Wikipedia

Naogaon District

This article is about the district in Bangladesh. For the district in India, see Nagaon District. For the Upazila under the same district, see Naogaon Sadar Upazila. For the city in Bangladesh, see Naogaon. For the city in India, see Nagaon.

Naogaon District (Bengali: নওগাঁ, romanized: Nôugã) is a district in northern Bangladesh, part of the Rajshahi Division.[4] It is named after its headquarters, the city of Naogaon in Naogaon Sadar Upazila.

Naogaon District
নওগাঁ জেলা
District of Bangladesh
Naogaon
Clockwise from top: Balihar Rajbari, Jogoddol Bihar, Dubalhati Rajbari, Office of Ganja Society, Shadhinota Monument
Clockwise from top: Balihar Rajbari, Jogoddol Bihar, Dubalhati Rajbari, Office of Ganja Society, Shadhinota Monument
Location of Naogaon District in Bangladesh
Location of Naogaon District in Bangladesh
Map
Expandable map of Naogaon District
Coordinates: 24°54′N 88°45′E / 24.90°N 88.75°E / 24.90; 88.75
Country Bangladesh
DivisionRajshahi Division
HeadquartersNaogaon
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerMd Golam Maola[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total
3,435.67 km2 (1,326.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total
2,784,599
 • Density810/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code
6500
Area code0741
ISO 3166 codeBD-48
HDI (2019)0.642[3]
medium · 6th of 20
Websitewww.dcnaogaon.gov.bd

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1974 1,424,082—    
1981 1,730,078+2.82%
1991 2,148,053+2.19%
2001 2,391,555+1.08%
2011 2,600,157+0.84%
2022 2,784,599+0.62%
Sources:[2][5]

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Naogaon District has 765,457 households and a population of 2,784,599 with an average 3.59 people per household. Among the population, 436,445 (15.67%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 810 people per km2. Naogaon District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 72.24%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 97.58 males per 100 females. Approximately, 14.97% (416,809) of the population live in urban areas.[2]

Religions in Naogaon District (2022)[2]
Religion Percent
Muslims
 
 86.88%
Hindus
 
 11.54%
Christians
 
 0.77%
Other or not stated
 
 0.81%
Religion in present-day Naogaon District
Religion 1941[6]: 88–91 [a] 1981[5] 1991[5] 2001[5] 2011[5] 2022[2]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Islam   572,627 69.81% 1,438,480 83.14% 1,815,313 84.51% 2,062,616 86.25% 2,250,427 86.55% 2,419,236 86.88%
Hinduism   192,158 23.43% 243,034 14.05% 268,548 12.50% 256,596 10.73% 287,919 11.08% 321,341 11.54%
Tribal religion 55,239 6.73% — — — — — — — — — —
Christianity   228 0.03% 6,408 0.37% 11,054 0.51% 14,313 0.60% 18,590 0.71% 21,386 0.77%
Others [b] 38 0.00% 42,156 2.44% 53,138 2.48% 57,830 2.42% 43,221 1.66% 22,636 0.81%
Total Population 820,290 100% 1,730,078 100% 2,148,053 100% 2,391,555 100% 2,600,157 100% 2,784,599 100%

Muslims make up 86.88% of the population, while Hindus are 11.54% and Christians 0.77% of the population respectively. Other religions are 0.81% of the population.[2]

Population of Naogaon district by ethnicity (2022)[2]

  Bengali (96.15%)
  Oraon (1.19%)
  Munda (0.90%)
  Others (1.76%)

As of 2022, ethnic minorities are 107,312 (3.85%). This was the largest ethnic minority population in Bangladesh outside the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Of these 33,198 are Oraon, 25,194 Munda, 18,903 Santal and 11,918 Barman.[7]

Economy

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Today Naogaon District is considered the bread basket of Bangladesh. It is in the central part of the historical Varendra region of Bengal, with an area of about 3,435.67 square kilometres (1,326.52 sq mi), about 80% of which is under cultivation. The soil of the area is a fertile inorganic clay called loam.

The total population of the area is about 28 lac, and most of the people of the district are farmers. The literacy rate is 72.14%.[4] Crops grown in the district include paddy, mango, jute, wheat, maize, sugar cane, potatoes, pulses, oil seeds, brinjal, onions, and garlic. The total production of paddy and wheat in 2009-2010 was 13,58,432 metric tons(about 39% in our growth economy), including a surplus of 8,26,835 metric tons. Today it is the top listed district in the side of rice production and has the highest number of rice processing mills of any district.[8]

Naogaon is now the country's prime hub for mango harvest. Statistics from Bangladesh's Department of Agricultural Extension show that Naogaon alone produced over 3.33 lakh tonnes mango in fiscal 2017–18, far more than Chapainawabganj's production of 2.74 lakh tonnes and Rajshahi's 2.13 lakh tonnes.[9]

 
Bijoy Liberation War Monument

Points of interest

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Paharpur

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Main article: Somapura Mahavihara
 
Somapura Mahavihara

Paharpur is a small village 5  km west of Jamalganj in the Naogaon district where the remains of the Somapura Mahavihara monastery have been excavated. This 7th-century archaeological find covers an area of approximately 27 acres (110,000 m2) of land. The entire establishment, occupying a quadrangular court, measures more than 900 ft (270 m) and is from 12 to 15 ft (3.7 to 4.6 m) in height. With an elaborate gateway complex on the north, there are 45 cells on the north and 44 on each of the other three sides, for a total number of 177 rooms. The architecture of the pyramidal cruciform temple is influenced by those of South-East Asia, especially Myanmar and Java. It takes its name from a high mound, which looked like a pahar, or hillock.

A site museum built recently houses the representative collection of objects recovered from the area. The excavated findings have also been preserved at the Varendra Research Museum at Rajshahi. The antiquities of the museum include terracotta plaques, images of different gods and goddesses, pottery, coin inscriptions, ornamental bricks, and other minor clay objects.

Nine miles west-southwest of Somapura Mahavihara is the archaeological site of Halud Vihara, which has been tentatively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[10]

Kusumba Mosque

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Main article: Kusumba Mosque

Kusumba Mosque is on the west bank of the Atrai River in Manda Upazila. It was built in 1558-59 during the period of Afgan rule in Bengal by a high-ranking official named Sulaiman. It was constructed in a Bengal style.

Jagaddala Mahavihara

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Main article: Jagaddala Mahavihara

Jagaddala Mahavihara (fl. late 11th century-mid-12th century) was a Buddhist monastery and seat of learning in Varendra, a geographical unit in present north Bengal in Bangladesh. It was founded by the later kings of the Pāla dynasty, probably Ramapala (c. 1077–1120),[11] likely at a site near the present village of Jagddal in Dhamoirhat Upazila in northwest Bangladesh on the border with India. It is tentatively listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.[12]

Patisar

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Patisar village is associated with Rabindranath Tagore. It is situated on the banks of the river Nagor, 12 kilometers south-east of the Atrai railway station and 26 kilometers from the district town. The headquarters of the Tagore family's zamindari in Kaligram Pargana was located at Patisar. Dwarkanath Tagore, the grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore, purchased this zamindari in 1830. Rabindranath Tagore first came to Patisar in January 1891.

The architectural design of the two-storied Kuthibari of Patisar is similar to that of Shilaidaha-Shahjadpur. The buildings, adjacent to the main mansion, are now reduced to ruins. A pond, named Rabindrasarobar, is now a silted-up marsh. During his stay at Patisar, Tagore composed various poems, stories, novels, essays, and the verse-play Biday Abhishap. He also established many primary schools, a school named Rathindranath High School, charitable dispensaries, and Patisar Krishi Bank (1905). He introduced tractors in Patisar and formed cooperative societies for the development of agriculture, handloom, and pottery.

In 1921, when the zamindari was divided, Patisar was included in Tagore's share. When the poet was awarded the Nobel Prize, the tenants of Patisar gave him an address of honor (1913). On the request of his tenants, Tagore visited Patisar in 1937 for the last time on the occasion of Punya. Every year many devotees of Tagore come from home and abroad to visit Patisar. On the occasions of Tagore's birth and death anniversaries, the Government arranges and gives all facilities to make discussion meetings and cultural functions that are held at Patisar.

Dubalhati

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Dubalhati is an ancient site in the southwestern part of the district. The road to Dubalhati passes through the wide body of water known as “Dighli beel” (a beel is a large shallow lake or marsh). There is a large well in the center of the road for providing travelers with water.

A feature of Dubalhati is the "Raja's Mansion" (Jomidar Bari or Rajbari). The house has two parts; the main part, Darbar Hall, is residential and used for holding seminars, while the other part, Natto Shalla, is for prayers. The rajbari is a three-story building standing on wide and long masonry slender spiral columns. There are four large dighi (small lakes) around the site.

The rajbari was first built by Raja Horandro Ray Choudhory during the Pala Dynasty (781–1124). About 53 rajas have held the title, beginning with Jogotram, and ending with Haranath Ray Bahadur II in the 1940s. Raja Horonath Ray Bahadur I was notable for his construction of schools in the Rajshahi and Naogaon districts, including Natto Shala, Baganbari, Dubalhati High school, Naogaon K.D. School. He contributed sums of money to the Rajshahi Government College. He founded Dubalhati Raja Horonuth High School, only the second high school in the Rajshahi Division, in 1864. He had many wells and dhighis (small lakes) dug for providing drinking and irrigation water and provided food to the populace during the famine of 1874. This raj bari was destroyed during the Hindu Muslim riots in 1946. The members of this family include Krinkari Ray Choudhary (son of Horonath Ray Bahadur who died in 1949). The Roy Choudhary family still prevails in Kolkata and is now well settled.

Dibar Dighi

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One of the ancient and historic places of Naogaon District is Dibar Dighi. It is situated on the side of village Dibar, in Dibar Union of Patnitala Upazila.

Administration

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Map of Naogaon District

Secretary of District Council: ATM Abdullahel Baki [13]

Chairman of District Council: AKM Fozley Rabbi[14]

Deputy Commissioner (DC): Khalid Mehdi Hasan, PAA[1]

Superintendent of Police (SP): Md. Iqbal Hossain

Upazilas

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The district is divided into 11 upazilas:

Schools

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Notable residents

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Naogaon subdivision of Rajshahi district and Porsha, Patnitala and Dhamoirhat thanas of Dinajpur district
  2. ^ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References

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  1. ^ a b প্রোফাইল - নওগাঁ জেলা [Profile, Naogaon District]. noagaon.gov.bd (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Naogaon (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-233-7.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b Rezaul Karim (2012). "Naogaon District". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Naogaon" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  6. ^ "Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province" (PDF).
  7. ^ জনশুমারি ও গৃহগণনা ২০২২: প্রাথসিক প্রতিবেদন [Census and Housing Census 2022: Preliminary Report] (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (in Bengali). p. 32.
  8. ^ Daily Kaler Kontho, General Knowledge Book
  9. ^ "Naogaon new hub for mango, Pabna for litchi". The Daily star.
  10. ^ "Halud Vihara". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  11. ^ Buddhist Monks And Monasteries Of India: Their History And Contribution To Indian Culture. by Dutt, Sukumar. George Allen and Unwin Ltd, London 1962. pg 377
  12. ^ "Jaggadala Vihara". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  13. ^ সচিব, জেলা পরিষদ, নওগাঁ [Secretary, District Commission, Naogaon] (in Bengali).
  14. ^ চেয়ারম্যান, জেলা পরিষদ [Chairman, District Commission] (in Bengali).
  15. ^ "Govt approves four new medical colleges, says health minister". bdnews24.com. 26 August 2018.
  16. ^ প্রখ্যাতব্যক্তিত্ব [Famous Personnel] (in Bengali). naogaon.gov.bd. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
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