Rangpur Division

Coordinates: 25°50′N 89°00′E / 25.833°N 89.000°E / 25.833; 89.000
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Rangpur Division
রংপুর বিভাগ
Barind-Uttarbanga
Map of Rangpur Division
Map of Rangpur Division
Districts of Rangpur Division
Districts of Rangpur Division
Coordinates: 25°50′N 89°00′E / 25.833°N 89.000°E / 25.833; 89.000
Country Bangladesh
Established1 July 2010
Capital
and largest city
Rangpur City
Government
 • Divisional CommissionerMd. Habibur Rahman[1]
 • Parliamentary constituencyJatiya Sangsad (33 seats)
Area
 • Total16,184.99 km2 (6,249.06 sq mi)
Population
 (2022 census)
 • Total17,610,956
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
DemonymRangpuriya
Languages
 • Official languageBengali[2]
 • Regional languageRangpuri
 • Indigenous minority languages
Time zoneUTC+6 (BST)
ISO 3166 codeBD-F
HDI (2019)0.606[3]
medium
Notable cricket teamsRangpur Riders, Rangpur Division
Websitewww.rangpurdiv.gov.bd

Rangpur Division (Bengali: রংপুর বিভাগ) is one of the Divisions in Bangladesh. It was formed on 25 January 2010,[4] as Bangladesh's 7th division. Before that, it was under Rajshahi Division. The Rangpur division consists of eight districts. There are 58 Upazilas or subdistricts under these eight districts. Rangpur is the northernmost division of Bangladesh and has a population of 17,610,956 in the 2022 Census.

The major cities of this new division are Rangpur, Saidpur and Dinajpur. Rangpur has well-known educational institutions, such as Carmichael College, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Rangpur Medical College, Rangpur Cadet College, Begum Rokeya University and Bangladesh Army University of Science and Technology, Saidpur.

Mansingh, commander of Emperor Akbar, conquered part of Rangpur in 1575. Rangpur came completely under the Mughal empire in 1686. Mughalbasa and Mughalhat of Kurigram district still bear marks of the Mughal rule in the region. During the Mughal rule part of Rangpur was under the sarkar of Ghoraghat, and part under the sarkar of Pinjarah.[5] Rangapur Ghoraghat has been mentioned in the Riyaz-us-Salatin. During the early period of the company rule Fakir-Sannyasi Rebellion and peasant rebellion were held in Rangpur.

The division was the poorest in Bangladesh and had the highest incidence of extreme poverty (over one third of the population) according to World Bank data from 2016.[6]

Administrative divisions[edit]

Rangpur Division was formed by taking 8 northern districts of Rajshahi Division. Now it has 8 Districts, 58 Upazilas, 1 City Corporation, 21 Pourasavas and 536 Union councils.

Districts of Rangpur Division
District Name Capital Area (km2) Population (2022)
Dinajpur District Dinajpur 3,444.30 3,315,238
Kurigram District Kurigram 2,245.04 2,329,161
Gaibandha District Gaibandha 2,179.27 2,562,232
Lalmonirhat District Lalmonirhat 1,247.371 1,428,406
Nilphamari District Nilphamari 1,643.70 2,092,567
Panchagarh District Panchagarh 1,404.63 1,179,843
Rangpur District Rangpur 2,400.56 3,169,615
Thakurgaon District Thakurgaon 1,781.74 1,533,894
Total 8 16,184.99 17,610,956

Demographics[edit]

Religions in Rangpur division (2022)[7]
Religion Percent
Muslims
86.26%
Hindus
12.98%
Other or not stated
0.76%

According to the 2011 census, the total population of Rangpur Division is 15,787,758 and population density is 980/km2. 51.18% of total population is male, and 48.82% is female. Bengali's are the majority community. Notable native ethnic groups are Santal, Munda, Oraon, Rajbanshi including Kaibarta and Koch. Most of the people of Rangpur Division are Muslims. Hindus are a large minority whereas a small number of adherents of Christianity and other religions are also seen.[8]

Communication[edit]

Tajhat Palace, situated in the Rangpur City, is one of the most visited monuments within the Division.

Rangpur has good road, rail and air communications with the capital as well as other parts of the country. The N5 (National Highway 5) links the division with the capital. There are a total of 21 express trains which connect different districts of the division with the capital and other parts of the country. There are also three Domestic airports, among them Saidpur Airport is the major one.

Legacy[edit]

Rangpur has lent its name to the fruit Rangpur (fruit) and Tanqueray Rangpur Gin.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "List of Divisional Commissioners".
  2. ^ "The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh". Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  4. ^ Rajib Mondal (2012). "Rangpur Division". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  5. ^ Nasrin Akhter (2012). "Sarkar". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  6. ^ "Geospatial Poverty Portal: Interactive Maps". World Bank. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  7. ^ "Zila Series". bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  8. ^ "Rangpur Division". Banglapedia. 27 October 2015.