Lalpur Upazila: History
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, all of ancient Natore was beel (wetland) with the exception of Lalpur. The Aryan migrations to Lalpur and Baraigram date back to the Gupta period in the 5th century. During the reign of the Palas and Senas, Lalpur developed into an important administrative centre of Varendra and maintained river communication with Krishnanagar, Nadia. The Naodapara village near Salampur in Lalpur was home to a Sena-era fort and victory pillar.
The territories now comprising Lalpur Upazila are home to several shahi mosques, particularly in the villages of Salampur, Mominpur, Baora, Nabirpara and Madhabpur. The Arbab Saraikhana and Mosque complex was constructed after the area was annexed to the Sur Empire in the 16th century. The name of Lalpur is thought to have been derived from Lal Khan, a notable Mughal officer stationed in this area. Lalpur is also home to the mosque and dargah of Shah Baghu Dewan in Bhellabaria, a prominent Bengali Sufi saint from the late Mughal period. Other historic shrines in Lalpur include the mazar (mausoleum) of Imam Shah Alam in Budhpara, the mazar of Burhanuddin Baghdadi in Gopalpur and the shrines of Sona Pir and the Panjpirs. Lalpur was established as a thana in 1869 by the British Raj and hosted indigo factories in Lalpur and Bilmaria during colonial rule.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, Bengali freedom fighters clashed with the Pakistan Army in the village of Moyna on 30 March. 80 freedom fighters died in this battle, and 32 were injured. Another clash took place in the village of Danaidaha on 12 April where 10 freedom fighters were killed. The Army undertook on operation on 5 May where they killed 50 workers at the North Bengal Sugar Mills in Lalpur thana, killing a further 5 civilians on Lalpur Road. Another 50 people were killed by the Army at a shooting in Paitarpara on 29 May. The Army were also active in an area near the Lalpur indigo factory, where they killed 22 people on 18 July, and buried 4 people alive the next day. On the following day, they headed towards Ramkrishnapur where they set houses on fire and killed 5 people. 50 people were also killed by the Pakistan Army in Bilmaria Hat on 27 July 1971. On 3 December 1971, days before the independence of Bangladesh, the Army conducted 36 killings in the village of Maheshpur. The status of Lalpur Thana was upgraded to upazila (sub-district) in 1983 as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme.