Narsingdi District (Bengali: নরসিংদী জেলা) is a district in central Bangladesh. It is located 50 km north-east of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital. It is a part of the Dhaka Division.[3] The district is famous for its textile craft industry. Narsingdi is bordered by Kishoreganj in the north and north-east, Brahmanbaria in the east and south-east, Narayanganj in the south and south-west and Gazipur in the west.
Narsingdi
নরসিংদী | |
|---|---|
  .jpg)   .jpg) Clockwise from top-left: Skyline of Narsingdi, Parulia Shahi Mosque, Bridge at Narsingdi, Wari-Bateshwar ruins, Swamp in Raipura Upazila, Lakkan Sahar Zamindar bari | |
 Location of Narsingdi District in Bangladesh | |
 Expandable map of Narsingdi District | |
| Coordinates: 23°55′N 90°44′E / 23.92°N 90.73°E | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Division | Dhaka |
| Headquarters | Narsingdi |
| Government | |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Syeda Farhana Kawnine |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,150.14 km2 (444.07 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,584,452 |
| • Density | 2,200/km2 (5,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+06:00 (BST) |
| Postal code | 1600 |
| Area code | 0621 |
| ISO 3166 code | BD-42 |
| HDI (2018) | 0.668[2] medium · 7th of 20 |
| Website | narsingdi |
History
editThe district is home to one of the earliest archaeological sites in Bangladesh, the Wari-Bateshwar ruins. These ruins, dating to the early 2nd millenium BCE, represent one of the earliest urban centres in South Asia. Currency of the Mauryan form has been found here, suggesting the region was under the influence of the Mauryas. In the early medieval period, the region fell under the control of the Palas and later Senas, before being conquered like the rest of the Dhaka area by the Muslims, and became part of a province of the Delhi Sultanate administered from nearby Sonargaon.
Eventually the armour-bearer Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah formed a short-lived sultanate centred at Sonargaon which included Narsingdi, but he was soon defeated by the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. Then Narsingdi became part of the Bengal Sultanate. It remained under the Bengal Sultanate until the Battle of Rajmahal, when the Mughals took control. However in truth the region remained under the control of the zamindar Isa Khan, who contested Mughal rule in East Bengal. After his death and the surrender of his son, the southern parts of what is now Narsingdi district became part of the Sarkar of Sonargaon while northern parts became part of the Sarkar of Bazuha. After the East India Company conquered Bengal, they made the region part of the Dacca District. In 1984, as part of the ongoing decentralisation programme, Narsingdi was made a separate district.
Geography
editThe district is situated in the floodplain of the Old Brahmaputra and the Meghna and is relatively flat. The terrain is made up almost entirely of alluvial soil.
Rivers
editThe Meghna, the Shitalakshya, the old Brahmaputra, Arial Kha, Haridhoa, and Paharea are some of the main rivers that flow through this district.
The Meghna lies on the east of the district, forming the border with Brahmanbaria district. Towards the top of the district it splits into two channels, which remerge downstream, creating an island in the middle.
The Old Brahmaputra river forms the northern border of the district with Kishoreganj district as it flows southeast. Formerly the main channel of the Brahmaputra, it merges into the Meghna at the corner of the district.
The Shitalakshya river forms the western border of the district. A distributary of the Old Brahmaputra, it flows southwest along the Narsingdi district border before entering Narayanganj district.
Subdivisions
editThere are six upazilas, or subdivisions, in the Narsingdi district.
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1,101,154 | — |
| 1981 | 1,328,117 | +2.71% |
| 1991 | 1,652,123 | +2.21% |
| 2001 | 1,895,984 | +1.39% |
| 2011 | 2,224,944 | +1.61% |
| 2022 | 2,584,452 | +1.37% |
| Sources:[1][4] | ||
According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Narsingdi District had 621,511 households and a population of 2,584,452 with an average 4.09 people per household. Among the population, 520,051 (20.12%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 2,247 people per km2. Narsingdi District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 74.81%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1041 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 24.92% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 508.[1]
| Religion | 1941[5]: 96–97 [a] | 1981[4] | 1991[4] | 2001[4] | 2011[4] | 2022[1] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam 
|
555,975 | 84.84% | 1,236,401 | 93.09% | 1,542,417 | 93.36% | 1,781,817 | 93.98% | 2,098,829 | 94.33% | 2,443,210 | 94.53% |
Hinduism 
|
99,197 | 15.14% | 90,561 | 6.82% | 106,057 | 6.42% | 112,900 | 5.95% | 125,769 | 5.65% | 139,832 | 5.41% |
| Others [b] | 128 | 0.02% | 1,155 | 0.09% | 3,649 | 0.22% | 1,267 | 0.07% | 346 | 0.02% | 1,410 | 0.06% |
| Total Population | 655,300 | 100% | 1,328,117 | 100% | 1,652,123 | 100% | 1,895,984 | 100% | 2,224,944 | 100% | 2,584,452 | 100% |
Economy
editNarsingdi is a densely industrial area and is home to many textile mills. Narsingdi gas field is located in the Shibpur upazila under Narsingdi district adjacent to the Dhaka-Sylhet highway about 45 km away of northern most east direction from capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. This field was discovered by Petrobangla in 1990. Total recoverable gas reserves of this field re-estimated by Hydrocarbon Unit is 215 billion cubic feet (6.1×109 m3). Commercial gas production was started in 1996 and until 31 August 2006 total 66.304 billion cubic feet (1.8775×109 m3) or 30.84 percent of gas reserves has been recovered. Largest powerplant of Bangladesh, Ghorashal power plant, owned by Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) is situated in palash Upazilla. Narsingdi is riched by several number of jute mills, which plays an important role in the economy. Quality banana is also found here. The biggest and renowned HAAT (textile market) of Bangladesh is located here at Madhabdi which is known as Shekherchaur / Babur Haat. Sugarcane also grows well. There is a sugar mill in Palash Thana named Deshbondho sugar mill. There are two urea fertilizer industries in Palash and Ghorashal.-->
Notable people
editGallery
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See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Narsingdi, Raipura, Shibpur, and Monohardi thanas of Dhaka district
- ^ Including Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated
References
edit- ^ a b c d Population and Housing Census 2022 National Report (PDF). Vol. 1. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Md. Mosharraf Hossain Sarkar (2012). "Narsingdi District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b c d e "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Narsingdi" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province" (PDF).
External links
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