Shariatpur district, the prestigious land renowned for Casa(Zinc ingredient)-brass and pottery industry is a district blessed with the incredibly magical river (in both senses)“Kirtinasha” possessing 1181 square kilometres of territory and a population of 10.80 lakh with a male-female ratio chronologically 101:100. (2011 population consensus).
Surprisingly Shariatpur never ceases to amaze! Opposing the notoriety and destructive manner of erosion of giantess Kirtinsha, the district is still breathing and remarkably with rapture.
Presently existing Shariatpur is nothing but the sum total of the erstwhile southern part of Bikrampur and some divisive territories of ancient Idilpur Pargana of Barisal (Chadrwadip Kingdom).In the after independence period, the shariatpur district was an area incorporated under administrative Madaripur sub-division of Faridpur district.
Shariatpur was named after Haji Shariat Ullah, a pre-eminent social reformer and leader of the anti-British movement, on 3 November 1966. And the particularly concerned territory was ameliorated to a district in 1984.
Shariatpur geographically is positioned at in between 23.01° and 23.27° north latitudes and 90.13° and 90.36° east longitudes. Shariatpur district is ringed and hedged on the north by Munshiganj, on the south by Barisal, on the east by Chandpur and on the west by Madaripur.
Despite having no city corporation, the district has been doing exceedingly well with three (3) parliamentary constituencies, six (6) sub-divisions (Upazilas), seven police outposts, six municipalities, 65 unions and 1243 villages.
Surprisingly Shariatpur never ceases to amaze! Opposing the notoriety and destructive manner of erosion of giantess Kirtinsha, the district is still breathing and remarkably with rapture. And amazingly, according to district statistics report 2011, the district managed to maintain a literacy rate of 41% (considering the population having 15+ ages).
5 out of a thousand children die here every year in this torn district with 44% of the poverty rate.
The ancient name of Shariatpur Sadar subdivision used to be “Palong”. Another subdivision of Shariatpur district Zazira is known to be named by an erstwhile Muslim leader. The Arabic word Zazira means archipelago.
The “Noriar Shwandesh” (a very typical type of Bengali sweets) of the Noria Subdivision of Shariatpur district s pretty well accepted all around the country. The subdivision Goshairhat of shariatpur district was named after a saint famously known as “Goshai”. Mahakuma administrator Nabin Chandra sen while visiting damuda and the river flowing through the heart of damuda stated that the river is akin to the Damodar river of India and the ocean of knowledge epitheted Ishwarchandra had a historical link with the river Damodar. And in his respect, Nabin Chandra sen named the territory DAMODAR. But language always evolves and eventually the name took the form Damuda which now exists.
In “Bangladesher jela: Namkoroner itihash”, a Bengali book, Bilu Kabir wrote (Translated), the district Shariatpur was named after a pioneering figure in spearheading the famous “Foraeji movement”, Hazi Shariatullah. Until then, the name of the district used to be ‘Palang’. Palang is a Marma word. To elaborate, Marma is an indigenous ethnic community of Bangladesh. And the word means a village or a locality. When the subdivision was established in 1977, the name ‘Palang’ was dropped and the territory was renamed to ‘Shariatpur’.
Haji Shariat Ullah was a famous Muslim saint and reformist leader. He was born in 1781 in the village of Shamail in Madaripur subdivision of the erstwhile Faridpur district. But some experts iterated that he was born in 1764 in the village “Bahadur” of the same Faridpur district. He went to Makkah at the age of 18 and studied religion there for 20 long years and researched on comparative religion. After returning to the country, he started preaching Islam what caused a revolution renowned as Wahabi movement and to elucidate in detail, Wahabi movement was nothing but an Islamic reform movement and beneath the surface, his intention was to preach Islam in the region.
Due to strong drawback from the people, British administration being provoked had to incorporate Madaripur subdivision (previously containing Shariatpur territory) under the administrative Faridpur. Attempts were made from 1912 to form a subdivision with the greater eastern part of Madaripur for administrative convenience.
During the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, a number of battles took place in shariatpur and many attacks were exchanged between the freedom fighters and the enemy Pakistan and at least approximately 320 pakistani troops were killed. A number of freedom fighters embraced martyrdom as well in two different encounters and one engaging conflict with the Pak army in Bhedorganj. . Five freedom fighters embraced martyrdom in a guerilla fight in Goshairhat sub division.
In other sub-divisions as well of Shariatpur, a number of fatal and turbulent incidents took place and on the 10th of December, the people who had been fighting valiantly with valour managed to wipe the enemy out of the land of Shariatpur( the land which was under administrative Madaripur back then!
The prevalent earning profession of the district is still the agriculture as around 63% of the people of the district directly or recessively depends upon agriculture and that is why one might not hesitate to state Shariatpur district as an agricultural district.
Noboborsho(Bengali New Year), Chaitra Sankranti and boating are notable folk festivals in this district. Folk songs like jarigan, jatra, kavigan, wedding song etc. are very traditional here and popular as well..Furthermore, Ha-Du-Du, Gollachut, Dariabandha and other types of folk sports that are widespread in the district. In the past, bull races were carried out here in connection with Poush and Chaitra (two significant seasons of the land of six seasons, Bangladesh.
| At a glance of Shariatpur | ||
| 01 | Area | 1181.53 sq km |
| 02 | Population | 1,155,824
Men: Women 101:100 |
| 03 | Founding Year | 1 March 1984 |
| 03 | Density | 980/km2 (2,500/sq mi) |
| 04 | Literacy Rate | 41% |
| 05 | Seats in the Parliament | 3 |
| 06 | Postcode | 8000 |
| 07 | Sector in Liberation War | |
Sub-districts or Upazila (8)
- Shariatpur sadar/Palong Upazila
- Damudiya Upazila
- Nariya Upazila
- Jaira Upazila
- Bhedarganj Upazila
- Goshairhat Upazila
- Sakhipur Upazila
Main Rivers
Padma, Meghna, Kirtinasha, Palong, Jayanti.
Main Newspapers
Hunker; weekly: Muktir Kantha, Shetu, Kagojer Pata, Saptapalli Samachar; defunct weekly: Chikandi Barta, Shariatpur Barta, Rudrakantha, Jabanbandhi.
Place to Interest
- Dighi of Mohishar
- Raj-Nagar
- Kurashi
- Mosque of Buri’s Haat
- Haturia Jaminder Palace
- Rudrokor Moth
- Asrom of Ram Sadhu
- Jamindar Palace, Vedorganj
- Fort of Mansingho
- Shiva Linga
- Suresshar Dorbar Sharif
- Ponditsar
- Monsabari, Dhonuka
Notable personalities
- Atul prosad sen.
- Azizul Haque.
- Ataul Haque.
- Abdur Razzak. (sculptor)
- Abdur Razzak (Politican)
- Abu Ishak.
- A. Reza.
- Gita data.
- Guruproshad Sen.
- Gopal Chandra Bhattacharya.
- Gost pal
- Debdash chakrawarty.
- Pulin Bihari Das.
- Rajballav Sen.
- Shoukot Ali
- Golam Mawla
Written by Niaz Mahmud Sakib