Rangpur District

This article is about Rangpur is a district in Bangladesh. For other uses, see Rangpur (disambiguation).

Rangpur District
রংপুর জেলা
District of Bangladesh
Wall of Rangpur Cultural Academy
Tajhat Palace
Carmichael College
Rangpur Town Hall
Location of Rangpur District in Bangladesh
Location of Rangpur District in Bangladesh
Map
Expandable map of Rangpur District
Coordinates: 25°44′N 89°15′E / 25.733°N 89.250°E / 25.733; 89.250
Country Bangladesh
DivisionRangpur Division
Government
 • TypeDistrict Council
 • Deputy CommissionerMohammad Robiul Foysal [1]
 • Superintendent of PoliceMohammad Sharif Uddin
Area
2,400.56 km2 (926.86 sq mi)
 • Metro
240 km2 (90 sq mi)
Elevation
34 m (112 ft)
Population
 (2022)[2]
3,169,614
 • Density1,320/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Rangpuri, Rongpuri
Time zoneUTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code
5400
Area code0521
ISO 3166 codeBD-55
HDI (2018)0.591[3]
medium · 15th of 21
Websiterangpur.gov.bd

Rangpur District (Bengali: রংপুর জেলা) is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.[4]

Geography

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Under the Rangpur Division (one of eight divisions) composed of eight districts of northern Bangladesh, the District of Rangpur is bordered on the north by Nilphamari District, on the south by Gaibandha District, on the east by Kurigram, and on the west by Dinajpur district. Rangpur town is the divisional headquarter. The soil composition is mainly alluvial soil (80%) of the Teesta River basin, and the remaining is barind soil. The temperature ranges from 32–11 °C (90–52 °F), and the annual rainfall averages 2,931 mm (9.616 ft).[5]

Travel

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The main transportation methods here are by air, rail, or road. To travel by air, people have to first travel to Dhaka Domestic Airport and then fly to Saidpur Airport (DAC-SPD route). Seven flights travel this route daily. The US-Bangla Airlines, Novoair, and the Biman offer the flights. The distance by airways from Dhaka to Saidpur is 254.28 km (158 mi). By rail, the district is accessible from Kamalapur Railway Station which runs a daily-except-Sunday train "Rangpur Express" to Rangpur Railway Station. The total journey by rail is of 453 km (281 mi). By road, travelers have to travel 307 km (191 mi) using the Savar-Kaliakair route or 327 km (203 mi) using the Tongi-Mawna route, Shamu.

History

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Main article: History of Rangpur

Rangpur was conquered by the army of Raja Man Singh, a commander of the Mughal emperor, and Akbar, in 1575, but it was only until 1686 that it was fully integrated into the Mughal Empire. Place names such as Mughalbasa ('Mughal locality') and Mughalhat ('Mughal market') bear testimony to the Mughal association and past of Rangpur and its hinterland. Later on, Rangpur passed under the control of "Sarker" of Ghoraghat. During the period of the East India Company, the Fakir-Sannyasi rebellion took place.[6] The Greater Rangpur district was divided in five districts in 1984.

The population of the district is 2.9 million according to the 2011 census. There has been a 1.2% annual population growth between 2001 and 2011. The population density of the area is 1,200/km2 .

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1974 1,380,623—    
1981 1,707,264+3.08%
1991 2,160,346+2.38%
2001 2,542,441+1.64%
2011 2,881,086+1.26%
2022 3,169,614+0.87%
Sources:[2][7]

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Rangpur District had 834,307 households and a population of 3,169,614, of whom, 32.55% of the inhabitants lived in urban areas. The population density was 1,320 people per km2. The literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 70.73%, compared to the national average of 74.80%. The ethnic population was 15,947.[2]

Religions in Rangpur District (2022)[8]
Religion Percent
Muslims
 
 90.64%
Hindus
 
 8.96%
Other or not stated
 
 0.40%
Religion in present-day Rangpur District[a]
Religion Population (1941)[9]: 92–93  Percentage (1941) Population (2022)[8] Percentage (2022)
Islam 481,350 74.81% 2,872,953 90.64%
Hinduism 148,270 23.04% 283,964 8.96%
Tribal religion 13,550 2.11% 3,174 0.10%
Others [b] 242 0.04% 9,523 0.30%
Total Population 643,412 100% 3,169,614 100%

Muslims make up 90.64% of the population, while Hindus are 8.96% of the population. Ethnic minorities were 15,947.[8]

Administrative sub-divisions

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Zilla Porishod Building.

The district has 1 city corporation and 3 municipalities, namely, Rangpur city corporation, Badarganj, Haragach and Peerganj, and eight Upazilas, namely:

Rangpur town, covering an area of around 43 square kilometers, lies on the bank of the Ghaghat river and was turned into a municipality back in 1869. Rangpur City Corporation, which was founded in 1979, has a population of 294,000. The city has an area of 50.7 km2 (19.6 sq mi).[10]

Education

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Campus of Begum Rokeya University

Other prominent educational institutions include Rangpur Government College, Begum Rokeya College, and Govt. Commercial Institute. Besides there is one polytechnic institute, one vocational institute, around 282 high schools, 722 government primary schools, 38 junior high schools, 193 NGO (Non-Government Organization) operated schools and almost 370 Madrasahs in Rangpur. Rangpur Model College is now an honors college.

Places of interest

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Tajhat Palace in Rangpur

Just south of the city of Rangpur lies the Tajhat Zamindar's palace. After the end of the British Raj, the building was abandoned and decayed rapidly, although it was used for a few years as a courthouse during the 1980s. In the year 2004, it was largely restored and turned into a museum with ancient inscriptions, art, and coins from the area on display. RDRS (Rangpur and Dinajpur Rural Service) Bangladesh,[13] an NGO in northwest Bangladesh, has a large office and guesthouse/convention center in the town of Rangpur.

A museum and women's training center was established in Pairabondh, the birthplace of Begum Rokeya. It is half an hour's drive away from Rangpur city.

Rangpur town hall

There is an ancient auditorium named 'Town Hall' at the center of the city, where different cultural programs are held. In the great Rangpur region, no economic development took place until the 90's, mainly because of the yearly flooding the region used to see before the making of "Teesta Barrage."

"Bhinno Jogot" is a theme park and a picnic spot which is situated 15 kilometers from Rangpur Town.

Jadu Nibash in Radhaballav was the house of former senior minister of Bangladesh, Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia (1924–1979).

Media

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Bangladesh Betar Rangpur (BBR) has a broadcasting station in Rangpur. Bangladesh Television (BTV) has a satellite station in Rangpur. The Rangpur Press Club is situated in Rangpur. Rangpur has almost 19 cinema halls. There are several locally published newspapers in the district.

Development organisations

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RDRS Bangladesh – previously Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service – has its main operational headquarters in Rangpur town at the RDRS Complex.[13]

Notable people

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Members of tenth Jatiyo Sangsad

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The members of the national parliament are:[14]

Notes

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  1. ^ Sadar subdivision of Rangpur district excluding Kaliganj and Hatibandha thanas
  2. ^ Including Jainism, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Ad-Dharmis, or not stated

References

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  1. ^ pmis.mopa.gov.bd/pmis/Forms/dclist.php
  2. ^ a b c Population and Housing Census 2022: Preliminary Report. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. August 2022. pp. viii, 28, 30, 39, 44, 46. ISBN 978-984-35-2977-0.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ Abdus Sattar (2012). "Rangpur District". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  5. ^ Banglapedia Map
  6. ^ "Rangpur City Corporation – History". Rangpur City Corporation. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Rangpur" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  8. ^ a b c Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Rangpur (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-261-0.
  9. ^ "Census of India, 1941 Volume VI Bengal Province" (PDF). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Bangladesh: Districts and Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". City Population. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Carmichael College, Rangpur". Banglapedia. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Rangpur Zilla School". Banglapedia. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  13. ^ a b RDRS Bangladesh
  14. ^ "List of 10th Parliament Members". Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  15. ^ "H. N. Ashequr Rahman History". Amarmp. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  16. ^ "Meghna Bank Limited". Meghna Bank Limited. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Mr. H. N. Ashequr Rahman, MP Profile". www.ewubd.edu. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
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