Manikganj District (; ) is a district in central Bangladesh and a part of the Dhaka Division. It was established in 1845 as a subdivision of Faridpur District. In 1853, it was transferred to Dhaka District for administrative purposes. Manikganj was declared a full district in 1984.

History

Manikganj subdivision was established in 1845. In 1984, Manikganj subdivision was promoted to a full district. including the Padma River, Kaliganga River, Jamuna River, Dhaleshwari River, and Ichamati River.

Demographics

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Manikganj District had 393,524 households and a population of 1,558,025 with an average 3.91 people per household. Among the population, 259,616 (16.66%) inhabitants were under 10 years old. The population density was 1,126 people per km<sup>2</sup>. Manikganj District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 71.17%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1072 females per 1000 males. Approximately, 14.74% of the population lived in urban areas. The ethnic population was 909.

Religion

Manikganj District has 3,575 mosques, 160 temples, 10 churches, 5 Buddhist temples, and a pagoda. The Hindu population had fallen from nearly 150,000 in 1981 to 130,000 in 2011, but increased to 139,000 in 2022.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Religion in present-day Manikganj District

! rowspan="2" |Religion

! colspan="2" |1941

! colspan="2" |1981 including Government Debendra College, which was founded in 1942, and the private NPI University of Bangladesh, which was founded in 2016. There is one medical school: Colonel Malek Medical College.

According to Banglapedia, notable secondary schools in the district include:

The technical education system includes the Government Textile Vocational Institute Manikganj.

Notable people

  • Khan Bahadur Abdul Hakim CIE (1905-1985), mathematician and former President of the Asiatic Society
  • Khan Asifur Rahman Agun – singer<!-- for connection to Manikganj District -->
  • Begum Badrunnessa Ahmed – politician and social worker; raised by the zamindar of Paril
  • Naib Uddin Ahmed – photographer; born in Paril village in 1925
  • Rafiq Uddin Ahmed – Bengali language movement martyr; born in Paril village in 1926
  • Mir Quasem Ali – convicted war criminal; born in Munshidangi village in 1952
  • Momtaz Begum – singer and politician; elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-2
  • Amalendu Biswas – stage actor; lived in Jabar village
  • Aruna Biswas – television and film actress; calls Manikganj her hometown
  • Parbati Sankar Roy Choudhury – zamindar; administered his family's estates from Teota
  • Abdul Halim Chowdhury – politician; born in Elachipur village in 1928
  • Bulbul Chowdhury – dancer; attended Manikganj High School
  • Munier Choudhury – educator, dramatist, and literary critic; born in Manikganj in 1925
  • Hemanta Kumari Debi – Zamindar; born in Dhulla village in 1869
  • Sumita Devi – actress; born in Manikganj district in 1936
  • Nina Hamid – folk singer<!-- for connection to Manikganj District -->
  • Khandaker Delwar Hossain – politician; elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-1
  • Khandkar Manwar Hossain – statistician<!-- for connection to Manikganj District -->
  • A. K. M. Nurul Islam – former Vice President of Bangladesh (1986–1989); buried in Harirampur
  • Mohammad Kaykobad – computer scientist; graduated from Manikganj Government High School and Debendra College
  • Mohammad Ali Reza Khan – ornithologist; graduated from Manikganj Debendranath College
  • Mubarak Ahmad Khan – scientist<!-- for connection to Manikganj District -->
  • Muhammad Siddiq Khan – librarian; former principal of Manikganj Debendra College
  • Shamsul Islam Khan – former Minister of Industry (1991–1996); elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-4
  • Shamsuzzaman Khan – academician and folklorist; born in Manikganj district
  • Zahid Maleque – former Minister of Health and Family Welfare; elected to Parliament from constituency Manikganj-3
  • Tareque Masud – film director and producer; died in a crash on the N5 highway at Joka
  • Harunur Rashid Khan Monno – industrialist and former member of parliament (1991–1996)
  • Mishuk Munier – journalist; died in a crash on the N5 highway at Joka
  • Naimur Rahman Durjoy – cricketer and politician; born in Manikganj in 1974
  • Kaniz Fatema Roksana – first Bangladeshi woman pilot<!-- for connection to Manikganj District -->
  • Kiran Chandra Roy – folk singer; attended Patgram Anath Bandhu High School and Manikganj Debendra College
  • Ranadaprasad Saha – businessman; established Debendra College in 1942
  • Dinesh Chandra Sen – educator, writer, and folklorist; born in Bogjuri village in 1866
  • Hiralal Sen – filmmaker; born in Bogjuri village in 1866
  • Amartya Sen – economist; made a few visits to his ancestral home (from his mother's side) in Manikganj
  • Kiran Shankar Roy - politician, freedom fighter, academic, and barrister

See also

  • Districts of Bangladesh

Notes

References