Morrelganj Upazila

Morrelganj (মোড়েলগঞ্জ) is an upazila of Bagerhat District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh. Morrelganj thana was established in 1909 and became an upazila in 1985.

History
Morrelganj is named after the Morrel family. During the British rule Henry Morrel established Kuthi Bari and terrorized the locals by forced labor and torture. In protest, a peasant rebellion spread under the leadership of Rahimullah of Baraikhali, who was killed on 25 November 1861.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, 35 people were killed in an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Razakars on 15 August 1971. This is commemorated in the War of Liberation Memorial monument.

Geography
Morrelganj is located at 22.45°N, 89.8583°W. It has 75,968 household units and a total area 460.90 km2.

The upazila is bounded by Bagerhat sadar and Kachua upazilas on the north, Sarankhola and Mathbaria upazilas on the south, Pirojpur sadar and Bhandaria upazilas on the east, Rampal and Mongla upazilas on the west. Main rivers here are: Baleshwar, Ghasiakhali, Panguchi and Bhola.

Demographics
As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Morrelganj upazila had 75,968 households and a population of 294,576. 65,928 (22.38%) were under 10 years of age. Morrelganj had an average literacy rate of 60.67%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1056 females per 1000 males. 27,130 (9.21%) of the population lived in urban areas.

In 1991, Morrelganj upazila had population: 321153; males 50.48% and females 49.52%; Muslims 86.59%, Hindus 13.28% and others 0.13%. 460.91 km2

Morrelganj (the town) consists of nine wards and twelve mahallas. The area of the town is 15.36 km2. The upazila has a population of 321153; male 51.76%, female 48.24%. The population density is 1441 people per square km. The town has a Dak bungalow.

Economy
The main occupations are: Agriculture 35.49%, fishing 3.65%, agricultural labourer 20.73%, wage labourer 6.85%, commerce 11.85%, transport 1.4%, service 5.6%, others 14.43%.

There is a big Shopping Place in Morrelgonj Called Morrelgonj Center or Morrelgonj Bazar and it is the big Business place of Morrelgonj.

Points of interest
Neelkuthi (1849) and Rajbari at Bonogram. The nearby Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a formerly lost city, located in the suburbs of Bagerhat city in Bagerhat District, in the Khulna Division of southwest of Bangladesh. Bagerhat is about 15 miles south east of Khulna and 200 miles southwest of Dhaka. The mosque city is situated at the confluence of Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers

Administration
Morrelganj Upazila is divided into Morrelganj Municipality and 16 union parishads: Baharbunia, Balaibunia, Banagram, Baraikhali, Chingrakhali, Daibagnyahati, Hoglabunia, Hogla Pasha, Jiudhara, Khuolia, Morrelganj, Nishanbaria, Panchakaran, Putikhali, Ramchandrapur, and Teligati. The union parishads are subdivided into 120 mauzas and 181 villages.

Morrelganj Municipality is subdivided into 9 wards and 12 mahallas.

Transport
Roads: Paved (pucca) 59 km, improved (semi pucca) 82 km and mud road 765 km. The traditional use of the palanquin for transportation is nearly extinct.

Education
The average literacy is 49.5%; of which male literacy is 53.9% and female literacy is 40%. Morrelganj has many educational institutions: college 6, high school 76, madrasa 291, most noted of which is Govt. S.M College (1968), Fulhata High School (1946), Daibajnahati BM High School (1915), A C Laha Pilot High School (1924), Shahid Sheikh Rasel Mujib High School(1995) Bipin Kamol Balika Vidyalaya, Maa Babar Reen College Surjumukhi, Baharbunia, Hironmoy Halder Karigori College, Baharbunia, Nihar Halder Sanskrit College, Baharbunia, Baharbunia Halderbari Dakhil Mohila Madrasa, Surjumukhi Halder Bari Prathomik Vidyalaya, Baharbuna. KP sarkari prathomic vidyalaya. Baharbunia

Notable people

 * Shahid Rahimullah, died 1861, leader of an Indigo Revolt.
 * Liakat Ali Khan, born 1951, student freedom fighter commander in 1971.
 * Mohammad Ruhul Amin, born 1949, Police Superintendent in Charge of the region in 1996 who helped clean-up river pirates in the Mongla rivers to practically zero.