Kalaroa Upazila
Kalaroa Upazila (satkhira district) with an area of 232.64 sq km, is bounded by sharsha, jhikargachha and manirampur upazilas on the north, satkhira sadar and tala upazilas on the south, keshabpur, Manirampur and Tala upazilas and the Kobadak river on the east, West Bengal of India on the west. Main rivers are kobadak, Betna, Sonai, Ichamati.
Kalaroa (Town) consists of 9 wards and 9 mahallas. The area of the town is 14.94 sq km. It has a population of 24845; male 50.97%, female 49.03%; population density per sq km 1663. Literacy rate among the town people is 39.9%. The town has one dakbungalow.
Administration Kalaroa thana was established in 1851 and was turned into an upazila in 1983. The upazila consists of 15 unions, 118 mouzas and 136 villages.
Archaeological heritage and relics Three storied Math at Sonabaria, Kotha Bari Than (believed to be the part of a Fort built by the Dewan of Emperor Jahangir).
Marks of the War of Liberation Mass grave at Kalaroa Bazar; memorial monuments at Kalaroa and Baliadanga; memorial plate at Murali Kathi.
Population 190712; male 50.96%, female 49.04%; Muslim 93.29%, Hindu 5.64%, Christian 0.81% and others 0.26%.
Religious institutions Mosque 405, temple 8 and church 3.
Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 25.4%; male 33.2% and female 17.6%. Educational institutions: college 8, technical institution 4, high school 31, junior high school 6, madrasa 64, government primary school 67, non-government primary school 45, low cost primary school 12, satellite school 5. Noted educational institutions: Murarikati Taraknandi Primary School (1881), Dhandia High School (1885), Kalaroa GKMK Pilot High School (1930), Girl’s Pilot High School (1968), Kalaroa Government College (1969).
Cultural organisations Club 41, public library 5, public institute 1, cinema hall 3, women’s organisation 12, playground 27, kishore theatre 1.
Locally published newspapers and periodicals Pathikrit, Samatat, Suryashikha, Subarna Prasun and Dalchhut.
Main occupations Agriculture 42.29%, agricultural labourer 30.68%, wage labourer 2.17%, commerce 11.8%, service 3.06%, transport 2.78% and others 5.89%.
Land use Total cultivable land 15880.62 hectares, fallow land 2848 hectares; single crop 22.78%, double crop 51.74% and treble crop land 25.48%.
Land control Among the peasants 3% are landless, 3.97% marginal, 45% small, 27% intermediate and 21.03% rich; cultivable land per head 0.11 hectare.
Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is approximately Tk 6000 per 0.01 hectare.
Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, brinjal, betel leaf, mulberry plant, mustard seed, potato and patal.
Extinct or nearly extinct crops Indigo, sesame, sugarcane, tobacco, peanut, sweet potato and dal (pulse).
Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, coconut, papaya, litchi and guava.
Fisheries, dairies, poultries Poultry 24, dairy 9, shrimp cultivation 38, fishery 50, nursery 45 and hatchery 21.
Communication facilities Roads: pucca 30 km, semi pucca 50 km, mud road 757 km; waterways 72 nautical mile.
Traditional transport palanquin (extinct), palki, horse carriage and bullock cart (nearly extinct), boat.
Manufactories Ice factory 2, flour mill 2, cold storage 1, oil mill 10, lathe machine 5, welding 16.
Cottage industries Weaving 15, goldsmith 31, blacksmith 27, potteries 59, wood work 102, tailoring 107, bidi 1, handicraft 1; cocoon produced by women labour.
Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars are 29, most noted of which are Kalaroa, Chandanpur, Khordo, Baliadanga; fairs 10, most noted of which Baishaki Mela (Koila, Jugikhali and Kamarali).
Main exports Jute, betel leaf, oil and coconut.
NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, Dhaka Ahsania Mission,ASA, World Vision, RIDO, Betrabati, SUS and World.
Health centres Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 12, private clinic 1. [S. M. Saifur Rahman, Banglapedia]
