultural identities of its inhabitants, with Kushtia border on th ...

and allows transportation between

North Bengal North Bengal ( , Uttar Banga) is a cross-border cultural–geographic region consisting of the north-western areas of Bangladesh as well as the northern part of the West Bengal state of India. Bounded to the east by the Jamuna and in the south ...

and

South Bengal South Bengal (/দক্ষিণ বাংলা) is a term used for the southern parts of Bengal including Southern Bangladesh and Southern West Bengal, state in India. The Bangladesh part denotes the Khulna Division, Faridpur Division and ...

. There are roughly 304 mosques in the sub-district. Notable of these are the Dulai Chowdhury Bari Jame Mosque built by Zamindar Munshi Rahimuddin Sarkar Chowdhury in 1802, Satbaria Jame Mosque and Sujanagar Jame Mosque. Another important tradition are the onions of Sujanagar Upazila, which is a pride of its residents. Sujanagar Upazila produces a large quantity of onions and supplies to all parts of

. Accordingly, Sujanagar can be called the Onion Capital of Bangladesh. Recently,

mineral oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

has been discovered in the village of Mubarakpur in Ahammadpur Union.

Notable people

Abdul Ghani Hazari Abdul Ghani Hazari (12 January 1921 – 1976) was a Bangladeshi poet and journalist. He was awarded Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 1990. Education and career Hazari got his bachelor's in Philosophy from Calcutta University ...

, award-winning poet and journalist * Abdus Sobhan, Islamic scholar and former member of Bangladeshi parliament * A. B. Mirza Azizul Islam, economist and government advisor, was born at Durgapur in 1941. * Ahmed Firoz Kabir, member of Bangladeshi parliament * Ahmed Tafiz Uddin, former member of Bangladeshi parliament * AKM Salim Reza Habib, former member of Bangladeshi parliament *

Chanchal Chowdhury Suchinta Chowdhury Chanchal (born June 1, 1974), better known as Chanchal Chowdhury (), , is a Bangladeshi actor. He gained recognition with television roles in late 2000s, and went on to become one of the most popular leading men of Cinema of B ...

, actor * Zamindars of Dulai, of the erstwhile Bengali aristocracy * M. A. Matin, former member of Bangladeshi parliament * Mirza Abdur Rashid, member of parliament, was born at Durgapur in 1918. *

Muhammad Mansuruddin Muhammad Mansuruddin (31 January 1904 – 19 September 1987) was a Bengali author, literary critic, essayist, lexicographer and biographer from Bangladesh. He was an authority on folklore and was famous for a huge collection of age-old folk son ...

, award-winning educationist and folklorist * Sarder Jayenuddin, award-winning writer, novelist and editor *

Zia Ahmed This is a list of cricketers who have played matches for the Bahawalpur cricket team in Pakistan. Notable players * Azhar Abbas * Agha Saadat Ali * Shabbir Ahmed * Shakeel Ahmed * Zulfiqar Ahmed * Israr Ali * Mohammad Ali * Sajid Ali * ...

, Major General and chairman of

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) () is an independent commission founded under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001 (Act no. 18 of 2001). The commission is responsible for regulating all matters related ...

* Muhammad Ishaq, founder Ameer of

Khelafat Majlis Khelafat Majlis () is a far-right Islamist political party in Bangladesh. The party was founded in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh in 1989 by Azizul Haque along with Ahmad Abdul Qadir and former leaders of the National Awami Party and Tamad ...

and minister of

References

Official Website

Visi
Sujanagar Website
for more info {{Upazilas of Rajshahi Division Upazilas of Pabna District