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Rajshahi District

Coordinates: 24°24′N 88°30′E / 24.40°N 88.50°E / 24.40; 88.50
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Rajshahi District
রাজশাহী জেলা
District of Bangladesh
Rajshahi District
Clockwise from top-left: Aerial view of Rajshahi, Kismat Maria Mosque, Rajshahi College, Padma River near Rajshahi, Puthia Rajbari
Location of Rajshahi District in Bangladesh
Location of Rajshahi District in Bangladesh
Map
Expandable map of Rajshahi District
Coordinates: 24°24′N 88°30′E / 24.40°N 88.50°E / 24.40; 88.50
Country Bangladesh
DivisionRajshahi Division
Government
 • Deputy CommissionerAbdul Jalil
 • District Council ChairmanMuhammad Ali Sarkar [1]
 • Chief Executive OfficerA. B. M. Sharif Uddin
Area
 • Total2,407.01 km2 (929.35 sq mi)
Population
 (2011 census)
 • Total2,595,197
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+06:00 (BST)
HDI (2019)0.642[2]
medium · 6th of 20
Websiterajshahi.gov.bd

Rajshahi District (Bengali: রাজশাহী জেলা) is a district in mid-western Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rajshahi Division.[3] The metropolitan city of Rajshahi is in Rajshahi District.

Geography

Rajshahi district is bounded by Naogaon District to the north, Natore District to the east, Chapai Nababganj District to west and little part of Kushtia District & the river Padma to the south. The district consists of alluvial plain.

Rivers

There are ten rivers in this district, totaling 146 km in length. The main river is the Padma River (Ganges). Some others are Mahananda, Baral and Barnai river.

History

Rajshahi region was ruled by the Puṭhia Raj family based in the Puṭhia Rajbari. The Mughal Emperor Akbar had given the Rajshahi region to the Puṭhia Raj family to govern, the governor was Pitambar. The Puṭhia family was given the title of Raja by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.[4] Rajshahi District was established in 1772. Parts of the districts eventually became Bogura district, Malda district, Natore district, Naogaon district, Nawabganj district, and Pabna district. On 1 April 1876 Rajshahi town was made into municipal town.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the town was the site of battles between the Mukti Bahini and the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army fought a battle against the Mukti Bahini on 30 March 1971 which resulted in the death of an East Pakistan Rifles member. Between 26 and 30 March, 31 individuals in Godagaɽi upazila were killed by the Pakistan Army. On 13 April the Pakistan Army killed Rajshahi Cadet College Professor AB Siddiqi. The Pakistan Army attacked Tahirpur Haṭ in Bagmara upazila on 24 May and killed 25 people. Mukti Bahini commander Havilder Shafiq led an attack on Pakistan Army boat on 8 August killing 18 Pakistan Army personal. Pakistan Army killed two members of Bangladesh Ansar in a war of attrition. Pakistan Army established a camp in the Zoha Hall of Rajshahi University where they massacred hundreds of civilians. Pakistan Army had also established camps inside Rajshahi Cadet College, Roy Saheb brickfield, Sardaha Pilot School, and Sardah Police Academy. The Pakistan Army tortured members of Mukti Bahini and civilians in the camps. The Pakistan Army also killed hundreds of refugees on the banks of Padma river who were fleeing to India. In a fight between Mukti Bahini and Pakistan Army near Kabasmul, a Pakistan Army major was killed. Pakistan Army retaliated by killing 44 civilians in Gaganbari and Palsa.[3] The Pakistan Army stationed in Pabna and Rajshahi districts surrendered on 18 December 1971, two days after Pakistani forces in Bangladesh signed the Pakistani instrument of Surrender in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. Pakistani military surrendered to Indian Army Captain Nanda in Naṭore. The Pakistan Army camp in Rajshahi University was taken over by Mukti Bahini members on 17 December after fighting them. Surrender ceremonies took place on 20 December.[5]

Rajshahi town was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 13 August 1987. In 1997 the government of Bangladesh made Rajshahi town into a full city corporation, Rajshahi City Corporation.[3] In 2016 Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, a professor at University of Rajshahi, and a 65 year old Sufi preacher, Shahidullah, were killed by Islamic extremists.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1981 1,540,085—    
1991 1,887,015+2.05%
2001 2,286,874+1.94%
2011 2,595,197+1.27%
Sources:[7]

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Rajshahi District had a population of 2,595,197, of which 1,309,890 were males and 1,285,307 females. Rural population was 1,740,578 (67.07%) while the urban population was 854,619 (32.93%). Rajshahi district had a literacy rate of 52.98% for the population 7 years and above: 55.84% for males and 50.09% for females.[7]

Religions in Rajshahi district (2011)[7]
Religion Percent
Muslims
 
 93.64%
Hindus
 
 4.72%
Christians
 
 1.07%
Ethnic religion
 
 0.56%
Other or not stated
 
 0.01%
Religion in present-day Rajshahi district[a]
Religion Population (1941)[8]: 88–89  Percentage (1941) Population (2011)[7] Percentage (2011)
Islam 435,829 75.18% 2,430,194 93.64%
Hinduism 111,991 19.32% 122,394 4.72%
Tribal religion File:Sarna dhorom 2014-05-30 19-54.jpg 31,439 5.42% 14,645 0.56%
Christianity 216 0.04% 27,830 1.07%
Others [b] 258 0.04% 134 0.01%
Total Population 579,733 100% 2,595,197 100%

Muslims are the majority population. The Christian population has grown quickly, while the number of those following ethnic religions has declined significantly. Ethnic minorities were 49,312 (1.90%), mainly Santals and Oraons.[7]

Upazilas

Sub-district or upazilas and thanas of Rajshahi are[3]

Communications

Rajshahi railway station

Rajshahi district has well organized internal communication as well as connection to other parts of the country. There are 96 metalled roads with a total length of about 1270 km, 108 semi-metalled roads of about 546 km length, and six railways of about 63 km total length.

Media and press club

There are many Bengali daily newspapers published from the city, including Sonali Sangbad, Sunshine, Dainik Barta, Sonar Desh, Natun Provat, and Amader Rajshahi.[9] There are also many online news portal such as rajshahinews24.com, silkcitynews.com, Uttorbongo Protidin, GKhobor etc.

The government-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar have transmission centres in Rajshahi.

A local FM radio station, Radio Padma, transmits at 99.2 MHz frequency and Radio Foorti transmits at 88.0 MHz.

There is also four press clubs in Rajshahi City. Known as Rajshahi City Press Club, Rajshahi Press Club, Rajshahi Metropolitan Press Club and Rajshahi Model Press Club.

Economy

Rajshahi Metropolitan is widely known as Silk City of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board (In Bengali : Jatio Resham Board) is situated at Rajshahi. There are seven silk factories in the BSCIC Industrial Town in Rajshahi.[10] Also an Inter-City train is named Silk City express after Rajshahi. The train communicates from Rajshahi to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.[11] Rajshahi is notable in Bangladesh for producing Mango and Silk.[12]

Points of interest

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Sadar subdivision of Rajshahi district
  2. ^ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References

  1. ^ "Chairman-Institute of Business Administration".
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Mahbubar Rahman, Md. (2012). "Rajshahi District". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ^ "The Royal Palace of Puṭhia". The Daily Star. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Pabna, Rajshahi were freed two days after final victory". The Daily Star. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  6. ^ "'Pir' killed in Rajshahi". The Daily Star. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Rajshahi" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  8. ^ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI BENGAL PROVINCE" (PDF).
  9. ^ পত্র-পত্রিকা (in Bengali).
  10. ^ "Rajshahi Silk Losing Shine". The Daily Star. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Silk City Express". The Daily Star. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  12. ^ "It's mango time in Rajshahi". The Daily Star. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
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