Muradnagar Upazila: History
In ancient times, the area was a part of the geopolitical region of Samatata ruled by the Rata dynasty. In the late 20th century, an irrigation canal was being dug in Urishwar, Paharpur Union. During the process, three copper plate inscriptions were discovered, surrounded by old potsherds, supposedly belonging to the Rata dynasty of Samatata.
Muradnagar was previously known as Tholla. During the Mughal period, the area was under the Balda Khal pargana. After the arrival of the East India Company, a number of rebellions and peasant movements took place in Tholla. The 19th-century zamindar Mir Ashraf Ali Shirazi had a house in Tholla. In 1858, Tholla was established as a thana and in 1878, Tholla was renamed to Muradnagar. It was named after the revenue collector Mir Murad Ali.
Khwaja Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka donated towards the Muradnagar High School in 1903. In 1941, Captain Narendranath Dutta founded the Sreekail College, an institution of nationwide importance.
Many Muradnagari pro-independence fighters were killed during the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971 during clashes with the Pakistan Army. The thana was upgraded to an upazila in 1983.