Its administrative headquarter is Sirajganj. It is famous for its hand-loom cottage industries. In 1885, Sirajganj emerged as a thana. Formerly under Mymensingh District in Dacca Division, it was transferred to Pabna District on 15 February 1866.[5] It was upgraded to become a subdivision of Pabna in 1885. In 1984, it was upgraded to a district.
History
In 1762, a severe earthquake changed the flow of the Jamuna river and created a new river named Baral on the west bank of this Baral river, new land emerged and most of the land of surrounding it belonged to Zamindar Siraj Ali Chowdhury. Gradually this area got its recognition as Sirajganj after his name.
Sirajganj District of Rajshahi division has an area of about 2,497.92 square kilometres (964.45 sq mi). The main rivers are Jamuna, Baral, Ichamati, Karatoya, Phuljor and Hurasagor. The annual average temperature reaches a maximum of 34.6 °C, and a minimum of 11.9 °C. The annual rainfall is 1,610 millimetres (63 in).
The district has several beels, the largest of which is Chalan Beel on the border with Pabna district.
Sirajganj district is in the Jamuna river basin. The Jamuna forms the eastern border of the district. It contains numerous small chars. The Karatoya river flows into Tarash upazila from Bogura district and flows southeast. It sends distributaries to the Bangali, a previous distributary which flows parallel to it on the east. These rivers flow into the Hurasagar river on Sirajganj's southwest border, which flows southeast into the Jamuna.
According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Sirajganj District has 842,308 households and a population of 3,357,706 with an average 3.93 people per household. Among the population, 651,384 (19.40%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 1,398 people per km2. Sirajganj District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 69.48%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 98.51 males per 100 females. Approximately, 20.25% (680,019) of the population live in urban areas. The ethnic population is 20,319 (0.61%), concentrated in Rayganj and Taras upazilas.[2]
Muslims make up 95.61% of the population, while Hindus are 4.37% of the population. The Hindu population has remained relatively constant while the Muslim population has constantly increased. The remaining 0.02% people follow other religions, mainly Christianity and Sarnaism.[7][1]
Economy
Sirajganj is home to Sirajganj Economic Zone, the largest private economic zone in Bangladesh as of March 2024 spanning 1,041 acres of land . The government is building a flyover to link the zone with the Dhaka-Bogura Highway. The zone supplies water from Jamuna river after treatment.[10]
As of June 2024, Sirajganj has a growing dairy market worth over BDT 100 core and receiving export orders. There are around 33,000 dairy farms in Sirajganj.[11]
Points of interest
Chalan Beel : Chalan Beel is a wetland in Bangladesh. It is a large inland depression, marshy in character, with rich flora and fauna. Forty-seven rivers and other waterways flow into the Chalan Beel. As silt builds up in the beel, its size is being reduced.
Sirajganj Sub-division was established in 1885 under Pabna district and it was turned into a district in 1984. Of the nine upazilas of the district Ullahpara is the largest (414.43 square kilometres (160.01 sq mi)) and Kamarkhanda is the smallest (91.61 square kilometres (35.37 sq mi)).
Moreover, the district has six municipals, six Parliament seats, 82 unions and 2016 villages.
Sirajganj District's transportation system is very good. It has the most important highway and railway of Bangladesh which connects the entire North Bengal and a part of South Bengal with the rest of the country. It is very easy to travel through the district because of its great transport system. It has the 2nd largest bridge Jamuna Bridge and the largest railway bridge of Bangladesh. Sirajganj District is also famous for its River-ports.
Like many other districts in Bangladesh, Sirajganj is also a district with many rivers. The main bridges are Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge over the River Jamuna, Nalka Bridge Over the River Foljodre, Eliot Bridge etc.
Education
There are 3 medical colleges in the district, the public Shaheed M. Monsur Ali Medical College, established in 2014, the private North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, established in 2000, and the private Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College & Hospital, established in 2005. They are respectively allowed to admit 65, 85, and 95 students annually.[12]
There are 6 government colleges under National University in the district. They are Islamia Government College, Government Akbar Ali College, Sirajganj Government College, Government Kazipur Mansur Ali College, Government Rashidazzoha Womens College, Government Shahjadpur College.[13][4]
There are 3 government high schools in the district. They are B.L. Government Boys High School, Saleha Ishaque Government Girls High School and Kazipur A.M.U. Government Girls High School.
Notable people
This article's list of residents may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are residents, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(April 2022)
^E M Lewis (1868). "Mymensingh District". Principal Heads of the History and Statistics of the Dacca Division. Calcutta: Calcutta Central Press Company. p. 213.
