Faridpur District

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This article is about a district of Bangladesh. For other uses, see Faridpur (disambiguation).

Faridpur District
Fatehabad
District of Bangladesh
Faridpur PatrailMoshjid MG 2977.jpg
Goalundo -1 (1).jpg
সাতৈর মসজিদ 7.jpg
মথুরাপুরদেউল 101.jpg
Faridpur circuit house (1).jpg
Clcokwise from top-left: Pathrail Mosque, Goalundo Ghat, Mathurapur Deul, Faridpur Circuit House, Satoir Masjid.
Location of Faridpur District in Bangladesh
Location of Faridpur District in Bangladesh
Map
Expandable map of Faridpur District
Coordinates: 23°30′N 89°50′E / 23.50°N 89.83°E / 23.50; 89.83Coordinates: 23°30′N 89°50′E / 23.50°N 89.83°E / 23.50; 89.83
Country Bangladesh
DivisionDhaka Division
SeatFaridpur
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerAtul Sarker
 • District Council ChairmanMd. Lokman Mridha
 • Chief Executive OfficerMd. Abdur Rashid[1]
Area
 • Total2,072.72 km2 (800.28 sq mi)
Elevation
12 m (39 ft)
Population
 (2022 census)[2]
 • Total2,162,405
 • Density1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Faridpuri, Foridpuri, Dhakaiya, Dhakai
HDI (2018)0.596[3]
medium · 11th of 21
Websitewww.faridpur.gov.bd

Faridpur District (Bengali: ফরিদপুর জেলা) is a district in south-central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division.[4] It is bounded by the Padma River to its northeast. The district was named after Farīd-ud-Dīn Masʿūd, a 13th century Sufi saint. A separate district was created by severing Dhaka district in 1786 and was called Dacca Jelalpur. A municipality was established in 1869. Historically, the town was known as Fatehabad. It was also called Haveli Mahal Fatehabad.

History[edit]

Pathrail Shahi Mosque in Bhanga Upazila
Portuguese historian João de Barros recorded Faridpur as Fatiabas in the 16th century
Mathurapur Deul in Madhukhali Upazila

The town of Fatehabad was located by a stream known as the Dead Padma, which was 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the main channel of the Padma River. Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah established a mint in Fatehabad during his reign in the early 15th century. Fatehabad continued to be a mint town of the Bengal Sultanate until 1538. In Ain-i-Akbari, it was named as Haweli Mahal Fatehabad during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the Mughal Empire. The Portuguese cartographer João de Barros mentioned it as Fatiabas. The Dutch map of Van den Brouck described it as Fathur.[5]

Its first mention in Bengali literature was by Daulat Uzir Bahram Khan in his adaption of Layla and Majnun.[5] The medieval poet Alaol was born in Faridpur.[6]

Fathabad was a strategically important base in south and southwestern Bengal. It was a well-developed urban centre. The town was home to important Mughal government officials, including generals, civil servants and jagirdars. During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the 17th century, local zamindars Satrajit and Mukund resisted the Mughal government. By the 19th century, the town was renamed as Faridpur in honour of the Sufi saint Shah Fariduddin Masud, a follower of the Chishti order of Ajmer.[5] Haji Shariatullah and Dudu Miyan led the conservative Faraizi movement in Faridpur during the early 19th century.

The Faridpur District was established by the British in 1786. The Faridpur Subdivision was a part of Dacca Division in the Bengal Presidency established by the East India Company. The municipality of Faridpur was established in 1869.[7] The subdivision covered modern day Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj districts (collectively known as Greater Faridpur). It was included in Eastern Bengal and Assam during the British Raj between 1905 and 1912.

Faridpur was a rail terminus for the Bengal Provincial Railway and the Eastern Bengal Railway, connecting Calcutta with the important Goalanda ghats, from where ships travelled to Colonial Assam and British Burma.[7][8] British Faridpur was the birthplace of several nationalist leaders of the subcontinent, including Ambica Charan Mazumdar, Humayun Kabir, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Syed Qumrul Islam Saleh Uddin,Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and K.M.Obaidur Rahman. The acclaimed American engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan was also born in the region.

Faridpur saw intense fighting during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.[9] It was one of original 18 subdivisions of Bangladesh at the time of independence. In 1984, the devolution reforms of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad divided the old subdivision into five districts. In 2015, the Government of Bangladesh announced plans to establish a Faridpur Division.

Politics and local government[edit]

The district has 9 upazilas, 4 municipalities, 36 wards, 100 mahallahs, 79 unions and 1,899 villages. The district has four parliamentary constituencies in the Jatiyo Sangshad. The Faridpur District Council is the highest tier of local government.

List of upazilas[edit]

The district's nine upazilas:[4]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1974 1,120,031—    
1981 1,314,004+2.31%
1991 1,505,686+1.37%
2001 1,756,470+1.55%
2011 1,912,969+0.86%
2022 2,162,405+1.12%
Sources:http://bbs.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/bbs.portal.gov.bd/page/b343a8b4_956b_45ca_872f_4cf9b2f1a6e0/2022-07-28-14-31-b21f81d1c15171f1770c661020381666.pdf

According to the 2022 Bangladesh census, Faridpur District had a population of 2,162,405 , of which 1,050,193 were males and 1,112,061 were females. Rural population was 1,641,869 (85.83%) while urban population was 271,100 (14.17%). Faridpur had a literacy rate of 48.96% for the population 7 years and above: 50.29% for males and 47.69% for females.[10][11]

Religions in Faridpur District (2011)[2]
Religion Percent
Muslims
 
 90.49%
Hindus
 
 9.43%
Other or not stated
 
 0.08%
Religion in present-day Faridpur district[a]
Religion Population (1941)[12]: 98–99  Percentage (1941) Population (2011)[2] Percentage (2011)
Islam Star and Crescent.svg 481,583 69.28% 1,731,133 90.49%
Hinduism Om.svg 212,822 30.62% 180,366 9.43%
Others [b] 738 0.11% 1,470 0.08%
Total Population 695,143 100% 1,912,969 100%

Muslims are the majority population with 90.49%, while Hindus are 9.43%. The Hindu population decreased from 1.95 lakh in 1981 to just over 1.8 lakh today.

Economy[edit]

The Faridpur Express of the Bangladesh Railway

Faridpur is an important centre of the jute trade and hilsa fish trade. Its industrial sector features numerous jute mills, sugar mills and a 50 MW thermal power plant.[7][13]

In terms of transport, Faridpur is an important hub of the Bangladesh Railway, with its tracks connected to the Indian Railways in West Bengal. It is linked by road with Kushtia, Meherpur, Khulna, Barisal, and Jessore.[7]

Culture and sport[edit]

Faridpur Stadium

Faridpur District has a rich heritage of folk music, including Baul, Marami, Bichar, Murshidi-Marfati, Fakirali, Gazirgan, Kabigan, Jarigan music. However many of these traditions are extinct. Major festivals include Eid, Nabanna, Pous Utshab, Rathjatra, Dol Purnima Utshab and Durga Puja. Folk festivities are held on the occasion of Annaprashana, Muharram, Bengali weddings, Jamai Shasthi, Bhadra Mangal Chandi. Folk games of the district include Dariabandha, boat racing, Ha-du-du and cock fighting.[9]

Major contemporary and historical publications include Jagaran, Ganaman (1370 BS), Chashi Barta, Idaning, Thikana, Bhorer Runner, Faridpur (1997), Kumar (2006); Weekly: Kalbhabna (2004), Pragotir Din (1995), Boalmari Sangbad, Al Helal, Bhanga Khabar; Fortnightly: Nazir Bangla Defunct: Faridpur Darpan (1861), Chitrakar (1283 BS), Kohinoor (1896), Sanjay (1900),' Aryakayastha (1318 BS), Faridpur Hitoishi (1329 BS), Faridpur Angina (1329 BS), Barta (1926), Muazzen (1335 BS), The Servant of Humanity (1960), Siraj (1932), Langal (1932), Sheba (1350 BS), Khedmat (1373 BS), Jubashakti (1972), Weekly Bangladesh (1972), Satyajug (1975), Faridpur Barta (1979), Aakal (1979), Samachar (1980) and Bangla Sangbad (1982).[9]

Education[edit]

There are several state owned colleges in the district. Several venerable British Raj-era educational institutions are located in the region, including the Rajendra College (1918), Government Saroda Sundori Mohila College (1966) Faridpur Zilla School (1840), Government Girls High School (1910), Madhukhali Pilot High School, George Academy (1911), M N Academy (1916), Bakiganj Islamia Madrasa (1922), Hitoishi High School (1889), Bhanga Pilot High School (1889), Karakdi Rambihari Multilateral High School (1901) and Krishnapur High School (1910). The Faridpur Medical College was established in 1985. The Faridpur Engineering College was established in 2010. Faridpur High School was established in 1889.[9]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Sadar subdivision of Faridpur district and Alfadanga thana of Jessore district
  2. ^ Including Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Home". faridpur.gov.bd.
  2. ^ a b c "Bangladesh Population & Housing Census 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b Masud Reza (2012). "Faridpur District". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  5. ^ a b c "Fathabad". Banglapedia.
  6. ^ "Alaol". Banglapedia.
  7. ^ a b c d "Faridpur". global.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021.
  8. ^ "The legend behind Goalondo Steamer Chicken". The Times of India.
  9. ^ a b c d "Faridpur District". Banglapedia.
  10. ^ "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Faridpur" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  11. ^ Bangladesh in 2022, Census of. "The census of Bangladesh in 2022" (PDF). [[The bureau of statistics Bangladesh .
  12. ^ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI BENGAL PROVINCE" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Faridpur 50 Megawat [sic] Power Plant 2011". bd.geoview.info. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019.

External links[edit]

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