1. General Information:
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the middle of the northern part of the geographical boundaries of Bangladesh, Jamalpur district is situated in a unique environment of natural beauty. Jamalpur is a fertile land of Brahmaputra Jamuna Bidheut Polymati. On 26 December 1986, the memory of Hazrat Shah Jamal (ra) was transformed from Jamalpur subdivision to Jamalpur district. At the time of formation of the district, Sherpur subdivision consists of 5 thanas and Jamalpur subdivision consists of 6 thanas. Jamalpur Sadar Upazila is located at the eastern end of the district headquarters. Jamalpur Sadar Upazila has an area of 479.58 sq km and a population of 8,15,072 (approximately) as per 2011 census.
a) Origin of Upazila, Naming and Brief Description of Upazila Creation:
There are various folk tales, religious traditions and various stories about the naming of Jamalpur Upazila and there is also a variety of history. Despite the existence of various doctrines, almost everyone is of the same opinion that the first name of this town was Singhjani. Alhaj Ghulam Mohammad, the author of the book 'Mass History of Jamalpur' published in 1954, mentions Hazrat Shah Jamal (RA) in his book. Fascinated by the beauty, he set up his khanka at Singhajani (now Jamalpur) on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river. When word of his diligent pursuits and miraculous powers soon reached Delhi, His Majesty the Emperor of India sent a few 'Parpals' of the present Jamalpur 'Pirpal' to meet the expenses of his Khanka Sharif and sent a certificate to him. In this way the preaching of Hazrat Shah Jamal (RA) began to spread and his name spread around. As a result, the name 'Jamalpur' became ingrained in the minds of the people of the region and the name 'Jamalpur' began to spread throughout India. Later, the name of this post was officially recognized as 'Jamalpur'.
b) Rivers and nature of Jamalpur:
River:
Two rivers flow over Jamalpur Sadar Upazila. One is the Brahmaputra river and the other is the Jhenai river. The river Brahmaputra originates from Manas Sarobar in Tibet as Sampo and flows through Arunachal Pradesh in India as Brahmaputra (son of Brahma). The Brahmaputra collects water from 5 major tributaries at its headwaters, including the famous Dihang and Luhit.This stream flows westwards and enters Bangladesh by turning south at Mazaharali in Kurigram district. From here the name of the river is Brahma-Jamuna. In most cases it is known as Jamuna. It flows 26 km to the south and joins the Ganges at Alexandria near Arichar. This combined stream flows 212 km to the south-east and falls into the Meghna near Chandpur. On the other hand, the river Jhinai originates from the tributary of the river Brahmaputra.
Nature:
The natural beauty here is truly captivating. The greenery and decoration all around has created a natural environment. All kinds of crops are produced here. High yielding rice of different varieties including vegetables especially tomatoes are produced in the char areas. On the other hand, fruits and high yielding paddy are produced in hilly areas.As Jamalpur Sadar Upazila is part of Dewanganj Sugar Mill area, a lot of sugarcane is produced here. The soil here is very suitable for any crop.
2. Characteristics of ethnic groups:
Jamalpur Sadar Upazila has some ethnic groups besides Bengalis living in Bagra, Hayetpur, Bishnapur, Sreepur Kumaria, Tulsipur, Ramnagar, Chandpur, Mainpur, Taraganj, Daripara, Dengar Ghar, Bera Pathalia, Ranrampur, Shahbazpur and Mirzapur. Such as: Garo and Koch. All these people have diverse lifestyles and social systems. Among these, the Garos have a maternal social system. At one time jum cultivation was the main occupation of this society. In addition, it is important to note that men as well as women of this community have equal participation in all household activities starting from the farm. At present the rate of education among them is increasing. Their main occupations in this region are bamboo cane, fishing, day labor, employment, sewing, poultry and cattle rearing. It goes without saying that there is no cultivable land except their houses. They cultivate other people's land. Their food includes rice, fish, sweet potato, wild potato, cow, goat, khasi, pig, tortoise, kuichcha, chapa dry etc. Most of them believe in Christianity, so among the social festivals, December 25, Christmas and English New Year are significant. Also, other festivals include Wangala (similar to Nabanna festival) which is celebrated in the month of Arsbin or the month after.
Population (ethnic group) Men Female Number of families Number of rooms Education rate |
: 536 people. : 2539 people. : 2646 people. : 1975 : 1975 : 94.61% |
Planning and Implementation: Cabinet Division, A2I, BCC, DoICT and BASIS