There are a few theories behind the name of Zakiganj. The first is that is derived from Shah Zaki, a pir who established a khanqah on the banks of the Kushiyara River. A <i>ganj</i>, Perso-Bengali suffix meaning ‘marketplace’ or ‘neighbourhood’, was then set up around the khanqah. In memory of Shah Zaki, nearby places are named Pirerkhal and the village Pirerchok. Another theory is that it is named after a man named Ghulam Zaki Majumdar, whose brother Karim Majumdar is who Karimganj district is said to have been named after.<sup id=”cite_ref-gov_2-0″ class=”reference”>[2]</sup>
Zakiganj was established as a thana in 1947 and was previously a part of the greater Karimganj district. In the aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, mass graves were found in Atgram Bazar and Kaliganj Bazar. Zakiganj became an upazila on 1 August 1983.<sup id=”cite_ref-bpedia_1-1″ class=”reference”>[1]</sup>
A 17th century stone inscription was found in the Ghayebi Dighi Masjid in Barothakuri and it is now in display at the Bangladesh National Museum.<sup id=”cite_ref-3″ class=”reference”>[3]</sup>
