Sirajganj is a city in north-western Bangladesh on the right bank of the Jamuna River, located in Rajshahi Division. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirajganj District, and with a population of 188,528 is the 14th largest city in Bangladesh. It is about 110 km north west of the capital, Dhaka. It is the city where Pakistani Brig. Jehanzeb Arbab looted the bank back in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was once a principal centre of the jute trade.

History

During British rule, Sirajganj was a town in the Pabna District of Eastern Bengal and Assam. Its location on the right bank of the Jamuna River or main stream of the Brahmaputra was a six-hour journey by steamer from the railway terminal at Goalundo. It was the chief river mart for jute in northern Bengal, with several jute presses. The jute mills were closed after the 1897 Assam earthquake. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 23,114.

Demographics

According to the 2022 Bangladesh census, Sirajganj city had a population of 188,528. According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Sirajganj city had 35,556 households and a population of 167,200. 31,096 (19.57%) were under 10 years of age. The literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 63.22%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and the sex ratio was 980 females per 1000 males.

Religion

Muslims make up 92.13% of the population, while Hindus are 7.82% of the population. The Hindu population has remained relatively constant while the Muslim population has constantly increased. The remaining 0.05% people follow other religions, mainly Christianity and Sarnaism. There are 300 mosques, 15 temples and 1 Christian cemetery in the city.

Points of interest

Transport

In the later half of the 19th century, Sirajganj was an important river port. It was the main collection point for jute produced in northern Bengal and western Mymensingh. After the 1897 Assam earthquake, which damaged infrastructure and shifted the course of the river farther from the city, its significance declined. It was eclipsed by Narayanganj, another river port, which also had a rail connection. Not until 1915 was Sirajganj connected to the railway network, with the opening of the Sara-Sirajganj line. As of 2022, there is an Intercity train to Dhaka six days a week. East-West national highway N405 passes just south of the city. It runs east, across the Jamuna Bridge, about 24 km to the Joydebpur–Jamalpur Highway at Elenga, and west about 16 km to the Dhaka–Banglabandha Highway.

Education

There are two medical schools in the city, the public Shaheed M. Monsur Ali Medical College, established in 2014, and the private North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, established in 2000. As of May 2019, they are respectively allowed to admit 51 and 85 students annually. There are eight colleges in the city. They include Sirajganj Government College, founded in 1940, Islamia Government College (1887), and Government Rashidazzoha Womens College. According to Banglapedia, B.L. Government High School, founded in 1869, Jnandayini High School (1884), Saleha Ishaque Government Girls' High School, and Victoria High School (1898) are notable secondary schools.

Notable people