Rangpur District

Infobox of BD districts
native_name = Rangpur
skyline = Tajhat Rajbari side.jpg
skyline_size =
skyline_caption = Tajhat Rajbari is now Rangpur Museum
locator_position = right
latd = 25.60
longd = 89.25
division_name = Rajshahi Division
population_as_of = 1991
population_total = 2,534,365
population_density = 1,098.18
literacy_rate = 26.7%
area_total = 2,307.78
website = banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/R_0118.htm
website_caption = wapbanglarmela.peperonity.com

Rangpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rajshahi Division.

Geography

Rangpur District 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 district headquarters.

The soil composition is mainly alluvial soil (80%) of the Teesta River basin, and the remaining is barind soil. The temperature ranges from 32 degrees Celsius to 11 degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall averages 2931 mm. [http://banglapedia.org/Maps/MR_0118.gif]

ub-districts

The district has 3 municipalities, namely, Rangpur Main (Sadar), Badarganj, and Haragach, and eight Upazilas, namely:
*Badarganj
*Gangachara
*Kaunia
*Rangpur Sadar
*Mithapukur
*Pirgachha
*Pirganj
*Taraganj

Rangpur town, covering an area of around 43 square kilometers, lies on the bank of the Little Ghaghat River, and was turned into a municipality back in 1869. The population of the Rangpur municipality as of 2006 is 251,699, with 52% male and 48% female, and the literacy rate is 54.6%.

History

Rangpur was conquered by the army of Raja Man Singh, a commander of the Mughal emperor, Akbar, in 1575, but it was only until 1686 that it was fully integrated into the Mughal Empire. Names of places like "Mughalbasa" (literal meaning being a locality of the Mughals), and "Mughalhat" (literal meaning a “local market” organized by the Mughals) 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 British East India Company, the Sannyasi Rebellion took place.

Places of interest

[http://macflach.cs.bris.ac.uk/~flach/pics/bangladesh/Thumbnails/192.jpg] [http://macflach.cs.bris.ac.uk/~flach/pics/bangladesh/Thumbnails/190.jpg]

Just south of the city of Rangpur lies the Tajhat, a former "rajbari" or 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 [http://www.rdrsbangla.net] , an NGO in northwest Bangladesh, has a large office and guesthouse/convention center in the town of Rangpur.

A museum and women's training centre was established in Pairabondh, the birth place of famous Begum Rokeya. It is half an hour drive away from Rangpur city.Apart from the Tajbari museum there is another museum at the heart of the town. The town is known as Green town for its beautiful garden and green park throughout the town. It has a District magistrate office where the great Social Reformer Rammohan Roy served for long time. Nowadays there are lots of market places all through the city. Carmichael College, built during the Raj era, is located in Rangpur. The literacy rate has increased after the independence of the country from the Pakistan. There are many schools, mosques, and temples in the city.

There is a big Zoo in the heart of the city. There is an ancient auditorium in the city where different programs are held. The economy of the people is weak since there is no major natural resource like minerals. The coal is found near this district. There is a large military containment in the town.

Trivia

A rare total eclipse of the Sun is due to be visible from the extreme north of the Rangpur district on July 22, 2009 [http://www.astronomy2009-bd.org/newshtm/solareclipse2009.htm] . This is attracting much attention from the Bangladeshi astronomical community in the run up to the event.

External links

* [http://www.rangpur-municipal.org.bd Official website for Rangpur Municipality]
* [http://banglapedia.org/HT/R_0118.htm Rangpur in Banglapedia]