Phulbari Upazila (dinajpur district) with an area of 229.55 sq km, is bounded by parbatipur and chirirbandar upazilas on the north, birampur upazila on the south, nawabganj (Dinajpur) and Birampur upazilas on the east, West Bengal of India on the west. Little Jamuna is the main river.

Phulbari (Town) consists of 9 wards and 11 mahallas. The area of the town is 16.03 sq km; population 28557; male 51.05%, female 48.95%. The density of population is 1781 per sq km. The literacy rate among the town people is 55.1%. Phulbari is an important business centre and its importance grew significantly with the development of the Barapukuria coal mine and the Madhyapara hardrock mine both located within a few kilometres from the town.

Administration Phulbari thana was established in 1875 and was turned into an upazila in 1984. It consists of 1 municipality, 10 union parishads, 170 mouzas and 150 villages.

Archaeological relics and monuments Damodarpur Nagari and Garh Gobinda.

Marks of War of Liberation Mass grave 1 (Barai), memorial 1 (Shujapur High School ground).

Population 129435; male 51.77% and female 48.23%; Muslim 81.54%, Hindu 14.75%, Christian 0.60% and others 3.11%.

Religious institutions Mosque 171, temple 13.

Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 31.7%; male 39.0%, female 23.8%. Educational institutions: college 6, high school 43, government primary school 40, private primary school 62, madrasa 18.

Locally published newspapers and periodicals Weekly Janamat.

Cultural organisations Club 41, cinema hall 4, public library 1, opera party 2, press club 1.

Main occupations Agriculture 41.65%, agricultural labourer 31.07%, wage labourer 1.97%, industry 1.44%, commerce 11.32%, transport 1.6%, service 4.54%, others 6.41%.

Land use Cultivable land 20705 hectares; fallow land 2359.27 hectares; single crop 15.7%, double crop 66.77% and treble crop 17.53%. Land under irrigation 44%.

Land control Landless 35%, small 28%, medium 35% and  rich 2%.

Value of land Market value of land is Tk 4500.00 per 0.01 hectare.

Main crops Paddy, wheat, jute, sugarcane, pulses and oil seed.

Extinct and nearly extinct crops  Aush (variety of paddy), betel leaf and tobacco.

Main fruits Mango, banana, jackfruit.

Dairies, poultries Poultry 80, dairy 125.

Communication facilities Roads: pucca 22.42 km, semi pucca 5 km and mud road 343.17 km; railway 16 km.

Traditional transport Palanquin, boat, bullock cart, horse carriage. These means of transport are either extinct or nearly extinct.

Manufactories Rice mill, ice factory, sawmill, oil mill.

Cottage industries Potteries, bamboo work, wood work, embroidery work, goldsmith and blacksmith.

Hats, bazars and fairs Hats and bazars is 48, fairs 2.

Main exports Paddy, rice and banana.

NGO activities Operationally important NGOs are brac, asa, grameen bank, thengamara mahila sabuj sangha, and Bangladesh Jubo Oikya Kalyan Sangstha.

Health centres Upazila health complex 1, union health and family planning centre 6, satellite clinic 2 and municipal hospital 1. [Md. Rezaul Karim]