Basail Upazila

Basail Upazila (tangail district) with an area of 157.78 sq km, is bounded by kalihati upazila on the north, mirzapur and delduar upazilas on the south, sakhipur upazila on the east Delduar and tangail sadar upazilas on the west. Main rivers are bangshi and Lohajang. Notable beels are Chapra and Dubai.

Basail (Town) consist of one mouza. It has an area of 11.30 sq km. The town has a population of 11347; male 50.63%, female 49.37%; density of population is 1004 per sq km. Literacy rate among the town people is 42.4%.

Administration Basail thana, now an upazila, was established in 1913. The upazila consists of six union parishads, 73 mouzas and 117 villages. 

Historical events A battle between Bangladesh freedom fighters and Pakistan army was fought at Kamutia on both banks of the Nat Khola River. In this battle some local people and quite a number of Pakistani soldiers were killed.

Religious institutions Mosque 300, temple 50.

Population 148555; male 50.97%, female 49.03%; Muslim 88.86%, Hindu 11.06%, others 0.08%.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 32.8%; male 37.2%, female 26.6%. Educational institutions: college 4, high school 20, government primary school 80, non-government primary school 25.

Cultural organisations Rural club 40, cinema hall 2, cultural organisation 14, play ground 30.

Main occupations Agriculture 53.05%, agricultural labourer 13.55%, wage labourer 2.37%, fishing 2.25%, industry 1.24%, handloom 2.94%, commerce 9.25%, service 6.7%, others 8.65%.

Land use Total cultivation land 10328 hectares; single crop 40%, double crop 30% and treble crop 30%; land under irrigation 75%.

Land control Among the peasants 34% are landless, 20% small, 28% intermediate and 18% rich.

Value of land The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 13000 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, jute, wheat, mustard seed and potato.

Extinct and nearly extinct crops Sesame, varieties of pulses, sweet potato.

Main fruits Mango, jackfruit, banana, litchi and papaya.

Fisheries, poultries Fishery 20, poultry 12.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 8 km, semi pucca 10 km and mud road 300 km.

Traditional transport Horse carriage, bullock cart, dhuli and patal nauka. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Cottage industries Goldsmiths 100, blacksmith 30, potteries 200, wood work 100, tailoring 200, welding 50.

Main hats and bazars Main hats are Basail and Noth Kholar Hat.

Main exports Jute, sugarcane molasses, potato.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, proshika, grameen bank, SDS SIDO.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 2, family planning centre 6.