PANCHAGARH

                                                       

                                           PANCHAGARH

The existences of five garhs are Bhitargarh, Hosaingarh, Mirgarh, Rajangarh and Devengarh. Panchagarh is named after these five garhs. Panchagarh District City stands on the bank of Kartoya at once 26.250N 88.500 E. The Panchagarh District in the northern part of Bangladesh. In the boundary on three side's by 288 km long India Border, having Darjeeling District North, Jalpaiguri and Kuchbihar Districts on the northeast, west Dinajpur and Purneia District on the west, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts on the south, Nilphamari District on the east.Panchagarh was a thana under Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal during the British rule. It was under Dinajpur district at the time of the partition of 1947. It was turned into a subdivision in 1980 consisting of Panchagarh Sadar, Boda, Debiganj, Atwari and Tetulia thanas. Panchagarh was elevated to a district in 01th February 1984. It consists of five upazilas, two municipality, 43 union Parishads and 850 villages.Panchagarh has a strong history and heritage in diversified culture within indigenous Sautal (Tribal) people's. During separation of India in 1947, Panchagarh thana was attached with Dinajpur District under Thakurgaon Mohakuma. In the Mohakoma Administrator Mr. Sayed Abdur Rashid (01-01-1980 to 31-12-1982). The Panchagarh Municipality was established in 1985. Panchagarh Sugar Mills was set up by the Government in 1965-69. It is the northern most Sugar Mill in Bangladesh. The Sugar Mill started its trail production in 1969-70. The first Rocks Museum in Panchagarh was established in 2000. The Panchagarh BP Government High School, Panchagarh and Primary Teacher Training Institute (PTI) were established in 1944 & 2006-07 respectively. Panchagarh Bir Moktijoddha Sirajul Islam stadium near in the Head Quarter. It’s soil is sandy, alluvial and bears close affinity with the soil of the old Himalayan Basin. On the northern part of the district there exists under ground water layer problem. Panchagarh has 16 rivers. Among them some main rivers are Kartoya, Atrai, Tista, Nagor, Mahananda, Tangon, Dahuk, Pathraj, Bhulli, Talma, Chawai, Kurum, Versa, Tirnoi, and Chilka. Maximum riverbed characters is steep slope. There are many Industries such as Tea Estate & Industry, Sugar Mill, Gem Jute Mill, Rice Mill, Ice Factory, Oil mill and Sawmill.
                                                 
                                                                

Panchagarh is the situated in the north side of Bangladesh. It is 150 feet (46 m) high from the level.
Some important data about Panchagarh:

1. Area: 1404.63 km².
2. Total Boundary: 302.68 km
3. Estublished: 01.02.1984
4. No. of City Corporation: 2
5. No. of Upzilla: 5
6. No. of Union: 43
7. No. of Village: 825
8. No. of Mouza: 463
9. Population: 9,01,091
1. Men: 4,65,056
2. Women: 4,36,035
10. Density of Population: 641 per km².
11. Rate of education:
1. Men: 42%
2. Women: 24%
12. Hat-Bazar(Markets): 138
13. Main Crops: Rice, Wheat,Sugar-Chan etc.
14. No. of Rivers: 16
15. Main Rivers: Korotoya, Dahuk,Chawai, Tirnoy.
16. Famous People: Advocate S.Bosirul Alam, Advocate Sirajul Islam, Mirza Ghulam Hafiz,Jomir Uddin Sirkar,Nazmul Haque Prodhan,Comred Forhat,Safiul Alam Prodhan and Nayok Rahman
17. Rivers: Panchagarh has 23 rivers. Among them some main rivers are Karatoya, Atrai, Tista, Nagor, Mahananda, Tangon, Dahuk, Pathraj, Bhulli, Talma, Chawai, Kurum, Versa, Tirnoi, and Chilka.

Religion

The district of Panchagarh consists 1729 mosques, 812 temples, 45 Buddhist temples and five churches.

History

The existence of fifteen garhs (fortifications) has hitherto been traced, of which the most noted are Bhitargarh, Hosaingarh, Mirgarh, Rajangarh and Devengarh. Panchagarh is named after these five garhs. Here Panch stands for five. (need to be edited)

Culture

In pohela boishak, the first day of Bengali year, boys-girls and all section of people play with color water (similar to Holy in India) in every road.

Transport

Bi-cycle, rickshaw, motor cycle are the main modes of transport for the local people. Regular buses connects the district to their neighbor districts and subdivisions. The road distance from Dhaka (Capital city of Bangladesh) to Panchagarh is 475 km. Road transportation between Dhaka & Panchagarh is a private sector affair operating predominantly in domestic routes.

Education

B.P(Bishnu Prasad)Govt.High school which is located near the Panchagarh Town,is the biggest and most famous boys' school of Panchagarh and the S.S.C examination (public exam) result of the school is very good.In 2009,85 students of this school got GPA 5 in the SSC examination.Panchagarh Govt.Girls' High School,which is situated at the heart of the Panchagarh Town,is the most famous girls' school of the district. In 2008 SSC examination,32 students of this school got GPA 5 in the SSC examination.M.R(Moqbular Rahman)Govt. College is the biggest and most famous college of Panchagarh while Panchagarh Govt. Women's college is the most famous women's college of the district.It has another 2 Govt High School in Debiganj Upazilla. a) N.N(Nripandra Narayan)Govt. High School b) Debiganj Alodini Govt. Girls' High School which are famous for good academic results.

Industry and resources

Industry: Tea, Sugar, Rice mill, ice factory, garments factory, oil mill, and Saw mill.
Banglabandha land port is located in about 10 acres (40,000 m²) of acquired land at the north-western tip of Bangladesh in Tetulia under Panchagarh district on the Bangladesh-India highway.The port is situated 60 km from Panchagarh Town. The place is of international character and used for Nepal transit traffic passing through a small corridor of India. It is about 22 meter away from the Bangladesh-Indian borderline.
The growing tea sector in Panchagarh has ushered in a new hope for further enhancing the standard of socio-economic life and women empowerment, they said. The female workers are yet to get their just wages from the garden-owners as the growing tea-farming sector in the region has been facing manifold problems including present unfair prices of the tea leaves for the tea farmers. Presently, over 7,000 skilled and unskilled workers, mostly women, have been working in 246 tea gardens, including 18 big estates, 13 medium-size and 215 small-scale gardens set up on more than 1,815 acres (7.35 km²) of land in Tetulia and its surrounding areas, they said. Of them nearly 2,300 workers, mostly women, are working alone at the giant Kazi and Kazi Tea Estate (KKTE) at Tetulia which has earned reputation in both national and international markets by producing, processing and marketing the famous and most popular Kazi & Kazi Organic Tea and earning foreign exchange.
Industry for manufacturing SPC electric poles, established a plant (Gemcon Ltd.) over a land of 35 Acres in Panchagarh District, here all the products in the plant are manufactured by using indigenous raw materials. The factory has created direct or indirect job opportunity for more than 1500 people and helping the nation in poverty alleviation.
Gem Jute Limited was established in Panchagarh in 2003, with the corporate vision is to improve the livelihood of the local population by providing employment and advancement opportunities, stimulate the local economy through direct and indirect economic activities. Gem Jute promotes sustainable development and support the environment by providing high-quality, organic, biodegradable products to the world market.Over 5000 people are working at Gem Jute Limited.
Under Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), Panchagarh Sugar Mills Ltd. is the oldest industry of the district. Panchagarh Sugar Mills was set up by the Government in 1965-69 at a cost of Tk.55.55 million. It is near the district headquarters of Panchagarh and is the northernmost sugar mill in Bangladesh. Machinery and equipment of the sugar mill were supplied by M/S. Stork Werkspoor of Holland. The sugar mill started its trial production in 1969-70. Since independence of Bangladesh (until 2005), the sugar mill has produced 8,536 m. tons of Sugar per annum on average at an average sugar recovery rate of 8.10% from sugarcane.

Agriculture

Main Crops: Paddy, Jute, Wheat, Potato, Sugarcane and Tea. Nearly Extinct Crops are Barley, Aus Paddy and Kaun. Main fruits: Mango, Jackfruit, Litchi, Banana, Blackberry, Papaya, Guava, Coconut and Betel nut.

Statistics

Description	2011	2001	% of National
Area(km2)	1,404.62	1,404.63	0.96
Population	10,26,141	836,196	0.71

Description	2011	2001	1991	% change
Density	703	595	507	17.36
Litrecy rate	51.8	40.82	27.80	46.83

Administrative

Panchagarh has five Upazilas:

upazila	population (2011)[2]
Panchagarh Sadar	271707
Debiganj	224709
Boda	232124
Atwari	133650
Tetulia	125454

Tourist spots and places of interest in Panchagarh

Atwari

As tourist spot, Atwari has the three domed mosque at Mirzapur, Chhaprajhar (Pahar bhanga) and Sardarpara, which bears the relics of Mughal architecture; remains of the ruined the “Zamindar Bari” of Aloakhoa. The Bara Awliyar Majar is another notable place in the upazila.
Atwari has the marks of War of Liberation of 1971. These are 2 mass graves, 1 twin grave and 1 martyr memorial monument.
Mirzapur Jamei Mosque Chaprajhar Mosque Solthori Mosque Shordarpara Mosque

Tetulia

Tetulia has great hospitality for tourists. It has a “Dak Banglo” situated on the bank of river Mahananda facing Darjeeling, a charming ice city of India. Tea of Tetulia has same quality like tea of Darjeeling. The “Kazi & Kazi” tea garden, the “Tetulia Tea” garden, the Banglabandha land port are the attractive places for the visitors.
Remnants of a fort at a place named Buraburi between Bhajanpur and Tetulia. Also Bhadreswar temple and Shiva-temple are the two tombstones of the Greek sculptural.
Bhadreswar Temple
Vitorgarh

Panchagarh Sadar

Mirzapur in Panchagarh

Maharaja Dighi (Pond) at Bhitargarh is well known tourist attraction of the sadar upazila. Bhitrar Shalmara is a notable beel (Lake). Shal forest of Bhitargarh and the government forest on the banks of the Chawai and Karatoya are notable.
During the War of Liberation in 1971 the guerrilla fighters demolished the bridge on the Chawai near the Amarkhana camp thereby obstructing the advance of the Pak-army towards the north. At the initial stage of the war Maqbul Darji & the Badi Howladar (EPR) were killed in an encounter with the Pak army which however lost eighteen of its soldiers.
The Shaheed Farooque Ahmad memorial monument at Dhakka-mara in Panchagarh town is the marks of war of liberation. Also the grave of the martyr freedom fighter Sakimuddin at Jagdal-hat in front of the Baital Aman mosque is another Mark of the war.

Pond of beside the 12 Auliar mazar in Panchagarh

Boda

The Vadeswari mosque, Vadeswari temple and Govinda temple are the tourist attractions in Boda.
Vadeshari Mosque
Vadeswari Temple
Shaldanga Golokdham Temple

Debiganj

In Debiganj, the Revenue office building and old residential house of the raja of Kuch-Bihar is famous; Also Jagabandhu Thakur-bari is another place of interest for the tourists. The town has one Dakbungalow (Rest house).
Jogbondhu Thakurbari

Other tourist spots other places of interest near Panchagarh
Kantoji Temple in Dinajpur.
Biggest Mango Tree of Bangladesh, in Thakurgaon – in Mondomala village of Baliadangi upazilla has the biggest mango tree of the country. Its name is "Shurjopuri Aam Gachh (Mango tree)". From a distance, the huge number of its branches looks like a mango garden. The large tree is on 3-acre (12,000 m²). of land. The tree has 20 naut encircled. Saidur Rahman of Mondomala village is the owner of the tree. This large tree produces a lot of mango every year.
Thakurgaon Sugar Mills – is situated in 5 k.m. south from Thakurgaon city. Established in 1957, this industry is still (2009) the largest industry in Thakurgaon district.
Residence of Raja (King) Tonkonath – the residence of Raja Tonkunath is one of the transference of attributes of Thakurgaon. This is also known as Ranishonkoil Jomidar Bari. Jomidar (Landlord) Tonkunath achieved the title "Raja (King)" from the British government, from then it was known as Rajbari (residence of the king). In the east side of Ranishonkoil upazilla, this Rajbari is in the bay of Kulik river. Jomidar Buddhinath Chowdhuri started to build this residence, and Raja Tonkunath finished the build.
Jamalpur Mosque.
Gobindojiu Mondir (Temple) – in the bay of the Tangon river, Raja Gobinda Narayan Thakur build Gobindojiu temple in near 1707. This temple has the golden statue of Radha-krishno.
Shibmondir in Harinmari.
Shibmondir in Baliadangi – There is a 400 years old Shib mondir (temple) in 8 km north-south side of Baliadangi upazilla of Thakurgaon district. The 30 feet (9.1 m) tall temple has reduced its height a lot due to subside.