Gopalganj District () is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
in
Dhaka Division
Dhaka Division () is an Divisions of Bangladesh, administrative division of Bangladesh. Dhaka serves as the capital city of Dhaka Division, the Dhaka District and Bangladesh. The division remains as a population magnet, and covers an area of 20, ...
of
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 ...
.
The district has 1,172,415 inhabitants and its surface area is 1,490 km
2. The main town of the district is also called
Gopalganj. It is the bank of the Madhumati river and located at 23°00’47.67" N 89°49’21.41". It is bounded by
Faridpur district on the North,
Pirojpur and
Bagerhat district on the south, and
Barisal district
Barisal District, officially Barishal District () is a district in south-central Bangladesh, it was formerly called Bakerganj district, and established in 1797. Its headquarters is in Barisal city, which is also the headquarters of Barisal ...
on the east and
Narail district on the West. This district is also known as "GP" to the youth. Gopalganj is subdivided into five sub-districts (
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 ...
/
thana).
History
In 1800, Babu Preetoram Das,
Zamindar of
Janbazar,
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
purchased Makimpur
Pargana
Pargana or parganah, also spelt pergunnah, equivalent to Mohallah as a subunit of Subah (Suba), was a type of former administrative division in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British Colonial empire ...
(in present days lies under the area of
Gopalganj) for 19,000 taka only and became the landlord of the
Pargana
Pargana or parganah, also spelt pergunnah, equivalent to Mohallah as a subunit of Subah (Suba), was a type of former administrative division in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British Colonial empire ...
.
Babu Rajachandra Das, the 2nd son of Preetoram Das was married to
Rani Rasmoni of
Mahishya caste on 4 April 1804. Landlord Rajachandra died only at 49 leaving his widowed wife
Rani Rasmoni and three daughters on 9 June 1836. Padmamoni, the eldest daughter of
Rani Rasmoni, married Ramchandra and gave birth to seven children; Mahendranath, Ganeshchandra, and five others. Mahendranath, eldest son of Padmamoni and Ramchandra died at a premature age and Ganeshchandra (second son) became landlord of the estate. To show respect to
Rani Rasmoni, the tenants of Khatra estate changed the name of Rajganj Bajar to
Gopalganj (''Gopal'' from Nabo Gopal and ''Ganj'' from Ranjganj) following the name of Nabo Gopal, son of Ganeshchandra and great grandson of
Rani Rasmoni.
This area was under the southern part of ancient Bengal called
Vanga. Around 300 BC here in Kotalipara was the capital of
Gangaridai dynasty.
Gangaridai was one of the powerful kingdom of Indian subcontinent. It was described by the Greek traveller
Megasthenes in his work
Indica. During Sultanate and Mughal period several
Hindu kings ruled the area. In 1713, Muksudpur Upazila was part of Jessore district while the rest of Gopalganj was part of Dhaka - Jalalpur District. Muksedpur was later transferred to Faridpur district in 1807.
Gopalganj Sadar and Kotalipara was part of Jalalpur Porgona of Faridpur district. Chandana (now Modhumoti) river was the borderline for Jessore and Dhaka - Jalalpur districts in 1812. Gopalgnaj - Madaripur was a large water body back then where maritime robbery was a regular activity. Thus, Madaripur Mohakuma or Sub-division was separated in 1854 from Bakergonj District.
Later, Gopalganj emerged as a police station in 1872 under the Madaripur Mohakuma or Sub-division vide Calcutta Gazette of 1870. In 1873, Madaripur Mohakuma or Sub-division was transferred to Faridpur district from Bakergonj district. Later in 1909, it was separated from the Madaripur Mohakuma of Bakergonj district to form a new Gopalganj Mohhakuma or sub-division. Later, Muksudpur Police Station of Faridpur district joined
Gopalganj and Kotalipara police stations of Gopalganj Mohakuma or sub-division of Faridpur district.
The first SDO (sub-divisional officer) was Mr. Suresh Chandra Sen. In 1910, the sub-divisional officer's bench court was transformed into Criminal Court. In 1921, Gopalganj was elevated to township status which was inhabited by only 3,478 persons. 1925 saw the initiation of Civil Court. In 1936, Muksudpur was split to form Kashiani police station.
Gopalganj Mohakuma or sub-division emerged as Gopalganj district on the 1st day of February in 1984. Mr. AFM Ehiya Chowdhury was the first District Commissioner of Gopalganj District.
In the same year, Tungipara was separated from the Sadar Upazila to form a new upazila namely Tungipara upazila. After the liberation war in 1972,
Gopalganj Sadar became Municipality or Pourashava and Panna Biswas was selected as its first chairman.
Politics

Gopalganj is closely linked to Bangladeshi politics. It is the birthplace of several notable political figures, including
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), also known by the honorific Bangabandhu, was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman and activist who was the founding president of Bangladesh. As the leader of Bangl ...
, the first
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 ...
, and his daughter
Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the ousted
Prime Minister of Bangladesh following
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...
. The district has a history of political activity and has been the site of political clashes in the past.
Geography
* Rivers:
Gorai-Madhumati, Kaliganga, Madaripur Beel route channel, Hunda, Ghagore,Old Kumar rivers and Barashia River etc.
* Large Water Bodies/Beel/Haor/Baor: Borni Baor, Chandar beel and Baghyar beel.
Climate
Demographics
According to the
2022 Census of Bangladesh, Gopalganj District had 308,710 households and a population of 1,295,057 with an average 4.11 people per household. Among the population, 250,128 (19.31%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 882 people per km
2. Gopalganj District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 79.84%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1042 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 20.01% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 2,470.
Today, the majority are the
Bengali Muslims
Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work.are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest et ...
, although before Partition Hindus, most of whom were
Namasudras, formed a clear majority in what is today Gopalganj district. The largest minority group is the
Bengali Hindus, while Christians are present. The Muslim population has constantly increased, while Hindu population has constantly decreased from a high of nearly 400,000 (40% of the population in 1981) to under 350,000 today, and the Christian population has remained consistent at 13,000. Gopalganj has the highest percentage of Hindus of any district in Bangladesh. The district of Gopalganj has 356 mosques, 359 temples, and 250 churches.
Administration
Gopalganj district consists of 5 upazilas (previously known as 'Thana or police station' which is essentially a sub-district) namely
Gopalganj Sadar,
Kotalipara,
Kashiani,
Muksudpur, and
Tungipara; 4 Pourashavas/ Municipalities namely Gopalganj (Class A), Tungipara (Class B), Kotalipara (Class B) & Muksudpur (Class C) and 68 unions.
The main township is known as
Gopalganj Sadar, which consists of 9 wards and 49 mahallas.
Gopalganj municipality was constituted in 1972. It has an area of 8.59 km
2 and a population of 40,987; male 53.27%, female 46.73% with a population density of 4,771 per km
2.
Administrator of District Council: Md. Atiar Rahman
Deputy Commissioner (DC): Kazi Mahbubul Alam
Subdivisions
#
Gopalganj Sadar Upazila
#
Kashiani Upazila
#
Kotalipara Upazila
#
Muksudpur Upazila
#
Tungipara Upazila
Transport
Gopalganj has a great transportation system. It is a 5-hour drive away from the capital
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
by road subject to traffic conditions. The journey time is set to reduce once the
Padma Multipurpose Bridge is opened for all.
Dhaka-Khulna Highway goes through Gopalganj to connect the neighbouring districts namely
Barisal,
Narail,
Faridpur,
Madaripur,
Bagerhat and
Khulna
Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division. It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division. Khulna is also the seco ...
. Buses leaves Dhaka for Gopalganj from both Gabtoli and Syedabad. Tungipara Express, Modhumoti, Dola, Bonoful leaves from Sayedabad for Gopalganj via
Munshiganj - Mawa - Kawrakandi -
Madaripur and Comfort Line, Sheba Green, Polash leaves from Gabtoli for Gopalganj via
Manikgonj - Paturia - Doulotdia -
Rajbari -
Faridpur.
Water transportation was the main medium of transport for the people of this district in the 1980s but the popularity of it has declined over time with the introduction of road connectivity. Now a launch operates between
Sadarghat of Dhaka and Poisharhat of Kotalipara. However, mechanical trawlers and boats still ply through the rivers, canals and vast water bodies.
An inoperable rail line is in place till
Kashiani. The train service is also set to be reintroduced after the
Padma Bridge
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge, commonly known as the Padma Bridge, is a Double-decked bridge, two-level road-rail bridge across the Padma River, the main distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh.
It connects Louhajang Upazila of Munshiganj Dist ...
is built.
On 14 April 1986, at least 92 people were killed in Gopalganj by the heaviest hailstones ever recorded, which were the size of grapefruits and weighed around 1 kg (2.2 lb) each.
Education
The district has 21 colleges, 181 high schools and 760 primary schools. Other notable educational institutions are as follows:
* Sheikh Sayera Khatun Medical College (SSKMC)
*Sheikh Sayera Khatun Nursing College
*Rabeya-Ali Girls School and College
*Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU)
* Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Dental College (SLRDC)
* Sheikh Rehana Textile College
*Arpara Islamia High School
*Binapani Govt. Girls High School
*Bhatiapara High School (1961)
*Bangabandhu Poverty Reduction Training Complex
*Gaohardanga Madrasa (historical Madrasa in southern Bangladesh)
*
Govt. Bangabandhu College
*Gopinathpur High School (1911)
*Gopalgonj Model Polytechnic Institute
*Government Nazrul College, Satpar, Gopalganj
*Gimadanga Ideal High School
*Hazi Laal Mia City College
*Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Govt. Mohila College
*S.M. Model Govt. High School
*S.K. Aliya Madrasah
*Sheikh Russel Destitute Children Training and Rehabilitation Center at Tungipara
*Sheikh Hasina Girls School and College
*Swarnakali High School
*Satpar Dinnnath Goyali Chandra High School
*Sabira - Rouf College
*Moulovi Abdul Hye Memorial School & College
*Paikkandi Panchapalli Madrasah
*Ulpur PC High School (1900)
Notable people
*
A. F. M. Abdul Moyeen, educationalist
*
Abdullah Baqui
*
Abul Hasan, poet
*
Ainul Haque, footballer and played for
Shadhin Bangla football team
*
Anis Ud Dowla, businessperson and founder of ACI group of industries
*
Akhter Mia
*
Asad Noor, exiled blogger
*
Benazir Ahmed, retired Inspector General of Bangladeshi police, absconding from Bangladesh for avoiding corruption-charges
*
Balai Dey, footballer, played for Pakistan and India
*
Binoy Majumdar, poet
*
Chowdhury Jafarullah Sharafat, sports commentator and journalist
*
Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat
*
Elias Hossain, footballer
*
Firoza Begum, artist
*
Faruk Khan, politician and former minister.
*
Fayakuzzaman
*
Habibur Rahman
*
Ismat Kadir Gama
*
Jaya Ahsan, leading Bangladeshi film and television actress.
*
Kazi Anowar Hossain, painter
*
Kazi Wasi Uddin
*
Khalid, singer, former front man of Chime
*
Khandokar Mahbub Uddin Ahmad
*
Khandokar Shams Uddin Ahmed
*
Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, Bangladeshi economist and banker
*
Krishna Tithi Khan
*
Lily Rani Biswas, cricketer
*
M. H. Khan Monjur
*
MA Syed
*
Marzuk Russell, poet, lyricist and notable television actor
*
Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed
*
Mizanur Rahman
*
Mohabbat Jan Chowdhury, general and former minister
*
Mohammad A. Quayum, academic
*
Mohammad Ali Mia
*
Mohammad Asafuddowla, musician
*
Mohammed Nazibur Rahman
*
Muhammad Aziz Khan, businessperson, founder of
Summit Group, and first Bangladeshi on the Forbes Billionaire list
*
Monirul Islam, former head of Detective Branch
*
Mufti Abdul Hannan, terrorist
*
Nirmal Sen, journalist and politician
*
Pramatha Ranjan Thakur, Indian politician
*
Prince Mahmud, noted lyricist, composer and music-director
*
R. C. Majumdar, historian and 4th Vice Chancellor of the
University of Dhaka
*
Ruhul Amin), Islamic scholar
*
Samson H. Chowdhury, businessperson, entrepreneur, founder of
Square Group of Companies
*
Sarbari Roy Choudhury, Indian artist
*
Shahid Ullah Khandaker
*
Shakib Khan, leading Dhallywood film-actor
*
Shamsul Haque Faridpuri, Islamic scholar, educationist, and social reformer
*
Shariff Enamul Kabir, academic.
*
Sheikh Hasina, politician
*
Sheikh Kabir Hossain, businessman
*
Sheikh Lutfar Rahman
*
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah politician, lawyer
*
Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain, politician
*
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), also known by the honorific Bangabandhu, was a Bangladeshi politician, revolutionary, statesman and activist who was the founding president of Bangladesh. As the leader of Bangl ...
, politician, revolutionary, statesman, founding president of Bangladesh
*
Sheikh Rehana, politician
*
Sheikh Selim, politician
*
Shib Nath Roy, former ambassador
*
Tipu Munshi, politician and former minister
*
Wahiduzzaman
*
Z. A. Morshed
Notes
References
See also
*
Upazilas of Bangladesh
An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a districts of Bangladesh, district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western count ...
*
Districts of Bangladesh
The divisions of Bangladesh, divisions of Bangladesh are further divided into districts or (). The headquarters of a district is called the district seat (). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh. The districts are further subdivided into 495 s ...
*
Divisions of Bangladesh
Divisions are the first-level administrative divisions in Bangladesh. As of 2024, there are eight divisions of Bangladesh, each named after the major city within its jurisdiction that also serves as the administrative seat of that division. Eac ...
*
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 ...
*
Thana
*
Administrative geography of Bangladesh
External links
Office of the Deputy Commissioner, GopalganjGopalganj districtDetailed Maps of Gopalganj
{{Authority control
Districts of Bangladesh