Narsingdi District

Narsingdi
নরসিংদী
District of Bangladesh
Clockwise from top-left: Skyline of Narsingdi, Parulia Shahi Mosque, Bridge at Narsingdi, Wari-Bateshwar ruins, Swamp in Raipura Upazila, Lakkan Sahar Zamindar bari
Location of Narsingdi District in Bangladesh
Location of Narsingdi District in Bangladesh
Map
Expandable map of Narsingdi District
Coordinates: 23°55′N 90°44′E / 23.92°N 90.73°E / 23.92; 90.73
Country Bangladesh
DivisionDhaka
HeadquartersNarsingdi
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerSyeda Farhana Kawnine
Area
 • Total
1,150.14 km2 (444.07 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total
2,584,452
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code
1600
Area code0621
ISO 3166 codeBD-42
HDI (2018)0.668[2]
medium · 7th of 20
Websitenarsingdi.gov.bd

Narsingdi District (Bengali: নরসিংদী জেলা) is a district in central Bangladesh. It is located 50 km north-east of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital. It is a part of the Dhaka Division.[3] The district is famous for its textile craft industry. Narsingdi is bordered by Kishoreganj in the north and north-east, Brahmanbaria in the east and south-east, Narayanganj in the south and south-west and Gazipur in the west.

History

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The district is home to one of the earliest archaeological sites in Bangladesh, the Wari-Bateshwar ruins. These ruins, dating to the early 2nd millenium BCE, represent one of the earliest urban centres in South Asia. Currency of the Mauryan form has been found here, suggesting the region was under the influence of the Mauryas. In the early medieval period, the region fell under the control of the Palas and later Senas, before being conquered like the rest of the Dhaka area by the Muslims, and became part of a province of the Delhi Sultanate administered from nearby Sonargaon.

Eventually the armour-bearer Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah formed a short-lived sultanate centred at Sonargaon which included Narsingdi, but he was soon defeated by the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. Then Narsingdi became part of the Bengal Sultanate. It remained under the Bengal Sultanate until the Battle of Rajmahal, when the Mughals took control. However in truth the region remained under the control of the zamindar Isa Khan, who contested Mughal rule in East Bengal. After his death and the surrender of his son, the southern parts of what is now Narsingdi district became part of the Sarkar of Sonargaon while northern parts became part of the Sarkar of Bazuha. After the East India Company conquered Bengal, they made the region part of the Dacca District. In 1984, as part of the ongoing decentralisation programme, Narsingdi was made a separate district.

Geography

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The district is situated in the floodplain of the Old Brahmaputra and the Meghna and is relatively flat. The terrain is made up almost entirely of alluvial soil.

Rivers

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The Meghna, the Shitalakshya, the old Brahmaputra, Arial Kha, Haridhoa, and Paharea are some of the main rivers that flow through this district.

The Meghna lies on the east of the district, forming the border with Brahmanbaria district. Towards the top of the district it splits into two channels, which remerge downstream, creating an island in the middle.

The Old Brahmaputra river forms the northern border of the district with Kishoreganj district as it flows southeast. Formerly the main channel of the Brahmaputra, it merges into the Meghna at the corner of the district.

The Shitalakshya river forms the western border of the district. A distributary of the Old Brahmaputra, it flows southwest along the Narsingdi district border before entering Narayanganj district.

Subdivisions

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There are six upazilas, or subdivisions, in the Narsingdi district.

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1974 1,101,154—    
1981 1,328,117+2.71%
1991 1,652,123+2.21%
2001 1,895,984+1.39%
2011 2,224,944+1.61%
2022 2,584,452+1.37%
Sources:[1][4]

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Narsingdi District had 621,511 households and a population of 2,584,452 with an average 4.09 people per household. Among the population, 520,051 (20.12%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 2,247 people per km2. Narsingdi District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 74.81%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1041 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 24.92% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 508.[1]

Religion in present-day Narsingdi District
Religion 1941[5]: 96–97 [a] 1981[4] 1991[4] 2001[4] 2011[4] 2022[1]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Islam 555,975 84.84% 1,236,401 93.09% 1,542,417 93.36% 1,781,817 93.98% 2,098,829 94.33% 2,443,210 94.53%
Hinduism 99,197 15.14% 90,561 6.82% 106,057 6.42% 112,900 5.95% 125,769 5.65% 139,832 5.41%
Others [b] 128 0.02% 1,155 0.09% 3,649 0.22% 1,267 0.07% 346 0.02% 1,410 0.06%
Total Population 655,300 100% 1,328,117 100% 1,652,123 100% 1,895,984 100% 2,224,944 100% 2,584,452 100%

Economy

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Narsingdi is a densely industrial area and is home to many textile mills. Narsingdi gas field is located in the Shibpur upazila under Narsingdi district adjacent to the Dhaka-Sylhet highway about 45 km away of northern most east direction from capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. This field was discovered by Petrobangla in 1990. Total recoverable gas reserves of this field re-estimated by Hydrocarbon Unit is 215 billion cubic feet (6.1×109 m3). Commercial gas production was started in 1996 and until 31 August 2006 total 66.304 billion cubic feet (1.8775×109 m3) or 30.84 percent of gas reserves has been recovered. Largest powerplant of Bangladesh, Ghorashal power plant, owned by Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) is situated in palash Upazilla. Narsingdi is riched by several number of jute mills, which plays an important role in the economy. Quality banana is also found here. The biggest and renowned HAAT (textile market) of Bangladesh is located here at Madhabdi which is known as Shekherchaur / Babur Haat. Sugarcane also grows well. There is a sugar mill in Palash Thana named Deshbondho sugar mill. There are two urea fertilizer industries in Palash and Ghorashal.-->

Luminaries from Narsingdi

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A number of famous or established persons hails from this District. Among them freedom fighter Satish Pakrashi, Trailokaya Chakraborty, mathematician Narayan Ch Ghosh, famous poet Hari Acharaya, Shamsur Rahman, author Alauddin Al Azad, Birsreshtha Matiur Rahman, Dr. Azmol Morshed. Other persons served the nations in different arena. Among them Lalitmohan Roy - founder Satirpara K.K. Institution, Kamal Kamini Girls High School(now known as Narsingdi Girls' High School), Jitendra Mullick donated land for Brhamandi (Govt.) High School, Narsindi College, Jitendranath Economic Relations Department (ERD) secretary, Shariful Alam Bhuiyan, Senior Assistant Judge and so so. me 'Mir shah jahan'would like to add some figure those were inhabitants of Charsindur/palash & Mozlishpur/shibpur under the district now 'Narsingdi'. Sir Krishna Govinda Gupta was a British Indian civil servant, the sixth Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, a barrister-at-law, a prominent Bengali social reformer of the 19th century and leading Brahmo Samaj personality. Girish Chandra Sen (c. 1834-1910), a Brahmo missionary, was the first to translate the entire Quran into Bengali. Somen Chanda, writer, was born in Narsingdi District, British India in 1920. While leading a rally of workers of East Bengal Railway organised by the Soviet Suhrid Samity in Dhaka,[4] Chanda was attacked by some hooligans and killed brutally on 8 March 1942. Poet Shamsur Rahman, author Alauddin Al Azad are the monumental figures in Bangla literature who this Narsingdi. Masud Pathik is a Bangladeshi filmmaker, poet and lyricist. Founder of British India's first lamp factory named Bengal Lamp was family members of Lalitmohan Roy, Besides Bangal Lamp they established Karan Lamp and Orient Fan company. Late 'Eakub ali mia, Mofizuddin kha, Ashraf uddin khan(Tara mia), Kiron kha of mozlishpur/shibpur-they had also contribution around like High school, girls high school, charitable dispensary at Charsindur bazar & on their own land. Another'Tara mia memorial' hospital keep opened free for disabled peoples around the circle. Now also generation of 'kha' family by name 'Anwarul ashraf khan (Dilip mia), Kamrul ashraf khan(Puton mia) & Ifftekhar uddin khan (Liton mia) of these 3 brothers generously contributing within Narsingdi district like creating employment opportunity, free treatment to disabled family, so to say fully devoted themselves like their forefather 'kha'family. Sunil Baran Roy was an IAS officer and Home Secretary under chief Minister Joyti Basu.

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Narsingdi, Raipura, Shibpur, and Monohardi thanas of Dhaka district
  2. ^ Including Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Population and Housing Census 2022 National Report (PDF). Vol. 1. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023.
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  3. ^ Md. Mosharraf Hossain Sarkar (2012). "Narsingdi District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Narsingdi" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  5. ^ "Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province" (PDF).
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