Manikganj ( bn, মানিকগঞ্জ ) is a district in central
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 mos ...
. It is a part of the Dhaka Division, In 1845 AD it was at first declared as a sub-division. It was at first, under
Faridpur district
Faridpur District ( bn, ফরিদপুর জেলা) is a district in south-central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. It is bounded by the Padma River to its northeast. The district was named after Farīd-ud-Dīn Masʿūd, ...
(Faridpur Zila) then it was included under
Dhaka district (Dhaka Zila) in 1956 for the administrative purposes. In 1984 Manikganj was declared as a full district..
History
Manikganj was established in 1845 as a subdivision of Dhaka District.
War of Liberation
Liberation war in 1971 in Manikganj District was organized and led by
Abdul Halim Chowdhury
Abdul Halim Chowdhury (1 February 1928 – 7 October 1987) was a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, Member of Parliament, and government minister. He is a retired captain of Pakistan Army and fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Earl ...
, Abdul Matin Chowdhury, Principal
Abdur Rouf Khan and other heroes of the district.
During October 1971, at the Northwest corner of Golaidanga village, Baldhara union in
Singair upazila
Singair ( bn, সিঙ্গাইর) is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Singair is located at . It has 44151 households and total area 217.38 km2.
Demographics
As of the 1991 Bangladesh c ...
, a group of Freedom Fighters attacked the boats carrying the Pakistani intruding soldiers and a terrible battle occurred on the Nuruni ganga (canal of Kaliganga river).Eighty one Pak soldiers were killed and many others held with injuries in a fierce battle with freedom fighters at Golaidanga village in Singair upazila on 29 October. Freedom fighter Engr Tobarak Hossain Ludu led the operation. He was the commander of muktibahini Lodu group. None of the Mukti Bahini Freedom Fighters were killed during this battle which is one of the significant liberation fight against Pakistani military in Manikgonj. After this short duration battle, the Mukti Bahini Freedom Fighters leave the battle field and the PAK soldiers enhanced their strength bringing more soldiers and they burnt 160 houses surrounding area of Golaidanga village of the battle place and killed 09 local people who were mostly elderly stayed at home. Some local young boys helped freedom fighters in that ambush. After golaidanga fight Singair upozilla became free from Pak occupied army on 13 November 1971. In the last week of November in 1971, fresh groups of freedom fighters entered different areas of Manikganj and defeated Pakistani troops in a few battles. On 14 December 1971, a group of Pakistan Bahini moving toward Dhaka entered into Barundi village under Manikganj Sadar upazila, a group of liberation forces (Mujib Bahini) under leadership of Shahadat Hossain Biswas Badal were preparing to attack them within a suitable place. Understanding this, the Pakistani Soldiers immediately left the village leaving two soldiers from their troops. One of them was arrested by the liberation forces (Mujib Bahini) at night on 14 December 1971 and another was arrested by the same group of freedom fighters next day after a small fight. Finally they declared the then sub-division free on 13 December.
It was turned into a district in 1984.
Daulatpur-Saturia tornado
On 26 April 1989, Manikganj was the site of the
Daulatpur–Saturia tornado
The Daulatpur–Saturia tornado occurred in Manikganj District, Bangladesh on April 26, 1989. It was the deadliest tornado in Bangladesh's history. There is great uncertainty about the death toll, but estimates indicate that it was devastating an ...
, which became the deadliest tornado in recorded history. 1,300 people were initially reported as having been killed with 12,000 injured. The towns of Saturia and Manikganj Sadar were leveled and about 80,000 people were made homeless.
Geography
Manikganj is a district in Dhaka Division. It comprises an area of . Annual average temperatures reach a maximum of 36 °C and a minimum to 12.7 °C with the annual rainfall total being .
Rivers
There are quite a few rivers in the Manikganj District.
The names of the some important rivers of this district are as follows:
#The
Padma
The Padma ( bn, পদ্মা ''Pôdma'') is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the 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 sit ...
#The
Kaliganga
#The
Jamuna
#The
Dhaleshwari
The Dhaleshwari River ( bn, ধলেশ্বরী ''Dhôleshshori'') is a distributary, long, of the Jamuna River in central Bangladesh. It starts off the Jamuna near the northwestern tip of Tangail District. After that it divides into two b ...
#The
Ichamati
Population
According to the
2011 Bangladesh census, Manikganj District had a population of 1,392,867, of which 676,359 were males and 716,508 were females. Rural population was 1,264,157 (90.76%) while urban population was 128,710 (9.24%). Manikganj had a literacy rate 49.20% for the population 7 years and above: 52.59% for males and 46.05% for females.
Religion
90.62% are Muslims, 9.34% are Hindus. The district of Manikganj has 3575 mosques, 160 temples, 10 churches, five
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temples and a pagoda. The Hindu population has fallen from its 1981 level of nearly 150,000 to 130,000 in 2011.
Economy
There are total 166 Haats and Bazars. Besides 54 fairs (Mela) are held in Manikganj. "Manikganj Bijoy Mela"-(Manikganj), "Bahadia Boishakhi Mela,(Bahadia) "Joymontop Modhor Mela,(Joymontop) Bahadia Bazar "Majhi Barir Mela"-(Diabari), "Zinda Shah Mela"-(Jhitka), "Belal/Billal Paglar Mela"-(Harganj), "Rowth Jatra Mela"-(Katigram), "Poush Mela"-(Atigram), "Bathaimuri Mela"-(Bathaimuri), "Baher Paglar Mela"-(Bangala), "Baher Paglar Mela"-(Mohadebpur), "Sadhur Mela"-( South Jamsha), "Sadhinota Mela"-(Maluchi), "Aziz paglar Mela"- (kachidhara), " Baruni Mela"- (Butni),are famous and favorite all over Manikganj. Mohadebpur Bazar, Barangail Bazar, Baira Bazar, Jhitka Bazar, jamsha bazar, Diabari Bazar, Gilonda Bazar, Gheor Bazar, Singair Bazar, Bangala Bazar, Maluchi Bazar(Balla bazar), Intazganj Bazar,Butni Bazar are famous bazar in manikganj.
Places of interest
*
Baliati Zamindari Home, Saturia
File:Baliati Palace.jpg, Baliati Palace
File:Baliati Palace 2.jpg, Baliati Palace
File:Baliati Palace - backside.jpg, Baliati Palace - backside
*
Padmar Par, Harirampur
*
Teota Jamindar Bari,
Shivalaya upazila
Shivalaya ( bn, শিবালয়, ''Shibaloy'', meaning "Home of Shiva") is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Shivalaya is located at . It has 26334 households and total area 199.07 km2.
De ...
* Taota Noboratna Modh, Shibalaya
* Narayan Sadhur Asrom
* Historical Shrine and Mosque of Machaine Village
* Kabiraj Bari
*
Beutha Bridge
* Betila Palace
* Betila Mondir
Subdivisions
The upazilas are:
*
Manikganj Sadar Upazila
*
Singair Upazila
Singair ( bn, সিঙ্গাইর) is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Singair is located at . It has 44151 households and total area 217.38 km2.
Demographics
As of the 1991 Bangladesh c ...
*
Shivalaya Upazila
Shivalaya ( bn, শিবালয়, ''Shibaloy'', meaning "Home of Shiva") is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Shivalaya is located at . It has 26334 households and total area 199.07 km2.
De ...
*
Saturia Upazila
Saturia ( bn, সাটুরিয়া) is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The administrative center is located in Saturia.
Geography
Saturia is located at . It has 27174 households and total area 140.12 ...
*
Harirampur Upazila
Harirampur ( bn, হরিরামপুর) is an upazila of Manikganj District in the Division of Dhaka Division, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Harirampur is located at . It has 30,136 households and a total area of 245.42 km2.
Demographi ...
*
Ghior Upazila
*
Daulatpur Upazila.
Education
![Govt Debendra college Manikgonj](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Govt_Debendra_college_Manikgonj.jpg)
There is one medical school in the district,
Colonel Malek Medical College.
A private university,
NPI University of Bangladesh, is planned.
There are 27 colleges in the district. They include
Government Debendra College, founded in 1942.
According to Banglapedia,
Baliati Iswar Chandra High School
Baliati Iswar Chandra High School ( bn, বালিয়াটি ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়) is a secondary school in Saturia Upazila, Manikganj District, Bangladesh, established in 1919. It is ...
, founded in 1919, Barangail Gopal Chandra High School (1924), Dhankora Girish Institution (1917), Dhulla B. M. High School (1920), Ghior D. N. Pilot High School (1929), Ibrahimpur Iswar Chandra High School (1923), Jamirtta S. G. High School (1921), Jhitka Ananda Mohan High School (1926), Joymontop High School (1921),
ellai Monsur Uddin ML High School1956),
Manikganj Government High School (1884), Manikganj Model High School (1925), Nali Bararia Krishna Chandra High School (1915),
Patgram Anath Bandhu Government High School Patgram Anath Bandhu Government High School ( bn, পাটগ্রাম অনাথ বন্ধু সরকারী উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়) is a secondary school in Harirampur Upazila, in the division of Dhaka Division, Dhak ...
(1915), Teota Academy (1891), and Terosree K. N. Institution (1922),
Bajpara high school (1995), Hatipara High School, Diabari High School are notable secondary schools.
[
The madrasa education system includes two fazil madrasas and one kamil madrasa, Manikganj Islamia Kamil Madrasa, founded in 1953.][
The technical education system includes the Government Textile Vocational Institute Manikganj.
]
Notable residents
* Khan Asifur Rahman Agun
Khan Asifur Rahman Agoon, known as Agun is a Bangladeshi musician. The son of actor Khan Ataur Rahman and singer Nilufar Yasmin, he is notable for songs like "''Baba Bole Chhele Nam Korbe''", "''Amar Shopno Gulo''" and "''O Amar Bondhu Go''".
Ca ...
, singer
* Begum Badrunnessa Ahmed, politician and social worker, was raised by the zamindar of Paril.
* Naib Uddin Ahmed
Naib Uddin Ahmed (1925 – 14 December 2009) was a Bangladeshi photographer best known for his work during the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 2009, an exhibition of his work was held which also featured a documentary on his life.
Footnotes
Ref ...
, photographer, was born in Paril village in 1925.
* Rafiq Uddin Ahmed
Rafiq Uddin Ahmed ( bn, রফিক উদ্দিন আহমদ) (30 October 1926 – 21 February 1952) was a protester killed during the Bengali Language Movement that took place in East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh) in 1952. He is co ...
, Bengali language movement martyr, was born in Paril village in 1926.
* Mir Quasem Ali
Mir Quasem Ali (31 December 1952 – 3 September 2016) was a Bangladeshi businessman, philanthropist and politician. He was a former director of Islami Bank, and chairman of the Diganta Media Corporation, which owns Diganta TV. He founded the ...
, war criminal, was born in Munshidangi village in 1952.
* Momtaz Begum, singer and politician, was elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-2
Manikganj-2 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2014 by Momtaz Begum of the Awami League.
Boundaries
The constituency encompasses Harirampur and Singair upazilas, and four union paris ...
.
* Amalendu Biswas
Amalendu Biswas (19251987) was a Bangladeshi stage actor. Calling ''Jatra Samrat'', he specialized in '' jatra pala'' genre. He won ''Sequence of Merit Award'' by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1980. He was awarded Ekushey Padak by the Governme ...
, stage actor, lived in Jabar village.
* Aruna Biswas
Aruna Biswas is a Bangladeshi television, stage and film actress. She is also a television drama director.
Background
Biswas is the daughter of jatra activists Amalendu Biswas and Jyotsna Biswas.
Career
Biswas debuted in film industry in 198 ...
, television and film actress, calls Manikganj her hometown.
* Parbati Sankar Roy Choudhury, zamindar, administered his family's estates from Teota.
* Abdul Halim Chowdhury
Abdul Halim Chowdhury (1 February 1928 – 7 October 1987) was a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, Member of Parliament, and government minister. He is a retired captain of Pakistan Army and fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Earl ...
, politician, was born in Elachipur village in 1928.
* Bulbul Chowdhury
Bulbul Chowdhury (1 January 1919 – 17 May 1954), real name Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury, was a Bengali dancer of British India, and later East Pakistan. He is primarily regarded as a pioneer of modern dance in Bangladesh, as a founding figure of dan ...
, dancer, attended Manikganj High School.
* Munier Choudhury, educator, dramatist, and literary critic, was born in Manikganj in 1925.
* , Zamindar, was born in Dhulla village in 1869.
* Sumita Devi, actress, was born in Manikganj district in 1936.
* Nina Hamid, folk singer
* Khandaker Delwar Hossain
Khondkar Delwar Hossain (1 February 1933 – 16 March 2011) was a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician. He served as the secretary general of the party. He was elected five times as a Member of Parliament from constituency Manikganj-1 (Ghior-D ...
, politician, was elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-1.
* Khandkar Manwar Hossain, statistician
* A. K. M. Nurul Islam, Vice President of Bangladesh (1986–1989), is buried in Harirampur.
* Mohammad Kaykobad, computer scientist, graduated from Manikganj Government High School and Debendra College.
* Mohammad Ali Reza Khan, ornithologist, graduated from Manikganj Debendranath College.
* Mubarak Ahmad Khan
Mubarak Ahmad Khan is a Bangladeshi scientist who has been doing research into jute's commercial uses and possibilities. According to the science-based research database, Scopus, he is considered to be the leading scientist in the study of jute ...
, scientist
* Muhammad Siddiq Khan, librarian, was principal of Manikganj Debendra College.
* Shamsul Islam Khan, Bangladeshi Minister of Industry (1991–1996), was elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-4.
* Shamsuzzaman Khan
Shamsuzzaman Khan (29 December 1940 – 14 April 2021 ) was a Bangladeshi academician, folklorist, and writer who served as president of Bangla Academy since June 2020 until his death in April 2021. He also served as the director general of the ...
, academician and folklorist, was born in Manikganj district.
* Zahid Maleque
Zahid Maleque (born 11 April 1959) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and the incumbent Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Bangladesh), Minister of Health and Family Welfare. He is the incumbent Jatiya Sangsad member from the Manikganj- ...
, Bangladeshi Minister of Health and Family Welfare, was elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-3
Manikganj-3 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2008 by Zahid Maleque of the Awami League.
Boundaries
The constituency encompasses Saturia Upazila and all but the three southernmost union ...
.
* Tareque Masud
Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist. He first found success with the films ''Muktir Gaan'' (1995) and ''Matir Moina'' (2002), for which he won thr ...
, film director and producer, died in a crash on the N5 highway at Joka.
* Mishuk Munier
Ashfaque Munier (September 24, 1959August 13, 2011; known as Mishuk Munier) was a Bangladeshi media specialist and broadcast journalist. He was known for his photography direction and for being the cofounder of the global news channel The Real New ...
, journalist, died in a crash on the N5 highway at Joka.
* Khan Ataur Rahman
Khan Ataur Rahman (known as Khan Ata; 11 December 1928 – 1 December 1997) was a Bangladeshi film actor, director, producer, screenplay writer, music composer, and singer, best known for his role in the film '' Jibon Theke Neya'' (1970). He r ...
, actor, filmmaker, and composer, was born in Ramkantapur village in 1928.
* Naimur Rahman Durjoy, cricketer and politician, was born in Manikganj in 1974.
* Kaniz Fatema Roksana
Kaniz Fatema Roksana was the first Bangladeshi woman commercial pilot. She died on 5 August 1984 in a plane crash in a marsh near Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), List of renamed pla ...
, first Bangladeshi women pilot
* Kiran Chandra Roy, folk singer, attended Patgram Anath Bandhu High School and Manikganj Debendra College.
* Ranadaprasad Saha
Ranadaprasad Shaha (also RP Shaha; 15 November 1896 – May 1971) was a Bangladeshi businessman and philanthropist. He founded educational institutes like Bharateswari Homes, Kumudini College and Debendra College. During the Bangladesh Libera ...
, businessman, established Debendra College in 1942.
* Dinesh Chandra Sen
Rai Bahadur Dinesh Chandra Sen ( bn, দীনেশ চন্দ্র সেন) (3 November 1866 – 20 November 1939)Sengupta, Subodh Chandra (ed.) (1988) ''Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan'' (in Bengali), Kolkata: Sahitya Sansad, p.208 was a ...
, educator, writer, and folklorist, was born in Bogjuri village in 1866.
* Hiralal Sen
Hiralal Sen ( bn, হীরালাল সেন, ''Hiralal Shen''; 2 August 1868 – 26 October 1917) is generally considered one of India's first filmmakers. In 1903, he filmed the popular Alibaba and Forty Thieves, the first full-length In ...
, filmmaker, was born in Bogjuri village in 1866.
* Amartya Sen
Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher, who since 1972 has taught and worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, econom ...
, economist, made a few visits to his ancestral home (on his mother's side) in Manikganj.
See also
* Districts of BangladeshNahar Garden, Saturia
Notes
References
{{authority control
Districts of Bangladesh