Patgram Upazila

Patgram পাটগ্রাম
Upazila
Tin Bigha Corridor
Coordinates: 26°21′N 89°01′E
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Rangpur
District	Lalmonirhat
Government
• Upazila Chairman	Ruhul Amin Babul
• MP (Lalmonirhat-1)	Motahar Hossain
Area
• Total	246.85 km^2 (95.31 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	262,576
• Density	1,100/km^2 (2,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)
Postal code	5540[2]
Website	patgram.lalmonirhat.gov.bd

Patgram (Bengali: পাটগ্রাম) is an upazila of Lalmonirhat District in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. It had 27 enclaves, most notably Dahagram–Angarpota which is connected to the Bangladeshi mainland through the Tin Bigha Corridor.^[3]

History

In the late 17th century, Raja Mahendra Narayan (1682–1693) of Koch Bihar despatched an army led by Yajna Narayan and aided by the Bhutanese to subdue Mughal influence in the region. A battle occurred between the two forces in Patgram in which Narayan was defeated. In 1711, Mughal Bengal reconquered the areas of Patgram, Boda and Purbabhag from Koch rule. Under the command of Raja Rup Narayan (1693–1714), the Koches launched an attack on the Mughal faujdar of Rangpur. Although they suffered a defeat once again, Patgram, Boda and Purbabhag were retained by the Koches for a short period before being leased to the Mughals.^[4]

A thana (police outpost headquarters) was established by the British East India Company in Patgram in 1801. The Jalpaiguri district was formed on 1 January 1869 and included the Chakla of Patgram. During the Partition of Bengal, Mirza Ghulam Hafiz advocated strongly for the inclusion of Patgram, Debiganj, Tetulia and Panchagarh to the Dominion of Pakistan. In accordance with the Radcliffe Line, Patgram was subsequently transferred from Jalpaiguri to the Lalmonirhat mahakuma of Rangpur district, East Bengal.^[5]

Panbari BGB check post, Patgram.

During Operation Searchlight, Bengali wing companies of the East Pakistan Rifles were posted at Patgram.^[6][7] Throughout the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, Patgram was a liberated area throughout the war and did not suffer any tragedies. Patgram was initially divided between junior commissioned officers of the East Pakistan Rifles and later taken hold by Captain Matiur Rahman. It came under Sector No. 6 led by Khademul Bashar and the Burimari area of Patgram served as the sector headquarters. Due to its peaceful environment, interim president Syed Nazrul Islam and prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad visited Patgram numerous times. Ahmad organised a public meeting in Patgram which was presided by Abid Ali and attended by the likes of Anwarul Islam Nazu.^[8]

On 18 March 1984, Patgram thana was upgraded to an upazila (sub-district) as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme.^[3]

Geography

The village of Angorpota in Dahagram, Patgram

Patgram is located at 26°21′N 89°01′E. It has 47,893 households and total area 246.85 km².

Demographics

Religions in Patgram Upazila (2022)[9]
Religion			Percent
Islam			95.68%
Hinduism			4.32%
Other or not stated			0.00%

According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Patgram Upazila had 47,893 households and a population of 218,615. 59,270 (27.11%) were under 10 years of age. Patgram had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 46.12%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 975 females per 1000 males. 29,665 (13.57%) lived in urban areas.^[10][11]

As of the 1991 Bangladesh census, Patgram has a population of 155,913 with males constituting 51.52% of the population, and females 48.48%. This Upazila's eighteen up population is 75,134. Patgram has a literacy rate of 25.2%, against the national average literacy rate of 32.4%.^[12]

Administration

Patgram Municipality Council building

Patgram Upazila is divided into Patgram Municipality and eight union parishads: Baura, Burimari, Dahagram, Jagatber, Jongra, Kuchilbari, Patgram, and Sreerampur. The union parishads are subdivided into 45 mauzas and 46 villages.^[13][14]

Patgram Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 23 mahallas.^[10]

Chairmen

List of chairmen^[15]

Name	Term
Abdul Hakim Ahmad Rauf	5 June 1985 – 30 May 1990
Shahidullah Pradhan	1 June 1990 – 23 November 1991
Ruhul Amin Babul	15 May 2009 – 23 April 2014
Ruhul Amin Babul	24 April 2014 – present

Facilities and transportation

The ten-bed Dahagram Hospital

Patgram is well connected with capital city Dhaka by road, river and train via the N509, Z5903, Z5904, Burimari–Lalmonirhat–Parbatipur line and the Dharla River. The Tin Bigha Corridor also connects the community with the nearby exclave of Dahagram–Angarpota. Patgram has 352 mosques, most notably the mosques of Dhabalsati and Jamgram. The Patgram NP Senior Madrasa was established in 1962.^[3] Patgram is home to the mazar (mausoleum) of the 20th-century mystic Rasul Pir in Fakirpara.

Notable people

• Kazi Nuruzzaman (1927–2017), former MP
• Abid Ali (1935–2001), politician

See also

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

References

1. National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 403. ISBN 978-9844752016.
2. "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.
3. Benu Begum Bijli (2012). "Patgram Upazila". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
4. Bhattacharya, Sudhindra Nath (1994). A History of Mughal North-east Frontier Policy: Being a Study of the Political Relation of the Mughal Empire with Koch Bihar, Kamrup and Assam. M/s. R.N. Bhattacharya. p. 315.
5. Hossain, Abu Muhammad Delwar (2012). "Hafiz, Mirza Golam". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
6. Qureshi, Maj. Gen. Hakeem A, The 1971 Indo Pak War, p. 38
7. Major Nasir Uddin, Judhay Judjay Shadhinota, p. 119
8. পাটগ্রাম উপজেলার পটভূমি. Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali).
9. Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Lalmonirhat (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-253-5.
10. "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Lalmonirhat" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
11. "Community Tables: Lalmonirhat district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2011.
12. "Population Census Wing, BBS". Archived from the original on 2005-03-27. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
13. "District Statistics 2011: Lalmonirhat" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
14. পাটগ্রাম উপজেলা [Unions]. Patgram Upazila (in Bengali).
15. পূর্বতন পরিষদ চেয়ারম্যানগণ. Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali).