Kendua Upazila

Kendua Upazila, with an area of 303.60 sq km is bounded by netrokona sadar and atpara upazilas on the north, nandail and tarail upazilas on the south, madan upazila on the east, Nandail, ishwarganj and gauripur upazilas on the west. Main rivers are Bauri and Patkura.

Kendua (Town) consists of 9 wards and 26 mahallas. The area of the town is 3.49 sq km. It has a population of 18584; male 51.50%, female 48.50%. The density of population is 5325 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 44.4%.

Administration

Kendua thana, now an upazila, was established in 1941. The upazila consists of 13 union parishads, 227 mouzas and 311 villages. The Union Parishads are-

• Asujia Union
• Balaishimul Union
• Chirang Union
• Dalpa Union
• Garadoba Union
• Ganda Union
• Kandiura Union
• Mashka Union
• Muzaffarpur Union
• Noapara Union
• Paikura Union
• Roailbari Union
• Sandikona Union

Archaeological heritage and relics

Roail Bari durga, Jalal Mosque (1513 AD/ 919 H), Jafarpur Khoaj Mosque.

Population

265628; male 134365, female 131263; Muslim 94.95%, Hindu 4.75%, Christian 0.05%, Buddhist 0.07% and others 0.18%; ethnic nationals, 110 families.

Religious institutions

Mosque 390, temple 12, place of pilgrimage 2.

Literacy and educational institutions

Average literacy 24.6%; male 25.03% and female 21.7%. Educational institutions: college 4, government high school 1, non-government high school 26, madrasa 14, government primary school 53, non-government primary school 21; old educational institutions: Kendua Joyhori Pilot High School (1832), Ashujia High School (1849).

Cultural organisations

Rural club 16, urban club 4, public library 1, playground 6, women's organisation 1.

Main occupations

Agriculture 59.38%, fishing 1.17%, agricultural labourer 18.46%, wage labourer 2.29% commerce 6.16%, service 2.58%, others 9.96%.

Land use

Cultivable land 25507 hectares; fallow land 13131.12 hectares; single crop 25%, double crop 50% and treble crop 25%; land under irrigation 72%.

Land control Among the peasants

28% are landless, 38% small, 36% intermediate and 12% rich; cultivable land per head 0.15 hectare.

Value of land

The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 6500 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops

Paddy, potato, wheat, mustard seed, onion, garlic, chilli and tobacco.

Extinct or nearly extinct crops

Lindeed, sesame, sweet potato and varieties of pulses.

Main fruits

Jackfruit, mango, banana, papaya, olive and black berry.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries

Fishery 10, poultry 66.

Communication facilities

Roads: pucca 47 km, semi pucca 7 km and mud road 498 km; waterways 6 nautical mile.

Traditional transport

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

Manufactories

Ice factory 8, flour mill 5, bakery 8.

Cottage industries

Goldsmith 47, wood work 200, blacksmith 70, tailoring 43, welding 12, potteries 120, bamboo work 54, bidi 1.

Hats, bazars and fairs

Hats and bazars are 25, most noted Hats are Roail, Chirang Rayer Bazar, Basur Bazar, Bakurhati Bazar; fairs 5, most noted Sathie Mela, Boirati Mela and Kendua Mela.

Main exports

Mustard seed, onion, garlic, banana and chilli.

NGO activities

Operationally important NGOs are CARE, caritas, Natun and Swabalambi Tarun Sangha.

Health centres

Upazila health complex 2, sub health centre 3 and family planning centre 14.

(Source: Banglapedia and Others)