Jhenaidah District

This article is about the district. For the city, see Jhenaidah. For the subdistrict, see Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila.

Jhenaidah District (Bengali: ঝিনাইদহ জেলা) is a district in southwestern Bangladesh. Part of the Khulna Division, the district has an area of 1,964.77 km² (758.60 sq mi).^[3] It is bordered by Kushtia District to the north, Jessore District and West Bengal to the south, Rajbari District and Magura District to the east, and Chuadanga District and West Bengal to the west. The largest city and headquarters of this district is Jhenaidah.^[4] At the beginning of the British rule, Jhenaidah was a police outpost and was turned into a thana in 1793. The Jhenaidah sub-division was established in 1862. It became a district in 1984.^[5]

Jhenaidah District ঝিনাইদহ জেলা
District of Bangladesh
Clockwise from top: Jhenaidah Noongola Masjid, Jhenaidah Golakata Mosque, Jorbangla Mosque, Pir Pukur Masjid, Jhenaidah Pathagar Mosque
Location of Jhenaidah District in Bangladesh
Expandable map of Jhenaidah District
Coordinates: 23.54°N 89.00°E / 23.54; 89.00
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Khulna
Headquarters	Jhenaidah
Government
• Deputy Commissioner	Monira Begum
Area
• Total	1,964.77 km2 (758.60 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	2,005,849
• Density	1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code	7300
Area code	0451
ISO 3166 code	BD-23
HDI (2019)	0.644[2] medium · 5th of 20

Geography

Annual average temperature: maximum 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), minimum 11.2 °C (52.2 °F)^[6]

Annual rainfall: 1,467 mm (57.8 in)^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1974	976,192	—
1981	1,109,875	+1.85%
1991	1,361,280	+2.06%
2001	1,579,490	+1.50%
2011	1,771,304	+1.15%
2022	2,005,849	+1.14%
Sources:[7][8]

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Jhenaidah District had 519,295 households and a population of 2,005,849 with an average 3.82 people per household. Among the population, 336,231 (16.76%) inhabitants were under 10 years of age. The population density was 1,021 people per km². Jhenaidah District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 72.81%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1014 females per 1000 males. Approximately 21.09% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 5,624.^[7]

Religions in Jhenaidah District (2022)[7]
Religion			Percent
Islam			91.55%
Hinduism			8.40%
Other or not stated			0.05%

Religion in present-day Jhenaidah District

Religion	1941[9]: 86–87 [a]		1981[8]		1991[8]		2001[8]		2011[8]		2022[7]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	293,886	65.40%	941,983	84.87%	1,198,925	88.07%	1,415,379	89.61%	1,601,086	90.39%	1,836,273	91.55%
Hinduism	154,115	34.29%	166,696	15.02%	159,308	11.70%	162,808	10.31%	167,880	9.48%	168,444	8.40%
Others[b]	1,386	0.31%	1,196	0.11%	3,047	0.23%	1,303	0.08%	2,338	0.13%	1,132	0.05%
Total Population	449,387	100%	1,109,875	100%	1,361,280	100%	1,579,490	100%	1,771,304	100%	2,005,849	100%

Muslims are the majority community. Hindus are the largest minority and have been growing at a much slower pace than the Muslims. There is also a small population of 900 Christians, mainly in Kaliganj Upazila.

Archeological heritage

• Biswabat, Bethuli
• Harihar Garh, Shailkupa
• Shailkupa Jami Mosque, Shailkupa
• Ram Gopal Mandir, Shailkupa
• Kharer Dighi Mosque, Kaliganj
• Jahajghata, Kaliganj
• Sawdaghar Dighi and Mosque
• Gorai Mosque, Kaliganj
• Jorbangla Mosque, Kaliganj
• Galakata Dighi and Mosque, Kaliganj
• Cheragdani Dighi and Mosque
• Dighi of Sree Ram Raja
• Tombs of Ghazi, Kalu & Champabati, Kaliganj
• Dhol Samudra Dighi, Jhenaidah Sadar
• Naldangha Rajbari Kaliganj
• Manasa Mandir, Maheshpur
• Krishna Balaram Dev Bigraha Mandir, Kaliganj
• Neel Kuthi, Madhupur, Jhenaidah Sadar
• Miyar Dalan, Jhenaidah Sadar
• Nungola Mosque, Kaliganj
• Monahar Mosque, Kaliganj
• Pirpukur Mosque, Kaliganj
• Sukur Mallik Mosque, Kaliganj
• Satgachiya Mosque, Kaliganj
• Tombs of Pagla Kanai, Jhenaidah Sadar
• Dhannoharia Purbopara Jame Mosque (Dhannoharia, Jadabpur, Moheshpur, Jhenaidah)

Administration

Deputy Commissioner: Mohammad Abdul Awal^[10]

Chairman of Zila Porishod: Md. Arifan Hasan Chowdhury^[11]

Subdivisions

There are six upazilas under this district:

1. Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila
2. Maheshpur Upazila
3. Kaliganj Upazila
4. Kotchandpur Upazila
5. Shailkupa Upazila
6. Harinakunda Upazila

City and towns

Jhenaidah district includes 1 municipal city Jhenaidah and 5 towns. All are governed by municipalities.

City/town	Area (km2)	Population (2011)[8]	Population (2022)[12]
Jhenaidah	32.42	107,834	140,256
Kaliganj	15.83	45,341	58,820
Shailkupa	20.92	35,271	39,694
Kotchandpur	20.16	33,094	38,213
Maheshpur	21.16	27,670	32,778
Harinakunda	22.26	22,011	26,161

Education

Colleges

• Government Birshestha Shahid Hamidur Rahman Degree College
• Government K.C. College Jhenaidah
• Government Lalon Shah College, Harinakundu
• Government K. M. H. College, Kotchandpur
• Kotchandpur Paura Mohila Degree College
• Maheshpur Government Degree College
• GOVT.Mahtab Uddin College, Kaliganj
• Moheshpur Poura Mohila Degree College
• Shahid Nur Ali College, Kaliganj
• Shailkupa Government Degree College
• Adil Uddin College
• Jhenaidah College
• Amena Khatun College, Narikelbaria, Jhenaidah
• shailkupa government pilot high school,shailkupa jhenaidah

Other tertiary institutions

• Institute of Health Technology, Jhenaidah
• Jhenaidah Government Veterinary College
• Jhenaidah Polytechnic Institute
• Sheikh Kamal Textile Engineering College, Jhenaidah

School and colleges

• Jhenaidah Cadet College
• Kanchannagar Model School and College, Jhenaidah
• Shishu Kunja School & College, Jhenaidah
• Jhenaidah Govt Technical School And College, Jhenidah
• Munuria ML School & College, Munuria, Jhenaidah

Secondary schools

• Baliadanga M.S Secondary School Kaligonj
• Government Naldanga Bhushan Pilot Secondary School, Kaliganj
• Harinakunda Priyanath High School
• Jhenaidah Government High School
• Jhenaidah Government Girls High School
• Joradah High School, Harinakundu
• Kola Bazar United High School, Kaliganj
• Kotchandpur Girls' High School
• Kotchandpur Govt. Model Pilot Secondary School
• Kotchandpur Secondary School (1899)
• Maheshpur High School
• Maheshpur Pilot Girls' High School
• Raigram Banikanta Secondary School
• Solimunnessa Pilot Girls High School, Kaliganj

Notable residents

• Khandaker Abdullah Jahangir - Bangladeshi Islamic scholar. 1 February 1961 – 11 May 2016), or simply known as Abdullah Jahangir, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, professor, author and television presenter.
• Abul Hasan Jashori – Islamic scholar and a freedom fighter
• Qazi Mu'tasim Billah – Islamic scholar and a former professor at the University of Dhaka
• Abdul Hyee – a member of parliament and a freedom fighter
• Birshrestho Hamidur Rahman – national hero, a sepoy in Bangladesh Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War
• Ila Mitra – activist, peasants movement organizer of the Indian subcontinent, elected member of Vidhan Sabha (Provincial Assembly) four times between 1962 and 1978.
• Golam Mostofa (poet) – Bengali writer and poet
• Pagla Kanai – a Bengali mystic folk singer, baul and philosopher
• Jamal Nazrul Islam – mathematical physicist and cosmologist
• Zillur Rahman- educationist, former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University

See also

• Mobarakganj Sugar Mills Limited
• Kaliganj Upazila, Jhenaidah
• Government Naldanga Bhushan Pilot Secondary School, Jhenaidah