Keraniganj Upazila

Keraniganj Upazila (dhaka district) with an area of 166.87 sq km, is bounded by Savar upazila and Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Kamrangir Char, Lalbagh, Kotwali and sutrapur thanas on the northeast, shyampur thana and narayanganj sadar upazila on the east, serajdikhan upazila on the south, nawabganj and singair upazilas on the west. Main rivers are Buriganga and Dhaleshwari.

Keraniganj (Town) stands on the southwest side of Dhaka City on the bank of the river Buriganga. The Upazila offices are located in the abandoned palace of Zamindar Prashanta Karmakar.

Administration The Upazila consists of 11 union parishads, 112 mouzas and 399 villages.

Archaeological heritage and relics Upazila Office Building (palace of Zamindar Prashanta Karmakar).

Historical events It is believed that during the rein of Nawab Sayesta Khan the paik-peyada and clerical staff (kerani) of the Nawab used to live on the other side of the river Buriganga. Keraniganj is named after this. During the war of liberation, the Pak army set on fire many houses in Konakhola, Basta, Brahmankirtha, Goalkhali and Khagail Kholamora villages. The freedom Fighters later on conducted extensive guerilla attack on Pak army.

Population 530174; male 54.6%, female 45.4%; Muslim 89.46%, Hindu 10.5% and others 0.04%.

Religious institutions Mosque 473, temple 151, tomb 1 and eidgah 60, most noted of which is the tomb of Adu Pagla.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 37.7%; male 43.9% and female 30%. Educational institutions: college 8, high school 18, junior high school 2, madrasa 11, government primary school 102, non-government primary school 10.

Cultural organisations Club 8, cinema hall 5.

Main occupations Agriculture 10.37%, agricultural labourer 7.05%, wage labourer 5.63%, commerce 26.26%, service 17.68%, construction 3.1%, fishery 1.02%, industry 1.78%, hawker 1.07%, transport 7.38%, house renting out 1.23%, and others 17.43%.

Land use Total cultivable land 9307.97 hectares; fallow land 7388.1 hectares, single crop 36.95%, double crop 60.87% and treble crop land 2.18%. Cultivable land under irrigation 35.30%.

Land control Land owner 67% and landless 33%.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 30000 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, potato, oil seed, onion and vegetables.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Aman paddy, khesari and motar pulses.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, papaya, coconut and banana.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 63, fishery 115, dairy 81.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 17 km and mud road 222 km.

Traditional transport Palanquin, horse carriage and bullock cart. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Manufactories Jute mill 1, textile mill 1, brick field 200.

Cottage industries Cottage industries of the Upazila include goldsmith, blacksmith, potteries, wood work, tailoring.

Hats, bazars and fairs Total number of hats and bazars are 15; fair 1 (Adu Paglar Mela).

Main exports Jute, paddy, oil seed, vegetables, spare parts.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, Agrani Samaj Unnayan Sangstha.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 4, satellite clinic 3.