Raninagar

Rahimul Islam 8801750004111

Raninagar Upazila (naogaon district) with an area of 258.33 sq km, is bounded by naogaon sadar and adamdighi upazilas, atrai upazila on the south, nandigram and singra upazilas on the east, manda upazila on the west. Main river is jamuna.

Raninagar (Town) consists of one mouza. The area of the town is 0.1 sq km. The population of the town is 4757; male 51%, female 49%. Literacy rate among the town people is 34.2%. It has one dakbungalow and one railway station.

Administration Raninagar thana was established in 1916 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. It consists of 8 union parishads, 169 villages and 191 mouzas.

Archaeological relics and heritage Two ancient temples at villages Kashimpur and Karana.

History and heritage The Kuthibari of the Tagore Estate is located at at Patisar. rabindranath tagore used to make his sojourns at the Kuthi quite frequently from 1890 to 1921. On 2 December 1971 a battle took place between the freedom fighters and the Pakistan army in which several freedom fighters including the leader of the group, Gazmat Ali, laid down their lives.

Population 158244; male 50.94% and female 49.06%. Muslim 86.6%, Hindu 13% and others 0.4%; noted ethnic nationals: Oraon.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 27.9%; male 35.2% and female 20%. Educational institutions: college 3, secondary school 16, primary school 82 and madrasa 15, NGOs operate primary school 85, others institution 18.

Cultural organisations Public library 1, rural club 12, cinema hall 1, female organisation 1, theatre group 3 and playground 21.

Religious institutions Mosque 276 and temple 17.

Land use Agricultural land 21627 hectares; single crop 30%, double crop 55% and treble crop land 15%. Land under irrigation 66%.

Land control Among the peasants, 37% are landless, 22% small, 31% marginal and 10% rich.

Value of land The market value of land of first grade is about Tk. 6000 per 0.01 hectare.

Main occupation Agriculture 51.92%, fishing 2.04%, agricultural labourer 23.39%, wage labourer 1.13%, industry 1.45%, commerce 9.36%, service 2.5%, others 8.21%.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, potato, mustard seed, onions, garlic.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops Indigo, sesame, kaun, arahar.

Main fruits  Mango, banana, jackfruit and papaya.

Dairies, poultries and fisheries Dairy 13, poultry 55, hatchery 11.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 25 km, semi pucca 5 km and mud road 55 km, railway 7 km.

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

Manufactories 57 including ice factory, boiler and biscuit factory.

Cottage industries Mats product 44, weaving 41.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 12, fairs 2 most noted of which are Raninagar Trimohoni, Betgari and Kuijal Hat.