Shariatpur Sadar Upazila

Shariatpur Sadar (শরিয়তপুর সদর) is an upazila of Shariatpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Shariatpur Thana was converted into an upazila in 1984. The upazila took its name from the district and the Bengali word sadar (headquarters). It is the subdistrict where the district headquarters, Shariatpur town, is located.

Geography
Shariatpur Sadar Upazila has a total area of 175.09 sqkm. It borders Zajira Upazila to the north, Naria and Bhedarganj upazilas to the east, Damudya Upazila to the southeast, and Madaripur District to the south and west.

Demographics
According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Shariatpur Sadar Upazila had 45,883 households and a population of 210,259. 49,738 (23.67%) were under 10 years of age. Shariatpur Sadar had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 50.8%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 1019 females per 1000 males. 49,535 (23.76%) lived in urban areas.

Administration
Shariatpur (former name Palong) Thana was turned into an upazila in 1984.

The upazila is divided into Shariatpur Municipality and 11 union parishads: Angaria, Binodpur, Chandrapur, Chikandi, Chitalia, Domsar, Mahmudpur, Palong, Rudrakar, Shaul Para, and Tulasar. The union parishads are subdivided into 105 mauzas and 152 villages.

Shariatpur Municipality was established in 1990. It is subdivided into 9 wards and 27 mahallas.

Education
There are three colleges in the upazila. They include Shariatpur Government College.

According to Banglapedia, Palong Tulasar Gurudas Government High School is a notable secondary school in the upazila.

The Madrasa education system here includes one Fazil Madrasa.

There is a private university in this district named Z. H. Sikder University of Science and Technology http://www.zhsust.edu.bd/ in Bhedorgonj upazila. One newly established private medical college is also in this area named Monowara Sikder Medical College and Hospital http://sikderhospital.com/