Jessore; a City in Bangladesh

Downtown Jessore in Bangladesh

Jessore (Bengali: যশোর or Bengali: যশোহর) is a district located in the Khulna Division of southwestern Bangladesh. It is bordered by India to the west. 

The district produces a variety of crops year-round. Date-sugar, called patali, is made from the sap of locally grown date trees. It is cooked, thickened and crystallised using a traditional method. Patali is mainly produced in Khajura, but many date trees are cultivated in the Keshabpur and Monirampur areas.

Jessore district was established in 1781. It consists of 4 municipalities, 36 wards, 8 upazilas, 92 unions, 1329 mouzas, 1434 villages and 120 mahallas. Upazilas are: 

• Abhaynagar Upazila, 
• Bagherpara Upazila, 
• Chaugachha Upazila, 
• Jessore kotwali Upazila, 
• Jhikargachha Upazila, 
• Keshabpur Upazila, 
• Manirampur Upazila, 
• Sharsha Upazila.

Jessore in Bangladesh Map

Jessore town consists of 9 wards and 73 mahalls. Jessore municipality was established in 1864. The area of the town is 25.72 km2. The town has a population of 117,8273; male 52.97%, female 47.03%. The Literacy rate among the town people is 56.57%. The town has one dakbungalow. 

History: 

Jessore was a kingdom and Raja Propadittyo is the king of the Jessore kingdom. Jessore district once belonged to the ancient Janapada kingdom of Samatat Janapada. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, Jessore was partially divided. Except for the Bangaon and Gaighata thanas, the entire district became part of East Pakistan. 

The Bengali soldiers stationed at Jessore cantonment mutinied against the Pakistan Army on 29 March 1971. They were led by Captain Hafiz Uddin and Lieutenant Anwar in an uprising where 300 soldiers were killed. The rebels killed 50 Pakistani soldiers with machine gun fire at Chanchara. 

Old Temples in Dhulgram, Jessore, Bangladesh

On 7 December 1971, Jessore became the first district of Bangladesh to be liberated from Pakistani forces. 

Places to See: 

Village Balia Vakutia is famous for its small Weaving industry(loom) .where produce Shari, Lungi, Gamsa ETC handmade clothes. Village Rampur has become a tourist attraction for its island-like look surrounded by two rivers, Jhapa Bayor and Khajura Bayor. The Kapatakkha River flows through the area. 

At Abhaynagar Upazila, there is a small village called Dhulgram. It once had a magnificent Hindu complex of 17 temples here, but now only one remains standing. Most of the temples were submerged by the Bhairab River, which flows by the complex. A beautiful terracotta design can be seen all over the temple. It is considered a very holy place by Bengals. 

Micheal Madhusudan Datt's birth place, Jessore

In Bhatnagar, Abhaynagar, stands the ruins of an 11-temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. Though the central temple is partially destroyed, the site still shows the majesty of Bengal's glorious past. 

• Near the town of Jessore is the suburb Chanchra. A Chanchra Rajbari once stood, but has deteriorated. Visitors can see the Shiv Temple, which is almost restored; the remains of the Dosh Mahabidya Temple, unique in Bangladesh, and Jora Shiv Temple at Murali in a deteriorated condition. 

• Imam Bara, situated at Murolir Mor beside the Dhaka-Khulna Highway, is a historical building constructed by Hazi Muhammad Mohsin. 

• The Jessore Collectorate Building, located in Daratana, is one of the oldest buildings in Jessore.

Sagardari is the birthplace of the poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta. His large villa consists of a huge garden, a small museum and houses. The front gate of the house has a solid sculpture work. The Kapattakka River is a block away. Around the house are many small shops that sell souvenirs. Near sadar thana village Hamidpur is an ancient mosque, known as "Shani mosque." It is an example of the high architecture of the ancient Muslim age. 

A very Old Masjid Near Shagordari, Jessore

Demographics: 

• Jessore District has a population of 2,440,693 of which 51.22% are male and 48.78% are female. 

• 85.5% of the population are muslims, 14.21% are Hindus and the remaining 0.29% practise another religion. Religious institutions included 3928 mosques, 463 temples, 86 churches and 17 Buddhist temples. 

• The average literacy rate is 45.2% — very low compared to the rest of the world, but average in Bangladesh. 41% of males are literate, while only 25.1% of females are. 

• The main occupations are: agriculture 39.84%, agricultural labourer 24.13%, wage labourer 2.68%, commerce 11.99%, service 8.66%, industry 1.41%, transport 3.11% and others 8.18%.

Jessore, Bangladesh

The main crops: 

paddy, jute, sugarcane, tuberose, vegetables. Main fruits are date, jackfruit, papaya, banana, litchi and coconut. Main exports are cotton, jute, leather, jackfruit, banana, comb and date molasses, and vegetables. Jessore is also the place for growing various types of flowers. 

Town:

• The town area is almost 64 km²; 

• The town of Jessore has a population almost half of that of the entire district's — 1,178,273, of which 52.97% are male and 47.03% are female. 

• The literacy rate amongst townspeople (68.57%) is significantly higher than that of the entire district.

Map of Jessore, Bangladesh

Geography Jessore District encompasses 2578.20 km². It is bounded by Jhenaidaha and Magura districts at the north, Satkhira and Khulna districts at the south, Narail and Khulna districts at the east, and West Bengal of India at the west. Major rivers that flow through this region are the Bhairab and Kapotakhho. 

Annual average temperature range from 9 to 41 °C (48 to 106 °F). The annual rainfall is 1,537 millimetres (60.5 in). 

In January 2011, Jessore reached 4.5 °C (40.1 °F), the lowest temperature ever recorded in Bangladesh. 

Jessore District's administrative framework was established in 1781. It consists of the following eight upazilas 

• Abhoynagar (Population: 245000) 
• Bagherpara (Population: 168938) 
• Chawgacha (Population: 181829) 
• Jhikargacha (Population: 235882) 
• Keshabpur (Population: 200229) 
• Jessore Sadar (Population: 530582) 
• Manirampur (Population: 326093) 
• Sharsha (Population: 258789)

Jessore-Airport

Transport: 

Jessore has communication links with nearby districts. It has highways for transportation to both Bangladesh and India. 

Jessore is a junction on the broad gauge-based network of the Western Bangladesh Railway. The network has links extended into Indian territory. Service linking the capital Dhaka and the Indian city Kolkata is to start April 2008. Jessore is about midway along the route. 

The Jessore Airport, located near the Jessore city, is an airbase for the Bangladesh Air Force. Alongside military service, its runways cater to some commercial airlines, such as GMG Airlines, United Airways and Royal Bengal Airlines, for domestic flights. 

Notable Educational Institutions:

• Buruj Bagan High School 
• Jessore Medical College 
• Jessore Polytechnic Institute 
• Bangladesh Computer and Management College 
• Ibn Sina Pre-Cadet School

Jessore Cantonment College

• Rupdia welfare academy 
• BAF Shaheen College 
• Jessore Shikkha Board Model School And Collage 
• Jessore Cantonment College 
• Michael Modhushudon (MM) College
• Dawood Public School 
• Nutan Khayertala Secondary School, Jessore 
• Sacred Heart School, Jessore 
• Jessore Rifles School 
• Jessore Science and Technology University 
• Jessore Zilla School 
• Jessore Cantonment High School 
• Police Line Secondary School 
• Palashi Adarsha College, Manirampur, Jessore 
• Government Girls' High School, Jessore 
• Sacred Heart School, Jessore

New Town Girls High school , Jessore

• Hashimpur Secondary High School 
• Talbaria Degree College 
• Narikelbaria High School 
• Navarn Degree College 
• Jhikargacha M.L. High School 
• Jhikargacha B.M High School 
• Shaheed Moshiur Rahman Degree College 
• Backra Degree College 
• Backra High School 
• Matikumra High School 
• Kullaha Girls High School 
• Matshia High School 
• Sarsa Pilot High School 
• Akij Collegiate School 
• Lakshmanpur School & College,Post. Lakshmanpur, Sharsa. 
• Pakshia high school 
• Pakshia Collegiate School

Jessore University of Science and Technology

• Biman bondor biddly Jessore 
• Hamidpur Al Hera Degree College 
• Muktijoddha Technical High School,Hasan pur,Keshob pur,Jessore 
• Bir Pratik Ishak College. 
• Sammilani Institution. 
• M.S.T.P.Girls High School. 
• Noapara Model School - Abhoynagar 
• Jessore University of Science and Technology 
• Rajghat Jafarpur High School - Abhoynagar 
• Sagardari Michele Modhusudon Institution, Keshobpur, Jessore 
• Chowgacha Shadat Pailot Madhomik biddaloi, Chaugacha, Jessore. 
• Chowgacha Hazi Sardar Mortoz Ali Madhomik Biddaloi, Chaugacha, Jessore. 
• Chowgacha Sara Girls School, Chaugacha, Jessore. 
• Chowgacha Degree college, Chaugacha, Jessore. 
• Dumurkhaly Dakhil Madrasah, Monirampur, Jessore. 
• Jhikargacha M.L. High School, Jhikargacha, Jessore

Dr. Abdur Razzak Munichipal College, Jessore

•  Kuadha High School, Monirampur, Jessore. 
• DR Abdur Razzak Munichipal college,Karbala Road,Jessore 
• Benapole High School, Benapole, Jessore 
• Benapole Morium Memorial Girl's High School,Benapole, Jessore 
• Sonakur jakira Dakhil madrasha 
• Hamid pur high school 
• Progoti girls school 
• Baliadanga govt. primary school 
• Keshabpur Pilot school & college 
• Keshabpur Degree College 
• Keshabpur Girls School 
• Keshabpur Girls College 
• Jessore Technical School and Collage 
• Balia Vakutia High school ,Jessore 

Michael Madhusudan Dutt

• Biman Bondor Biddaloy 

• Century Pre-Cadet School

• M.K Girls High School 

• Matikumra High School 

Notable Natives and Residents:

• Michael Madhusudan Datta - Poet and Dramatist 

• Mahendra Lal Bose - Philanthropist and Educationist 

• Moshiur Rahman - The highest-ranked political leader of the Bangladesh independence movement; he was assassinated by Pakistani occupying forces. He was the closest disciple of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, a founding member of Awami League, Member of the Parliament, Minister of Law and Justice, Freedom fighter against the British occupation of India, leading voice in Bangla Language Movement, and a lawyer. 

• S M Babar, freedom fighter.