Lohagara Upazila, Narail

Lohagara লোহাগড়া
Upazila
Jor Bangla Temple in Lohagara
Coordinates: 23°11′N 89°39′E
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Khulna
District	Narail
Government
• Mohammad	Ibrahim
• Prof.	Nur Mohammad Mia
Area [1]
• Total	284.91 km^2 (110.00 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]
• Total	248,437
• Density	870/km^2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)
Postal code	7510[3]
Area code	04823[4]
Website	lohagara.narail.gov.bd(in Bengali)

Lohagara (Bengali: লোহাগড়া) is an upazila of Narail District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh. Lohagara Thana was established in 1861 and was converted into an upazila in 1984.^[5] It is named after its administrative center, the town of Lohagara.

Geography

Lohagara Upazila has a total area of 284.91 square kilometres (110.00 sq mi).^[1] Situated between the Nabaganga and Madhumati rivers, it borders Magura District to the north, Dhaka Division to the east, Kalia Upazila to the south, and Narail Sadar Upazila to the west.^[5]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop. (000)	±%
1981	177	—
1991	208	+17.5%
2001	221	+6.2%
2011	229	+3.6%
2022	248	+8.3%
Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics[1]

Religions in Lohagara Upazila (2022)[6]
Religion			Percent
Islam			90.54%
Hinduism			9.46%
Other or not stated			0.00%

As of the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Lohagara upazila had 51,233 households and a population of 228,594. 55,038 (24.08%) were under 10 years of age. Lohagara had an average literacy rate of 61.85%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1089 females per 1000 males. 25,290 (11.06%) of the population lived in urban areas.^[1][7]

Points of interest

Kalibari Mandir is a Hindu temple in Lakshmipasha dedicated to the goddess Kali. Writing in 1870, James Westland, former Magistrate and Collector of Jeshore, gave an account of its origins:

A hundred years ago, and more, there lived here a pious blacksmith who used frequently to make images of Kali, and after worshipping them to cast them into the river, according to the ceremony of 'bissarjan.' But one night Kali appeared to him and told him that she had determined permanently to take up her abode with him; so he gave her a house. Not very long since a masonry temple was built for her.^[8]

Administration

Lohagara Upazila is divided into Lohagara Municipality and 12 union parishads: Dighalia, Itna, Joypur, Kashipur, Kotakul, Lahuria, Lakshmipasha, Lohagara, Mallikpur, Naldi, Noagram, and Shalnagar. The union parishads are subdivided into 154 mauzas and 217 villages.^[1]

Lohagara Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 24 mahallas.^[1]

Education

See also: Education in Bangladesh

There are seven colleges in the upazila. They include Lakshmi Pasha Ideal Women's Degree College, Nabaganga Degree College, Itna College (1995), and S.M.A. Ahad College. Lohagara Govt. Adarsha College is the only honors level one.

The madrasa education system includes one fazil madrasa.^[9]

See also

• Upazilas of Bangladesh
• Districts of Bangladesh
• Divisions of Bangladesh

References

1. "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Narail" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
2. National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 400. ISBN 978-9844752016.
3. "Bangladesh Postal Code". Dhaka: Bangladesh Postal Department under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 21 October 2024.
4. "Bangladesh Area Code". China: Chahaoba.com. 18 October 2024.
5. Hussain, Billal (2012). "Lohagara Upazila (Narail District)". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
6. Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Narail (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-240-5.
7. "Community Tables: Narail district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2011.
8. Westland, J. (1874). A Report on the District of Jessore: Its Antiquities, Its History, and Its Commerce (2nd ed.). Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Press. p. 219. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
9. "List of Institutions". Ministry of Education. Retrieved July 15, 2014.