Mymensingh District Town

Situated on the south bank of the old Brahmaputra river, it is an old district headquarter town in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. Mymensingh is 120 kilometers north of the capital Dhaka and is widely connected with the capital and other district towns with good highways and railway. As a town, its age is more than 200 years with a rich tradition, culture and heritage. The name Mymensingh is the anglicized/corrupt pronunciation of the original name of the ruler Momen Shah. Mymensingh district once was the largest district in undivided Bengal before partition of 1947 and known as abode of many Zamindars.

Mymensingh District (dhaka division) with an area of 4363.48 sq km, is bounded by Meghalaya State of India and Garo Hills on the north, Gazipur district on the south, Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts on the east and Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail districts on the west. The main river is Old Brahmaputra. Besides, there are small rivers, marsh, canals and forestry in the district. The soil formation of the district is flood plain, grey Piedmont, hill brown and terrace. There are small valleys between the high forests; annual average temperature maximum 33.3°C, minimum 12°C; annual rainfall 2174 mm.

Mymengingh (Town) was earlier called Nasirabad. It stands on the bank of the Brahmaputra. It consists of 21 wards and 85 mahallas. The area of the town is 21.73 km. It has a population of 225811; male 51.91%, female 48.09%; density of population per sq km 10392 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 60.4%.

Mymensingh district was acquired by the East India Company with the Dewani Grant from the Mughal Emperor in 1765. At that time its greater part was included in the Niabat (Sub-Province of Dhaka and a small portion in the Zamindaries of Atia, Kagmari, Pukuria and Patilandaha (of Rahahahi Zamindari). At the time of Permanent Settlement, it included northwest Garo-Hills and the Brahmandaria Subdivision of the Present Comilla district but did not include north Tangail and north-west part of Jamalpur. In 1799 Taluk Amirabad was transferred to Tippera (comilla). In 1809, Patiladaha, situated north-east of the Brahmaputra came to district form Rangpur. In 1811, the river Banar and Brahmaputra were declared boundary between Dhaka and Mymensingh district and the river Brahmaputra and Meghna as boundary between Tippera (now Comilla) and Mymensingh and Dhaka. In 1811 west Gar-Hills were transferred to Rangpur district. In 1812 Patiladaha, was retransferred to Rangpur. In 1830, Parganas Sarail, Daudpur, haripur, Bejra, and Satarakhandal, were transferred to Tippera and Public convenience. In 1855, due to change in river course part or Serajganj thana was transferred from Mymensingh to Pabna and in 1866, the whole of it was transferred to Pabna. In 1866, thana Dewangajn was transferred to Mymensingh form Bogra and thana Atia from Dhaka. In 1867 for the administrative convenience boundaries of five subdivisions (including Tangail) and thanaswere notified. In 1874 on the basis of survey, the district boundaries were notified. In 1874 the Jamuna (or Daokoba) River was declared the western boundary between Mymensingh and Bogra and as such, 165 villages were transferred to Bogra. In 1875, the Brahmaputra was Made the boundary between Mymensingh and Rangpur and the portion of patiladaha, east of the river, was transferred to this district form Rangpur. In 1877, the Jamuna was declared the boundary between Pabna and Mymensingh, in the west. On the first of December, 1969, Tangail subdivision was separated from Mymensingh and a new District of Tangail was formed.

Administration: Mymensingh district was established in 1787. Later on it was divided into six districts viz. Tangail, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Sherpur and Netrokona. Mymensinsingh district consists of 8 municipalities, 12 upazilas, 146 union parishads, 84 wards, 206 mahallas, 2201 mouzas and 2709 villages. The upazilas are bhaluka, dhobaura, fulbaria, gaffargaon, gauripur, haluaghat, ishwarganj, mymensingh sadar, muktagachha, nandail, phulpur, trishal; the municipalities are Bhaluka, Gafargaon, Gauripur, Ishwarganj, Mymensingh Sadar, Nandail, Muktagachha and Trishal.

Archaeological relics and monuments: Rajbaris of Gauripur and Muktagachha, Shashi Lodge, Musium, Durgabari, Kella Tajpur, Mymensingh Town Hall, Bokaynagar Fort, Alexandra Castle and Gospel Church.

Historical events: Fakir and Sannyasi revolt (1772-1790, flood (1787), famine (1788), earthquake (1897) and Swadeshi Movement (1905). Mymensingh possesses rich literary heritage recognized through the world. The 'mainmansingha gitika' (ballads) collected and edited by Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sen represents a valuable treasure in the world literature and has been translated into English and French.

As of 1991 Bangladesh census, population 4439017; male 50.62%, female 49.38%; Muslim 94.73%, Hindu 4.25%, Christian 0.75%, Buddhist 0.06% and others 0.21%; ethnic nationals (0.89% of total population) Garo, Hajong, Koch and Hadi.

Literacy: Among the literacy, 30.7% are male and 20% female.

Educational institutions: agricultural university 1, medical college 2, homeo medical college 1, mymensingh engineering college 1, polytechnic institute 1, vocational institute 1, veterinary training institute 1, mymensingh girls' cadet college 1, primary teacher's training institute 1, teacher's training institute 2, national institute of primary Education 1, government college 5, non-government college 57, government high school 9, non-government high school 368, secondary school 129, madrasa 1212, government primary school 1249, non-government 794, kindergarten 33, NGO operated school 1065, art school 1.

Cultural organisations Club 437, public library 3, museum 1, drama stage 3, literary society 9, cinema hall 25, theatre group 17, drama stage 2, literary society 7, woman's organisation 7.

Main occupations: Agriculture 57.67%, commerce 8.15%, transport 15.66%, construction 2.13%, service 1.21%, others 15.18%.

Land use: Total cultivation 346117 hectares; single crop 18.58%, double crop 70.20% and treble crop land 11.22%.

Main crops Paddy, jute, sugarcane, wheat, oil seed and pulse, betel leaf, karalla, sweet potato, turmeric, ginger, brinjal, cauliflower and chilli.

Main fruits Jackfruit, banana, pineapple, papaya, kadbel, guava, boroi, amloki, palm, latko.

Fisheries, dairies, poultries Fishery 67, dairy 130, poultry 390 and livestock 143.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 770 km, semi pucca 4062 km; waterways 365 nautical mile; railways 147 km.

Manufactories Dynamic Textile, K and K Textile, Saudi-Bangla Fish Feed Ltd, Shambhuganj Jute Mill and SDS Foundation Steel Factory.

Cottage industries Goldsmith, potteries, blacksmith, welding, bamboo and cane work, ironsmith, wood work, bidi factory, wood work etc.

Health centres: Hospital 2, upazila health complex 11, missionary hospital 1, homeo hospital 1, school health clinic 1, police hospital 1 and leprosy hospital 1.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, caritas, Gonoshahajjo Sangstha, asa, World Vision, Palli Unnayan Prayas, MCC, Gramous, Adarsha Samaj Sheba Samiti, Human Development Programme, Khagra Mohila Unnayan Samiti, NGO Forum, Sara and Sirak.

Mymensingh town is the home of the great painter Joynul Abedin.