Nanikhir
Encyclopedia
Nanikhir is a village in Gopalganj District
, Bangladesh
, part of Muksudpur Upazila
. It is part of the Nanikhir union, which consists of the villages of Nanikhir, Baro Vatra
, Mohishtoli
, Pathorghata
, Goalgram
, Bongram
and Kazipara, and which is bordered by the unions of Jalirpar
, Kasalia
, Mosna
and Gohala. The Hatashe Channel, locally known as Nanikhir Khall flows through the village to the Bil Rout canal at Jalirpar
, and then the Padma River
.
, the village was attacked by several aircraft of the Pakistani Air Force, supported by a number of Razakars
Etc.). Several of the inhabitants were killed and a motor launch was damaged. On 9 August 1971 about 200 members of the Bangladesh Liberation Army
, in collaboration with local people, liberated Muksudpur. On 12 October 1971, local guerillas clashed with forces of the Pakistani army, in which 22 Razakars and Pakistani soldiers were killed. In a later encounter, near Diknagar Bridge 30 Pakistani soldiers and three Liberation Army members were killed. A number of former members of the Liberation Army continue to live in Nanikhir.
s and two temple
s.
, Nanikhir High School
, three state primary schools , one Alia Madrasa
, five community school
s and twelve satellite schools.
The village is home to the Shahed Zinnah Smrity Jubo Shango & Cultural organization. There are three cultural clubs, three rural public libraries
, three local theatre groups and a number of women's organisations.
(2.32%), construction (1.39%), with another 6.93% engaged in 'other' activities.
The main crops grown in the village are rice
, wheat
, jute
, sugarcane
, onion
s, garlic
, betel leaf, vegetables and sweet potato
es. Linseed, sesame
, indigo
, china and kaun used to be grown, but have largely died out. Fruit is also grown, including mango
es, jackfruit
, papaya
s, palms, lemon
s, lychee
, coconut
s, guava
and banana
s. There are also a number of poultries, fisheries, dairies and hatcheries.
The village is connected by road to Dhaka
via Muksudpur Upazila
, though few roads pass through the village. There are some peat
and coal
deposits, and a number of fairs and bazaars take place in the village. The main exports are jute, onions, wheat, rice and potatoes.
, Proshika, Grameen Bank
, Caritas
, CCDB
, ASA
, World Vision
and HCCB.
, There are also a number of local sites of natural beauty located hare.
Gopalganj District (Bangladesh)
The district of Gopalganj consists 356 mosques, 359 temples, six churches and four tombs.-Places of interest:* Ulpur has a former Zamindar palace which is currently used a Tafsil Office and many other Zamindar mansions. It was the home of the Basu Roy Chowdhury family. Arpara has a zamindar palace...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, part of Muksudpur Upazila
Muksudpur Upazila
Muksudpur is an Upazila of Gopalganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.Muksudpur is located at . It has 49,965 households and total area 309.63 km².-Demographics:...
. It is part of the Nanikhir union, which consists of the villages of Nanikhir, Baro Vatra
Baro Vatra
Baro Vatra is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 3.43 km2, and is bordered by the villages of Nanikhir, Nawkhanda, Pathorgatha and Banagram. Baro Vatra's main canal is the Nawkhanda Khall or Nanikhir Khall...
, Mohishtoli
Mohishtoli
Mohishtoli is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 2.5 km2, and is bordered by the villages of Nanikhir, Barovatra, Goalgram, Kasalia....
, Pathorghata
Pathorghata, Gopalgonj
Pathorghata is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 3 sq km, and is bordered by the villages of Nanikhir, Barovatra, Nawkhanda and Kasalia, Goinary. Pathorghata's main canal is the Hatashe Channel, locally called Nawkhanda Khall or...
, Goalgram
Goalgram
Goalgram is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 2.5 km2, and is bordered by the villages of Nanikhir, Barovatra, Mohistoli, Jalirpar....
, Bongram
Bongram
Bongram is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 4 km2, and is bordered by the villages of Jalirpar, Barovatra and others two....
and Kazipara, and which is bordered by the unions of Jalirpar
Jalirpar
Jalirpar is a Village and a Union too under Muksudpur Upazila, Gopalganj established in 1634.The Bil Rout Canal travels through the village of Jalirpar on its way to the Padma River....
, Kasalia
Kasalia
Kasalia is a village in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh, part of Muksudpur Upazila. The village covers an area of 4 km2, and is bordered by the villages of Nanikhir, Gunohar, Nawkhanda and Mosna, Goinary. Pathorghata's main canal is the Hatashe Channel and flow up to Kasalia...
, Mosna
Mosna
Moşna may refer to several places in Romania:* Moşna, Iaşi, a commune in Iaşi County* Moşna, Sibiu, a commune in Sibiu County* Moşna River...
and Gohala. The Hatashe Channel, locally known as Nanikhir Khall flows through the village to the Bil Rout canal at Jalirpar
Jalirpar
Jalirpar is a Village and a Union too under Muksudpur Upazila, Gopalganj established in 1634.The Bil Rout Canal travels through the village of Jalirpar on its way to the Padma River....
, and then the Padma River
Padma River
The Padma is a major trans-boundary river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges , which originates in the Himalayas. The Padma enters Bangladesh from India near Chapai Nababganj...
.
History
The village was established in 1634. In May 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation WarBangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
, the village was attacked by several aircraft of the Pakistani Air Force, supported by a number of Razakars
Razakars (Pakistan)
The Razakar was the paramilitary force organized by the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.The Urdu word razakar literally means "volunteer". The Razakar force was composed of mostly pro-Pakistani Bengalis and Urdu-speaking migrants living in erstwhile East Pakistan...
Etc.). Several of the inhabitants were killed and a motor launch was damaged. On 9 August 1971 about 200 members of the Bangladesh Liberation Army
Mukti Bahini
Mukti Bahini , also termed as the "Freedom Fighters" or FFs, collectively refers to the armed organizations who fought against the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It was dynamically formed by Bengali regulars and civilians after the proclamation of Bangladesh's independence on...
, in collaboration with local people, liberated Muksudpur. On 12 October 1971, local guerillas clashed with forces of the Pakistani army, in which 22 Razakars and Pakistani soldiers were killed. In a later encounter, near Diknagar Bridge 30 Pakistani soldiers and three Liberation Army members were killed. A number of former members of the Liberation Army continue to live in Nanikhir.
Demographics
Nanikhir consists of three wards and seven mahallas. The village has a population of 5000; with 56.42% being male and 47.58% female. The population density is 840 per km2. The literacy rate is 91.72%. The village has nine mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and two temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s.
Education and recreation
Overall literacy in the village is 91.72%; 51.95% of those literate are males, while females make up 39.77%. The village has a state high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Nanikhir High School
Nanikhir High School
Nanikhir High School is a famous school in the town of Nanikhir, Gopalganj District, Bangladesh-History:Nanikhir High School was established during the British rule in Bangladesh in 1937...
, three state primary schools , one Alia Madrasa
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
, five community school
Community school
The term "community school" refers to types of publicly funded school in England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to a school that serves as both an educational institution and a centre of community life. A community school is both a place and a...
s and twelve satellite schools.
The village is home to the Shahed Zinnah Smrity Jubo Shango & Cultural organization. There are three cultural clubs, three rural public libraries
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, three local theatre groups and a number of women's organisations.
Economy
The main occupation in the village is agriculture (43.09%), with 23.45% employed as agricultural labourers 23.45%. Other occupations are as general waged labourer (2.21%), commerce (10.10%), service (7.69%), fishing (1.71%), industry (1.11%), hawkingHawker (trade)
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells items or food that are native to the area...
(2.32%), construction (1.39%), with another 6.93% engaged in 'other' activities.
The main crops grown in the village are rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
, sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, betel leaf, vegetables and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es. Linseed, sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
, indigo
Indigofera
Indigofera is a large genus of about 700 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae.The species are mostly shrubs, though some are herbaceous, and a few can become small trees up to tall. Most are dry-season or winter deciduous. The leaves are pinnate with 5–31 leaflets and the...
, china and kaun used to be grown, but have largely died out. Fruit is also grown, including mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
, papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
s, palms, lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
s, lychee
Lychee
The lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s. There are also a number of poultries, fisheries, dairies and hatcheries.
The village is connected by road to Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
via Muksudpur Upazila
Muksudpur Upazila
Muksudpur is an Upazila of Gopalganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.Muksudpur is located at . It has 49,965 households and total area 309.63 km².-Demographics:...
, though few roads pass through the village. There are some peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits, and a number of fairs and bazaars take place in the village. The main exports are jute, onions, wheat, rice and potatoes.
Non-governmental organizations
A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are active in the area, including the Bangladesh Development Acceleration Organisation (BDAO), BRACBRAC (NGO)
BRAC, based in Bangladesh, is the world's largest non-governmental development organization. Established by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972 soon after the independence of Bangladesh, BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh, with over 7 million microfinance group members, 37,500 non-formal...
, Proshika, Grameen Bank
Grameen Bank
The Grameen Bank is a microfinance organization and community development bank started in Bangladesh that makes small loans to the impoverished without requiring collateral...
, Caritas
Caritas (charity)
Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
, CCDB
Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh
Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh founded in 1973, immediately after the Bangladesh Liberation War, by the World Council of Churches to succeed the Bangladesh Ecumenical Relief and Rehabilitation Services...
, ASA
Association for Social Advancement
The Association for Social Advancement ' is a non-governmental organization based in Bangladesh which provides microcredit financing. It was established in 1978 by Shafiqual Haque Choudhury and a team of people who were then working for other established NGOs but who themselves were arguing for...
, World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
and HCCB.
Medical
The village is home to the Nanikhir Union health complex, four family planning centres, three satellite clinics and the Nanikhir Government Hospital.Heritage
The Nanikhir Nava-Ratna Temple, a fine example of Teracotta Art in Bangladesh, built during the period of Mughal ruleMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, There are also a number of local sites of natural beauty located hare.