Jessore District
Encyclopedia
Jessore is a district
Districts of Bangladesh
The divisions of Bangladesh are divided into 64 districts, or zila . The districts are further subdivided into 493 sub-districts, or upazila ....

 located in the Khulna Division of southwestern Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

. It is bordered by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 to the west.

The district produces a variety of crops year-round. Date-sugar called patali is made from the sap of locally grown date trees that is cooked, thickened and crystallised using a traditional method. Patali is mainly produced in Khajura
Khajura
Khajura is a village in Pirojpur District in the Barisal Division of southwestern Bangladesh....

, but there are also many such trees in the Keshabpur and Monirampur areas.

Jessore district was established in 1781. It consists of 4 municipalities, 36 wards, 8 upazilas, 92 unions, 1329 mouzas, 1434 villages and 120 mahallas. Upazilas
Upazilas of Bangladesh
||The districts of Bangladesh are divided into subdistricts called Upazila Parishad , or Thana . Upazilas are similar to the county subdivisions found in some Western countries....

 are: Abhaynagar Upazila
Abhaynagar Upazila
Abhaynagar is an upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Demographics: Bangladesh census, Abhaynagar's population was 204,654. Males constituted 52.06% of the population, females 47.94%. The population aged 18 and over was 110,761...

, Bagherpara Upazila
Bagherpara Upazila
Bagherpara is an Upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Geography:Bagherpara is located at . It has 28677 units of house hold and total area 270.94 km².-Demographics:...

, Chaugachha Upazila
Chaugachha Upazila
Chowgacha is an Upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Geography:Chowgacha is located at . It has 33765 units of house hold and total area 268.89 km².-Demographics:...

, Jessore kotwali Upazila, Jhikargachha Upazila
Jhikargachha Upazila
-History:Jhikargachha is an Upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.Jhikargachha Upazila with an area of 307.28 sq km, is bounded by Chaugachha Upazila on the north, Kalaroa Upazila on the south, Jessore sadar and Manirampur Upazilas on the east, Sharsha upazila on the...

, Keshabpur Upazila
Keshabpur Upazila
Keshabpur is an Upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Geography:Keshabpur is located at . It has 37,513 individual households and a total area of 258.53 km². The distance from Jessore City is 32 km.-Demographics:...

, Manirampur Upazila
Manirampur Upazila
Manirampur is an upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh. It is bounded by Jessore Sadar Upazila on the north, Kalaroa and Jhikargachha upazilas on the west, Abhaynagar Upazila on the east, and Dumuria and Keshabpur upazilas on the south.-Geography:Manirampur is located...

, and Sharsha Upazila
Sharsha Upazila
Sharsha is an Upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Geography:Sharsha is located at . It has 46084 units of house hold and total area 336.34 km².-Demographics:...

.

Jessore town which stands on the Bhairab, consists of 9 wards and 73 mahalls. Jessore municipality was established in 1864. The area of the town is 25.72 km2. The town has a population of 1178273; male 52.97%, female 47.03%. Literacy rate among the town people is 56.57%. The town has one dakbungalow.

History

Jessore district once belonged to the ancient Janapada
Janapadas
The Janapadas were the major realms or kingdoms of Vedic India which, by the 6th century BC, evolved into the sixteen classical Mahajanapadas.-Etymology:...

 kingdom of Samatat Janapada. At the time of the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...

 in 1947, Jessore was partially divided. Except for the Bangaon
Bangaon
Bongaon is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. Bongaon is headquarters of Bongaon subdivision.- Geography :...

 and Gaighata
Gaighata
Gaighata is an administrative division in Bangaon subdivision of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Haroa police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is at Chandrapara Bazar...

 thanas, the entire district became part of East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...

.

The Bengali soldiers stationed at Jessore cantonment mutinied
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...

 against the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

 on 29 March 1971. They were led by Captain Hafiz Uddin and Lieutenant Anwar in an uprising in which about 300 soldiers were killed. The rebels killed 50 Pakistani soldiers with machine gun fire at Chanchara
Chanchara
Chanchara is a town in Peru, it is located at 13°3'0S 74°16'0W and has an altitude of 2734 metres ....

.

On 7 December 1971, Jessore became the first district of Bangladesh to be liberated from Pakistani forces.

Places to see

Village Rampur has become a tourist attraction for its island-like look surrounded by two rivers, Jhapa Bayor and Khajura Bayor. The Kapatakkha River flows through the area.

At Abhaynagar Upazila
Abhaynagar Upazila
Abhaynagar is an upazila of Jessore District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh.-Demographics: Bangladesh census, Abhaynagar's population was 204,654. Males constituted 52.06% of the population, females 47.94%. The population aged 18 and over was 110,761...

, there is a small village called Dhulgram. There was once a magnificent complex of 17 temples here, but now only one remains standing. Most of the temples were submerged into the Bhairab River, which flows by the complex. A beautiful terracotta design can be seen all over the temple. It is considered a very holy place by Bengals.

In Bhatnagar, Abhaynagar, stands the ruins of an 11 temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. Though the central temple is partially destroyed the place still shows the majesty of the glorious past of Bengal.
  • Near the town of Jessore, there is a suburb called Chanchra. A Chanchra Rajbari once stood, but it is completely ruined now. However, one can see the Shiv Temple, which is almost restored; The ruined Dosh Mahabidya Temple, which is only piece in Bangladesh, and Jora Shiv Temple at Murali in almost ruined condition.
  • There is a historical building named Imam Bara, situated at Murolir Mor beside the Dhaka-Khulna Highway. It was built by Hazi Muhammad Mohsin.
  • The Jessore Collectorate Building, located in Daratana, is one of the oldest buildings in Jessore.


Sagardari is also the birthplace of the poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta. His large villa consists of a huge garden, a small museum and houses. The front gate of the house has a solid sculpture work and the Kapattakka River is only a block away from his house. Around the house, there are many small shops which usually sell souvenirs.

District

  • Jessore District has a population of 24,40,693, of which 51.22% are male and 48.78% are female.
  • 85.5% of the population are muslim
    Muslim
    A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

    s, 14.21% are Hindu
    Hindu
    Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

    s and the remaining 0.29% practise another religion. Religious institutions included 3928 mosques, 463 temples, 86 churches and 17 Buddhist temples.

  • The average literacy rate is 45.2% — very low compared to the rest of the world, but average in Bangladesh. 41% of males are literate, while only 25.1% of females are.

  • The main occupations are: agriculture 39.84%, agricultural labourer 24.13%, wage labourer 2.68%, commerce 11.99%, service 8.66%, industry 1.41%, transport 3.11% and others 8.18%.


The main crops : paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....

, sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...

, tuberose
Tuberose
The tuberose is a perennial plant related to the agaves, extracts of which are used as a middle note in perfumery. The common name derives from the Latin tuberosa, meaning swollen or tuberous in reference to its root system. It consists of about 12 species...

, vegetables. Main fruits are date, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...

, papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...

, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

, litchi and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

. Main exports are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, jute, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

, jackfruit, banana, comb and date molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...

, and vegetables.

Jessore is also the place for growing various types of flowers.

Town

  • The town area is almost 64 km²;
  • The town of Jessore has a population almost half of that of the entire district's — 1,178,273, of which 52.97% are male and 47.03% are female.
  • The literacy rate amongst townspeople (68.57%) is significantly higher than that of the entire district.

Geography

Jessore District encompasses 2578.20 km². It is bounded by Jhenaidaha and Magura
Magura
Măgura may refer to several places in Romania:* Măgura, a commune in Bacău County* Măgura, a commune in Buzău County* Măgura, a commune in Teleorman County* Măgura, a village in Bucium Commune, Alba County...

 districts on the north, Satkhira and Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...

 districts on the south, Narail and Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...

 districts on the east, and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

 of India on the west. Major rivers that flow through this region are the Bhairab and Kapotakhho.

Annual average temperature range from 9 to 41 °C (48.2 to 105.8 °F). The annual rainfall is 1537 millimetres (60.5 in).

In January 2011, Jessore reached 4.5 °C (40.1 °F), the lowest temperature ever recorded in Bangladesh.

Jessore District's administrative framework was established in 1781. It consists of the following eight upazilas (data from Banglapedia):
upazila population upazila population
abhoynagar 245000 Keshabpur 200229
Bagherpara 168938 Jessore Sadar 530582
Chowgacha 181829 Manirampur 326093
Jhikargacha 235882 Sharsha 258789


The upazilas are further divided into 4 municipalities, 36 wards, 92 unions, 1329 mouzas, 1434 villages and 120 mahallas.

Transport

Jessore has communication links with nearby districts. It has highways for transportation to both Bangladesh and India.
Jessore is a junction on the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...

 based network of the Western Bangladesh Railway
Bangladesh Railway
Bangladesh Railway is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains the entire railway network of the country...

. The network has links extended into Indian territory. Service linking the capital Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

 and the Indian city Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 is to start April 2008, with Jessore falling about halfway down the route.

The Jessore Airport
Jessore Airport
-Airlines and destinations:-External links:*...

, located near the Jessore city, is an airbase for the Bangladesh Air Force
Bangladesh Air Force
The Bangladesh Air Force , is the air arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Air Force currently employs more than 22,000 personnel including 600+ Pilots.-History:...

. Alongside military service, its runways cater to some commercial airlines like GMG Airlines, United Airways and Royal Bengal Airlines for domestic flights.

Notable Educational Institutions

  • Jessore Medical College
    Jessore Medical College
    Jessore Medical College is a Government medical college, established in 2010. It is situated at Horinar Bill near Chanchra and New Bus Terminal, Jessore in Bangladesh. It admits 50 students in to the 5 year MBBS degree programme....

  • Jessore Polytechnic Institute
  • BAF Shaheen College
  • Jessore Shikkha Board Model School And Collage
  • Jessore Cantoment College
  • Michael Modhushudon (MM) College
    Michael Modhushudon (MM) College
    Michael Modhushudon College, stabilished in 1941, is one of a large educational instutute in Jessore District. About 15,000 students and 18 faculties. It gives four years bachelor's and one years masters course opportunitites under Bangladesh National University....

  • Dawood Public School
    Dawood Public School
    Dawood Public School, located in Jessore Cantonment, is a famous educational institution in Bangladesh. The school was established in colonial era by the famous industrialist Daud family...

  • Jessore Rifles School
  • Jessore Science and Technology University
    Jessore Science and Technology University
    Jessore Science and Technology University is a government-financed public university in Bangladesh. This is the fourth public university in Khulna Division and the first public university in Jessore...

  • Jessore Zilla School
    Jessore Zilla School
    Jessore Zilla School, established in 1838, is one of the oldest schools in Jessore District, southwest Bangladesh. In 2000 it had some 1,450 students, running in two shifts .History=...

  • Police Line School
  • [ Palashi Adarsha College, Manirampur, Jessore]
  • Government Girls' High School, Jessore
  • Sacred Heart School, Jessore
  • Hashimpur Secondary High School
  • Talbaria Degree College
  • Matikumra High School
  • [Narikelbaria High School]
  • Navarn Degree College
  • Backra Degree College
  • Backra High School
  • Jhikargacha Pailot High School
  • Jhikargacha B.M High School
  • Jhikargacha Degree College
  • Sarsa Pilot High School
  • Akij Collegiate School
  • Lakshmanpur School & College,Post. Lakshmanpur, Sharsa.
  • Pakshia high school
  • Pakshia Collegiate School
  • DR Abdur Razzak Munichipal college,Karbala Road,Jessore
  • Biman bondor biddly Jessore
  • Hamidpur Al Hera Degree College
  • Bir Pratik Ishak College.
  • Sammilani Institution.
  • M.S.T.P.Girls High School.
  • Noapara Model School - Abhoynagar
  • Jessore University of Science and Technology
  • Rajghat Jafarpur High School - Abhoynagar
  • Sagardari Michele Modhusudon Institution, Keshobpur, Jessore
  • Chowgacha Shadat Pailot Madhomik biddaloi, Chaugacha, Jessore.
  • Chowgacha Hazi Sardar Mortoz Ali Madhomik Biddaloi, Chaugacha, Jessore.
  • Chowgacha Sara Girls School, Chaugacha, Jessore.
  • Chowgacha Degree college, Chaugacha, Jessore.
  • Dumurkhaly Dakhil Madrasah, Monirampur, Jessore.
  • Jhikargacha M.L. High School, Jhikargacha, Jessore
  • Muktijoddha Technical High School,Hasan pur,Keshob pur,Jessore
  • Kuadha High School, Monirampur, Jessore.
  • Benapole High School, Benapole ,Jessore
  • Benapole Morium Memorial Girl's High School,Benapole ,Jessore

Famous Personalities

  • Michael Madhusudan Datta - Poet
    Poet
    A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

     and Dramatist
  • Mahendra Lal Bose
    Mahendra Lal Bose
    Mahendra Lal Bose was an educationist and philanthropist during Bengal Renaissance.-Childhood and parents:...

     - Philanthropist
    Philanthropist
    A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

     and Educationist
  • Masihur Rahman - Highest ranked leader of Bangladesh
    Bangladesh
    Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

     independence movement assassinated by Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , founding member of Awami League, member of the Parliament, Minister, Lawyer.

Jessore.info

First District Based Website in Bangladesh
http://www.jessore.info

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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