Rajshahi
Encyclopedia
The city of Rajshahi (Bangla: রাজশাহী) is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh
. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and has an estimated population of around 475,000 people. Its total area is 96.69 km² (37.3 sq mi) and is situated on the northern banks of the river Padma (or Ganges which is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent
). Rajshahi consists of 4 Thana
s, 35 Wards and 175 Mahalla
hs.
Rajshahi was formerly known as Rampur Boalia. Though an epigraphic record engraved on the Dargah
(mausoleum) of the famous saint Hazrat Shah Makdhum (Rh.) indicates that the antiquity of Rajshahi goes back to at least 1634 A.D. The town was given importance in 1825, when the East India Company
shifted the administrative headquarters of the district of Rajshahi from Natore to then Rampur Boalia, mainly for the ease of communication from Calcutta through the Hooghly river, Bhairab River
and Padma river. Rajshahi Municipality
, which was one of the first municipalities in Bangladesh, was established in 1876. Rajshahi Municipality was renamed as Rajshahi Pourashabha, and finally, Rajshahi Pourshava was declared Rajshahi City Corporation in 1991. Besides the City Corporation, a governing body named Rajshahi Unnayan Kortripokhkho (Rajshahi Development Authority-RDA) is there to plan the development of the city and to coordinate all the development related work.
Rajshahi is famous for its silk
industries. Fine and cheap silk products of Rajshahi have earned it the nickname Silk City. Rajshahi is also well known for its fruits, especially for Mango
and Lychee
. Besides the beautiful Mango Orchards and river beaches, it is home to renowned educational institutions covering almost all of professional and cultural fields available within the country. This is why Rajshahi is sometimes referred to as Education City in Bangladesh. Rajshahi is an important tourist destination
because of a number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around the city.
Rajshahi district was a part of the Pundra region of ancient Bengal
. The capital of Vijay Sen
, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka
and Southeast Asia was located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Rajshahi town. In medieval times, the region came to be known as "Rampur Boalia". The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876. Rajshahi was dominated by various Raja
s, Maharaja
s and Zamindars.
It was made a city corporation in 1991. During the British Raj
, it was also known as "Beuleah" and was the administrative headquarters of Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam. It was originally chosen as a commercial factory for the silk
trade, which was being officially encouraged by the agricultural department of that time. The town contained a government college
, and an industrial school for sericulture
. Most of the public buildings were severely damaged by the earthquake
of 12 June 1897. Throughout much of the early part of the twentieth century there was a daily steamer
service on the Ganges which connected it to railheads that led to the then provincial capital of Calcutta as well as other cities in the province of Bengal. Along with all of Bangladesh
, Rajshahi witnessed both great atrocities by the Pakistan
army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters during the liberation war
in 1971. The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which was used as an army camp during the war. On the other hand, one of the great battles of the war took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir
, who died in battle, was awarded the highest honor (Bir Shrestho) by the Bangladesh government after the war.
, Rajshahi has a tropical wet and dry climate
. The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with monsoon
s, high temperature
, considerable humidity
and moderate rainfall. The hot season commences early in March and continues till the middle of July. The maximum mean temperature observed is about 32 to 36 °C (89.6 to 96.8 F) during the months of April, May, June and July and the minimum temperature recorded in January is about 7 to 16 °C (44.6 to 60.8 F). The highest rainfall is observed during the months of monsoon. The annual rainfall in the district is about 1448 millimetres (57 in).
Rajshahi is one of six metropolitan cities in Bangladesh. A mayor and 30 ward commissioners are elected for a five year period by direct votes. Mr. Md. Mizanur Rahman Minu, was the first elected mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation. The present mayor (2009) is Mr Khairuzzaman Liton.
A new city hall, or City Corporation Building, has been built beside the Greater Road to provide all municipal services under one roof. The building, commonly known as Nogor Bhobon is a good and one of the few examples of modern architecture in Rajshahi.
The city corporation is responsible for all the administrative work related to Rajshahi city corporation under its jurisdiction. Deputy Commissioner (DC), administrative chief of Rajshahi District, and a Divisional Commissioner, administrative chief of Rajshahi Division, have their own offices here, which functions as part of the government administrative set up.
In addition, a governing body called Rajshahi Unnayan Kortripokhkho (Rajshahi Development Authority) plans the development of the city and coordinates the development related works. RDA owns one of the major markets of Rajshahi which is known as RDA market.
Rajshahi itself is an important tourist destination with the beautiful river beaches of Padma and its vast mango orchards. Other attractions in and near Rajshahi include:
Apart from the usual agricultural products of Bangladesh, such as rice
, wheat
, potato
es and lentil
s, Rajshahi and its neighboring regions are specially suited from various crops such as Watermelon
s, Sugarcane
s, Mango
es and Lichies.
In spite of being an important city and located on a riverbank, industrial development in Rajshahi has not taken place to any great extent. Locals have claimed that this is due to lack of attention from the central government in Dhaka
. In the 60's an Industrial Park had been established in Rajshahi, which is now mainly home to industries producing products of the famous Rajshahi silk
. Rajshahi is also home to a jute mill
, a sugar mill and mango based industries.There will be rapid industrial development in Rajshahi if gas is supplied through pipeline which the people of Rajshahi have been demanding for a long time. The government has taken steps to supply gas to Rajshahi quickly and a project towards this end has already begun.
Recently, three new Inter-City train services have been inaugurated by Bangladesh Railway, named "Silk City Express" "Padma Express" and "Dhumketu Express". These trains (broad gauge) run between Dhaka and Rajshahi regularly. The coaches of trains are brand new luxury ones imported from Indonesia. The time schedules of these three trains are:
From Rajshahi:
At 7:15 am Silk City at 4:00 pm Padma Express and 11:20 pm Dhumketu Express
From Dhaka:
At 2:40 pm(Komlapur)Silk City at 10:40 pm (Dhaka Cantonment)Padma Express and 6:00 am (Komlapur).
There are also a number of intercity express trains which runs between Rajshahi and other major cities of Bangladesh.
An airport named after the famous Islamic preacher Hazrat Shah Makhdum (Rh.) is situated a short distance away from Rajshahi city, Domestic flights from Dhaka & Saidpur are available.
Some important information on Shah Makhdum Airport, Rajshahi:
es and lichis. Rajshahi is also the home of Barendra Museum which is famous for its collection of local sculpture and other artifacts dating from medieval times, and of Rajshahi silk
, the finest silk produced in Bangladesh.
The Varendra Research Museum
, one of the oldest museums in this subcontinent, is situated in the heart of Rajshahi city. Its library contains 22,000 printed books and journals and 6000 manuscripts in Bengali
, Sanskrit
, Arabic and Persian language
s. The library has been moved from the Museum building to a new, modern structure. Md Abdul Matin khan
It was one of the first non government initiatives for building a museum by some enlightened people with Kumar Sarat Kumar Roy during the British era. This museum has a large collection of statues of Lord Surya and some unique masterpieces illustrating the history of the locality and its civilization.
(Western Zone) is in Rajshahi. Rajshahi Railway Station is being modified and developed to house more passengers and to offer more services to the city dwellers.Rajshahi Railway Station is Very Nice.
(Radio Bangladesh) has a regional station in Rajshahi which transmits various programs of mass interest. Rajshahi station has a broadcasting house and transmitters in different locations. Two transmitters of 100 kW and 10 kW transmitting capacity transmit the programs developed at the broadcasting house. The Rajshahi station transmits its programs in Medium Wavelength.
The popularity of the radio is low in Rajshahi like other places of Bangladesh because of the low quality programmes of Bangladesh Betar.
has started its regional FM station in Rajshahi from 2010. The station transmits its Broadcasting on 88.00 MHz from the Rajshahi studio. The station airs 24 hour everyday. The station is getting increasingly popular to the young generation in very short period of time. The station broadcasts very high quality programs and music round the clock.
Rajshahi, Oct 7- Bangladesh formally entered the era of community radio with the launch of Radio Padma FM 99.2, a community radio station initiated by the Centre for Communication and Development (CCD). After preparatory work by BNNRC with support from UNESCO and UNDP, the government announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy in 2008 under which 14 stations received approval to operate community radio across the country. Radio Padma is the first to formally take to the airwaves.
Program content of Radio Padma would include news, views and entertainment with a focus on addressing crucial social issues at community level. Community Radio - for the community, of the community and by the community - has been gaining popularity in the world of development and social communication in recent years. Countries like India and Nepal have made strides in community radio, which, according to development experts, is an important tool to give voice to the marginalized. This is potentially a powerful tool for the people in the remote rural areas.
Bangladesh Television
Central Park and Zoo
A central park and zoo
is one of the main attractions of Rajshahi city. A wide area with lush green trees and grasses also houses different animal species. It is located by the bank of river Padma.
Baliapukur
Borokuthi
Bulonpur
ChottoBongram
Chottobongram is the largest area in Rajshahi. There are two Children parks, Bonghobondhu College, Highway Road & 7 great masjids etc. It boasts of having a large mango and lychee garden. It has become a nice professional residential area with a unique communal and academic atmosphere that makes it one of the most desirable residential locations in the city.
Laxmipur
The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, the Laboratory High School, the New Government Degree College, Teachers' Training College, Rajshahi Government Medical College and Hospital and the Varendra Research Museum are located in this area. Another institute called Institute of Health Technology (IHT) situated here. It is one of the three government institute of health technology.this part are arbaniged by mohajer from India during the rule of Murshid kuli Khan that its name was Mahadi pur.
Kazihata
Kazihata is a small part of the town but quite known for the presence of quite a lot of government & private institutions like Bangladesh Bank, Radio Bangladesh, TV studio (non functional), Christian mission hospital, House building finance corporation, Soil Research Institute and others.
The people Kazihata is proud of are famous singer Andrew Kishor many eminent teachers Professor Dr. Golam Shabbir Sattar (Tapu). Professor Nurullah, cricketers, hockey players & professionals like doctor, engineer & lawyers. This days kazihata becomes more important area. It can called vip area also. Because of most famous teachers and professors of Rajshahi are living in this area. As Sopon kumar, Nitto gopal and many more. The famous government laboratory high school, Model school and college are also part of Kazihata. It will be probably the future commercial area of rajshahi
Shaheb Bazar
The municipal office, Rajshahi Collegiate School, Rajshahi College, Masjid Mission Academy, Loknath school, Deaf and Mental schools are located here. The Shaheb Bazar mosque is situated just on the junction of the Natore road with Shaheb Bazar Road. Here also an ancient Establishment called Amir Ali Avenue which is under a waquf state called Salamot miya waquf state. which is engaged in various social work before 50 year.The old municipality building is also situated here by the side of an old pond Named Sona Dighi (gold pond).
Kadirgonj
Uposhahar
An outstanding residential area. First built for the Bihari Refugees, but later it turns into one of the posh area among the city. Divisional headquarters of some notable company including Grameenphone
, Aktel
, Citycell
, Social Marketing Company (SMC) and Indian assistant high commission office is located here. Rajshahi Cantonment
is located beside this area. Here is located a Govt. primary school (Upashahor Govt. Model Primary School) & a High school (Govt. Satellite High School).There is a graveyard & 3 mosques. The main one is named Upashohor Koroitola Boro Moszid(mosque). 6 playgrounds & an Eid gah are situated there.
Motihar
Kazla, Talaimari
Two prestigious and renowned public universities, the University of Rajshahi (established in 1953) and the Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET - established in 1964 as BIT, Bangladesh Institute of Technology and in 2002 it became the University) are located in Kazla-Talaimari area. Rajshahi is called the Educational Capital of Bangladesh and these two are the major educational institutions here in Rajshahi. Keeping pace with, peripheral campuses of several private universities have also been established in this area of Rajshahi city.
Sopura
Recently a new township has grown up here on the northern side of the railway station. Here lie the district stadium
and the Polytechnic institute.Now it is also a popular living area for the city dwelers.
Shiroil
Harian
Harian, a place few Kilometers away from the city, is famous for a sugar mill which was established by B.I.D.C. It has been founded by the great initiative of the Mridha Family, a renowned family of the locality. Late Mamtaz Uddin Mridha, the then Chairman of the Harian Union Parishad, was one of the leading persons to make this history happened.
There is also a rail station, some high schools and primary schools are here.
Horagram Bajar
Horagram, a place 4 km to the west side, is famous for mango archerd (Roy para). Rajshahi court is in here. A rail station is also here. In a recent days city corporation established a two stored shopping mall named ' Horogram New Market'. Horogram bazar famous for green vegetable marketing.oldest sporting club ' Degonto posary" is here.
Rajshahi is also an important educational center in Bangladesh. Major educational institutes include:
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and has an estimated population of around 475,000 people. Its total area is 96.69 km² (37.3 sq mi) and is situated on the northern banks of the river Padma (or Ganges which is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
). Rajshahi consists of 4 Thana
Administrative divisions of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is divided as follows#divisions 7 #districts 64 #subdistricts #Union ParishadsDhaka City has 90 wards and 725 mahallas.-Former regions:...
s, 35 Wards and 175 Mahalla
Mahalla
A mahalla is an urban division in Uzbekistan. Historically, mahallas were autonomous social institutions built around familial ties and Islamic rituals. Before the establishment of the Soviet rule in Uzbekistan, Mahallas fulfilled local self-government functions connecting private sphere with...
hs.
Rajshahi was formerly known as Rampur Boalia. Though an epigraphic record engraved on the Dargah
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
(mausoleum) of the famous saint Hazrat Shah Makdhum (Rh.) indicates that the antiquity of Rajshahi goes back to at least 1634 A.D. The town was given importance in 1825, when the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
shifted the administrative headquarters of the district of Rajshahi from Natore to then Rampur Boalia, mainly for the ease of communication from Calcutta through the Hooghly river, Bhairab River
Bhairab River
Bhairab River Bhairab River Bhairab River (Bengali: is a river in south of Bangladesh. It passes through Khulna, dividing the city into two parts. Bhairab River originates from Tengamari border of Meher pur district and passes through Jessore town. The river is approximately 100 miles long and 300...
and Padma river. Rajshahi Municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, which was one of the first municipalities in Bangladesh, was established in 1876. Rajshahi Municipality was renamed as Rajshahi Pourashabha, and finally, Rajshahi Pourshava was declared Rajshahi City Corporation in 1991. Besides the City Corporation, a governing body named Rajshahi Unnayan Kortripokhkho (Rajshahi Development Authority-RDA) is there to plan the development of the city and to coordinate all the development related work.
Rajshahi is famous for its silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industries. Fine and cheap silk products of Rajshahi have earned it the nickname Silk City. Rajshahi is also well known for its fruits, especially for Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
and Lychee
Lychee
The lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world...
. Besides the beautiful Mango Orchards and river beaches, it is home to renowned educational institutions covering almost all of professional and cultural fields available within the country. This is why Rajshahi is sometimes referred to as Education City in Bangladesh. Rajshahi is an important tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
because of a number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around the city.
History
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. The capital of Vijay Sen
Vijay Sen
Vijay Sen was the founder of the Sen dynasty of Bengal, which ruled for more than 100 years. His ancestors came from the Karnat country. It appears from his records that he inherited the position of a subordinate ruler in Rarh under the Palas...
, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Southeast Asia was located 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Rajshahi town. In medieval times, the region came to be known as "Rampur Boalia". The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876. Rajshahi was dominated by various Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s, Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
s and Zamindars.
It was made a city corporation in 1991. During the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, it was also known as "Beuleah" and was the administrative headquarters of Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam. It was originally chosen as a commercial factory for the silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
trade, which was being officially encouraged by the agricultural department of that time. The town contained a government college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, and an industrial school for sericulture
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...
. Most of the public buildings were severely damaged by the earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
of 12 June 1897. Throughout much of the early part of the twentieth century there was a daily steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
service on the Ganges which connected it to railheads that led to the then provincial capital of Calcutta as well as other cities in the province of Bengal. Along with all of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Rajshahi witnessed both great atrocities by the Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters during the liberation war
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
in 1971. The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which was used as an army camp during the war. On the other hand, one of the great battles of the war took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir
Mohiuddin Jahangir
Mohiuddin Jahangir was a Captain in the Bangladesh Army during the 1971 Liberation War. He was born in 1948 in the village of Rahimgonj under Babugonj upazilla of Barisal district. He was an officer in Sector 7 of the Muktibahini. He was killed in an attempt to break through enemy defences on the...
, who died in battle, was awarded the highest honor (Bir Shrestho) by the Bangladesh government after the war.
Climate
Under Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Rajshahi has a tropical wet and dry climate
Tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
. The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
s, high temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
, considerable humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
and moderate rainfall. The hot season commences early in March and continues till the middle of July. The maximum mean temperature observed is about 32 to 36 °C (89.6 to 96.8 F) during the months of April, May, June and July and the minimum temperature recorded in January is about 7 to 16 °C (44.6 to 60.8 F). The highest rainfall is observed during the months of monsoon. The annual rainfall in the district is about 1448 millimetres (57 in).
| Climate in Rajshahi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average Temperature (°C) | 18° | 20° | 25° | 30° | 36° | 35° | 35° | 38° | 36° | 30° | 25° | 16° | |
| Average Precipitation (cm) | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 11.1 | 24.4 | 36.1 | 25.4 | 21.2 | 11.4 | 1.4 | 0.1 | |
| Source: WeatherBase.Com|[National news papers] | |||||||||||||
Civil Administration
A new city hall, or City Corporation Building, has been built beside the Greater Road to provide all municipal services under one roof. The building, commonly known as Nogor Bhobon is a good and one of the few examples of modern architecture in Rajshahi.
The city corporation is responsible for all the administrative work related to Rajshahi city corporation under its jurisdiction. Deputy Commissioner (DC), administrative chief of Rajshahi District, and a Divisional Commissioner, administrative chief of Rajshahi Division, have their own offices here, which functions as part of the government administrative set up.
In addition, a governing body called Rajshahi Unnayan Kortripokhkho (Rajshahi Development Authority) plans the development of the city and coordinates the development related works. RDA owns one of the major markets of Rajshahi which is known as RDA market.
Economy
- Varendra Research MuseumVarendra Research MuseumVarendra Museum is a museum, research center and popular visitor attraction located at the heart of Rajshahi town and maintained by Rajshahi University in Bangladesh.-History:...
- Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh (R). It is located besides the river Padma, in the Dargah Para of the city. The name Dargah Para is derived from the word Dargah which means shrine and refers to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh (R).
- Bara Kuthi (16th century Dutch establishment)
- Temple of King Kangsa NarayanTemple of King Kangsa NarayanThe Temple of King Kangsa Narayan is situated at the northern part of Bangladesh. It is in Rajshahi's Tahirpur, where, legend state that the Durga Puja of the Hindu community was performed for the first time in the Indian subcontinent....
- Shona Dighi (Golden Pond)
Apart from the usual agricultural products of Bangladesh, such as rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es and lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, Rajshahi and its neighboring regions are specially suited from various crops such as Watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
s, Sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
s, Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es and Lichies.
In spite of being an important city and located on a riverbank, industrial development in Rajshahi has not taken place to any great extent. Locals have claimed that this is due to lack of attention from the central government in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. In the 60's an Industrial Park had been established in Rajshahi, which is now mainly home to industries producing products of the famous Rajshahi silk
Rajshahi Silk
Rajshahi Silk is the name given to the silk products produced in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is a famous name in the domain of clothing, especially in saris....
. Rajshahi is also home to a jute mill
Jute mill
Originally, a jute mill was a factory for processing jute. The first jute mill was established in Dundee, Scotland. The world's largest jute mill was the Adamjee Jute Mills at Narayanganj in Bangladesh. It closed all operations during 2002....
, a sugar mill and mango based industries.There will be rapid industrial development in Rajshahi if gas is supplied through pipeline which the people of Rajshahi have been demanding for a long time. The government has taken steps to supply gas to Rajshahi quickly and a project towards this end has already begun.
Transport
Transportation in Rajshahi is very good. Rajshahi is connected to the rest of country through roads,air,rail and water.Now United Airways starts dhaka-rajshahi-dhaka air transport service in every Thursday.Road Transport
It takes about 5 to 6 hours by road to reach the capital, Dhaka from Rajshahi. A number of bus services including air-conditioned and non-air conditioned buses are available from and to Dhaka. Bus services to other major districts are also available from the Bus Terminal of Rajshahi.Railway
From Rajshahi:
At 7:15 am Silk City at 4:00 pm Padma Express and 11:20 pm Dhumketu Express
From Dhaka:
At 2:40 pm(Komlapur)Silk City at 10:40 pm (Dhaka Cantonment)Padma Express and 6:00 am (Komlapur).
There are also a number of intercity express trains which runs between Rajshahi and other major cities of Bangladesh.
Shah Makhdum Airport
Some important information on Shah Makhdum Airport, Rajshahi:
- Airport Code : VGRJ IATA: RJH
- Runway Length : 6000/100 ft.
- Runway Elevation: 55 ft (17 m).
- Longitude : 88° 36' 59E
- Latitude : 24° 26' 14N
- World Area Code : 703
Heritage
Rajshahi is famous for its characteristic sweetmeats, not to be found anywhere else in the country. These special preparations include Roshkodom, Khaja, Raghobshahi and Kachagolla (Natore is specially famous for this particular sweetmeat). Along with neighboring Chapai Nababganj, Rajshahi is the home of the regions best mangoMango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es and lichis. Rajshahi is also the home of Barendra Museum which is famous for its collection of local sculpture and other artifacts dating from medieval times, and of Rajshahi silk
Rajshahi Silk
Rajshahi Silk is the name given to the silk products produced in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is a famous name in the domain of clothing, especially in saris....
, the finest silk produced in Bangladesh.
Shrine of Hazrat Shah Mokhdum (Rh.)
A Majar or Dorga (Shrine) is established around the grave of Hazrat Shah Mokhdum Ruposh (Rh.) at Dargahpara in Rajshahi city. It is said that Hazrat Shah Mokhdum Ruposh (Rh.) was the first Islam preacher in the Rajshahi region. It is also said that he came to Rajshahi through the river Padma riding on a crocodile. Even now, some crocodiles are reserved in the Dighi (Large Pond) next to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Mokhdum (Rh.).Dargahpara
Dargahpara is famous for the shrine of Hazrat Shah Mokhdum Ruposh (Rh.) and for the large bank of river Padma.Two famous educational institute,Rajshahi College and Rajshahi Collegiate School, are also situated in this area.There is also another shrine of Shah Turkan (Rh.) which is older than the shrine of Hazrat Shah Mokhdum Ruposh (Rh.).Varendra Research Museum
Varendra Research Museum
Varendra Museum is a museum, research center and popular visitor attraction located at the heart of Rajshahi town and maintained by Rajshahi University in Bangladesh.-History:...
, one of the oldest museums in this subcontinent, is situated in the heart of Rajshahi city. Its library contains 22,000 printed books and journals and 6000 manuscripts in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Arabic and Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
s. The library has been moved from the Museum building to a new, modern structure. Md Abdul Matin khan
It was one of the first non government initiatives for building a museum by some enlightened people with Kumar Sarat Kumar Roy during the British era. This museum has a large collection of statues of Lord Surya and some unique masterpieces illustrating the history of the locality and its civilization.
Bangladesh Railway
The headquarter of Bangladesh RailwayBangladesh Railway
Bangladesh Railway is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains the entire railway network of the country...
(Western Zone) is in Rajshahi. Rajshahi Railway Station is being modified and developed to house more passengers and to offer more services to the city dwellers.Rajshahi Railway Station is Very Nice.
Bangladesh Betar
Bangladesh BetarBangladesh Betar
Bangladesh Betar is the state-owned radio broadcasting organisation of Bangladesh. It was also known as Radio Bangladesh between 1975 and 1996.-History:...
(Radio Bangladesh) has a regional station in Rajshahi which transmits various programs of mass interest. Rajshahi station has a broadcasting house and transmitters in different locations. Two transmitters of 100 kW and 10 kW transmitting capacity transmit the programs developed at the broadcasting house. The Rajshahi station transmits its programs in Medium Wavelength.
The popularity of the radio is low in Rajshahi like other places of Bangladesh because of the low quality programmes of Bangladesh Betar.
Radio Foorti
Radio FoortiRadio Foorti
Radio Foorti is a Bangladeshi FM radio station. The station went live on September 21, 2006 and is currently available in DhakaChittagongSylhetRajshahiKhulnaBarisalMymensinghCox's Bazar-Info:...
has started its regional FM station in Rajshahi from 2010. The station transmits its Broadcasting on 88.00 MHz from the Rajshahi studio. The station airs 24 hour everyday. The station is getting increasingly popular to the young generation in very short period of time. The station broadcasts very high quality programs and music round the clock.
Radio Padma
99.2 FMRajshahi, Oct 7- Bangladesh formally entered the era of community radio with the launch of Radio Padma FM 99.2, a community radio station initiated by the Centre for Communication and Development (CCD). After preparatory work by BNNRC with support from UNESCO and UNDP, the government announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy in 2008 under which 14 stations received approval to operate community radio across the country. Radio Padma is the first to formally take to the airwaves.
Program content of Radio Padma would include news, views and entertainment with a focus on addressing crucial social issues at community level. Community Radio - for the community, of the community and by the community - has been gaining popularity in the world of development and social communication in recent years. Countries like India and Nepal have made strides in community radio, which, according to development experts, is an important tool to give voice to the marginalized. This is potentially a powerful tool for the people in the remote rural areas.
Bangladesh Television
Bangladesh TelevisionBangladesh TelevisionBangladesh Television , also known by the acronym BTV, is the state-owned Television network in Bangladesh. It started broadcasting as Pakistan Television in what was then East Pakistan on 25 December 1964. It was renamed Bangladesh Television after the independence in 1971. Broadcasts in full...
, commonly known as BTV, is the national television channel of Bangladesh. It has a relay center in Rajshahi city.
Central Park and ZooZoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
is one of the main attractions of Rajshahi city. A wide area with lush green trees and grasses also houses different animal species. It is located by the bank of river Padma.
Baliapukur
Its situated between the Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET) and The Bus Terminal. A residential area, Padma Housing State has also been established beside this area. It is one of the largest but less well planned residential areas in Rajshahi.
Borokuthi
In the compound of the Barakuthi there is a small cemeteryCemeteryA cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
with groves dating back to the years of the nineteenth century. There are 14 tombs with thirteen epitaphEpitaphAn epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
s within the cemetery. Here also some natureral calimetari which make people enjoy for time being.
Bulonpur
The district and divisional offices, the civil and criminal courts are situated in this particular area.
ChottoBongramChottobongram is the largest area in Rajshahi. There are two Children parks, Bonghobondhu College, Highway Road & 7 great masjids etc. It boasts of having a large mango and lychee garden. It has become a nice professional residential area with a unique communal and academic atmosphere that makes it one of the most desirable residential locations in the city.
Laxmipur
The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, the Laboratory High School, the New Government Degree College, Teachers' Training College, Rajshahi Government Medical College and Hospital and the Varendra Research Museum are located in this area. Another institute called Institute of Health Technology (IHT) situated here. It is one of the three government institute of health technology.this part are arbaniged by mohajer from India during the rule of Murshid kuli Khan that its name was Mahadi pur.
Kazihata
Kazihata is a small part of the town but quite known for the presence of quite a lot of government & private institutions like Bangladesh Bank, Radio Bangladesh, TV studio (non functional), Christian mission hospital, House building finance corporation, Soil Research Institute and others.
The people Kazihata is proud of are famous singer Andrew Kishor many eminent teachers Professor Dr. Golam Shabbir Sattar (Tapu). Professor Nurullah, cricketers, hockey players & professionals like doctor, engineer & lawyers. This days kazihata becomes more important area. It can called vip area also. Because of most famous teachers and professors of Rajshahi are living in this area. As Sopon kumar, Nitto gopal and many more. The famous government laboratory high school, Model school and college are also part of Kazihata. It will be probably the future commercial area of rajshahi
Shaheb Bazar
The municipal office, Rajshahi Collegiate School, Rajshahi College, Masjid Mission Academy, Loknath school, Deaf and Mental schools are located here. The Shaheb Bazar mosque is situated just on the junction of the Natore road with Shaheb Bazar Road. Here also an ancient Establishment called Amir Ali Avenue which is under a waquf state called Salamot miya waquf state. which is engaged in various social work before 50 year.The old municipality building is also situated here by the side of an old pond Named Sona Dighi (gold pond).
Kadirgonj
It is one of the oldest place in Rajshahi. It situated besides Shaheb Bazar. Rajshahi City Corporation is situated in that place.Shahid Kamrujjaman lived here. Many people come here to see their respect on him. Gov women collage & some Gov. and Private school are situate here.
Uposhahar Grameenphone
Grameenphone , widely known as GP, is the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh. With more than 32 million subscribers , Grameenphone is the largest cellular operator in the country...
, Aktel
Aktel
Robi Axiata Limited, DBA Robi , is a joint venture between Axiata Group Berhad, Malaysia and NTT DoCoMo Inc, Japan ....
, Citycell
Citycell
Citycell is the first mobile communications company of Bangladesh. It is the only CDMA network operator in the country. As of 1 March 2008, Citycell's total mobile subscriber base is 1.56 million, up 137 per cent or 680,000 from two years ago, giving it the best growth rate of the company till date...
, Social Marketing Company (SMC) and Indian assistant high commission office is located here. Rajshahi Cantonment
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
is located beside this area. Here is located a Govt. primary school (Upashahor Govt. Model Primary School) & a High school (Govt. Satellite High School).There is a graveyard & 3 mosques. The main one is named Upashohor Koroitola Boro Moszid(mosque). 6 playgrounds & an Eid gah are situated there.
Motihar
Motihar is nearly declared thana under Rajshahi city corporation. Some parts of Charghat Thana is also included in its area. The Rajshahi UniversityRajshahi UniversityRajshahi University or University of Rajshahi is a public university located in Rajshahi, a city in north-western Bangladesh...
is situated here on large campus surrounded by mango groves that presents a panoramic view. Tarokhadi is situated here.
Kazla, Talaimari Two prestigious and renowned public universities, the University of Rajshahi (established in 1953) and the Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET - established in 1964 as BIT, Bangladesh Institute of Technology and in 2002 it became the University) are located in Kazla-Talaimari area. Rajshahi is called the Educational Capital of Bangladesh and these two are the major educational institutions here in Rajshahi. Keeping pace with, peripheral campuses of several private universities have also been established in this area of Rajshahi city.
Sopura
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
and the Polytechnic institute.Now it is also a popular living area for the city dwelers.
Shiroil
is the famous place in Rajshahi for the Railway Station and the old Bus Terminal. "Shiroil Govt. High School, RajshahiShiroil Govt. High School, RajshahiShiroil Govt. High School is one of the three renowned schools in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It was established in 1967, in the populated neighbourhood of Shiroil. Since its establishment, the school has been a unique one among the public secondary schools in Bangladesh. Its first Principal was Mr. Riaj...
" is located here.
Harian Harian, a place few Kilometers away from the city, is famous for a sugar mill which was established by B.I.D.C. It has been founded by the great initiative of the Mridha Family, a renowned family of the locality. Late Mamtaz Uddin Mridha, the then Chairman of the Harian Union Parishad, was one of the leading persons to make this history happened.
There is also a rail station, some high schools and primary schools are here.
Horagram Bajar
Horagram, a place 4 km to the west side, is famous for mango archerd (Roy para). Rajshahi court is in here. A rail station is also here. In a recent days city corporation established a two stored shopping mall named ' Horogram New Market'. Horogram bazar famous for green vegetable marketing.oldest sporting club ' Degonto posary" is here.
Educational institutions
- Rajshahi UniversityRajshahi UniversityRajshahi University or University of Rajshahi is a public university located in Rajshahi, a city in north-western Bangladesh...
- Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology
- Rajshahi Medical CollegeRajshahi Medical CollegeRajshahi Medical College, located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, is a state-sponsored medical school. It is affliliated with the Rajshahi University.It was established in 1958, the second such institution in erstwhile East Pakistan after Dhaka Medical College...
- Rajshahi CollegeRajshahi CollegeRajshahi College is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Bangladesh. Established in 1873 in Rajshahi city, it is said to be the third oldest college in Bangladesh after Dhaka College and Chittagong College. Rajshahi College was the first institution in the territories now...
- New Government Degree College
- Rajshahi Government City College
- Rajshahi Government Women's College
- Teacher's Training College
- Silk Research and Training Institute
- Rajshahi Polytechnique Institute
- Rajshahi Mohila Polytechnique Institute
- Asian University of Bangladesh, Rajshahi Campus
- Islami Bank Medical College, Rajshahi
- University of Information Technology and Sciences, Rajshahi Campus
- Barendra College
- Shah Mokhdum College
- Institute of Forest
- Northern University Bangladesh,Rajshahi Campus
Notable people
- Mian Qusem Rh.
- AKM Rezaul Haq Khan
- Akshay Kumar MaitreyaAkshay Kumar MaitreyaAkshay Kumar Maitreya was a noted Indian historian and social worker from Bengal. He was born in Nadia to Mathuranath Maitreya. Much of his education was in Kolkata and Rajshahi . He passed his B.L. examination from Rajshahi College...
- Andrew KishoreAndrew KishoreAndrew Kishore is a popular playback singer in Bangladesh. He is a recipient of seven National Film Awards in the best playback singer category.-Background:...
- Hasan Azizul HuqHasan Azizul HuqHasan Azizul Huq is a Bangladeshi writer, reputed for his short stories. He was born on 2 February 1939 in Jabgraam in Burdwan district of West Bengal, India...
- Ila MitraIla MitraIla Mitra was a peasants movement organizer of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Bengal . She was born to an upper middleclass Bengali family in Kolkata on 18 October 1925. She became a communist during her youth...
- Sir Jadunath Sarkar
- Mohammad Shamsuzzoha (Banglapedia: http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/S_0291.HTM)
- A.H.M.Qamaruzzaman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._H._M._Qamaruzzaman
External sources
- Rajshahi from Wikitravel
- DiscoveryBangladesh.com, Discovery Bangladesh
- UGC.org, Rajshahi University
- Official website of RUET, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology
- Rakub.org, a rajshahi based agriculture bank
- Bangladesh.gov.bd, Map of Rajshah
- Bangladesh-Christian.com, Page of Diocese of Rajshahi from Bangladesh Christian online
- E-Rajshahi (in English), An online portal for information and government services managed by Rajshahi City Corporation
- রাজশাহী মেডিকাল কলেজ এখন অনলাইন এ...
- Zeropoint Computing, a website and software development company in Rajshahi.
