- Pabna District
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Pabna
পাবনা জেলা— District — Location of Pabna in Bangladesh
Country 
BangladeshDivision Rajshahi Division Area – Total 2,371.50 km2 (915.6 sq mi) flood plain and marsh land Elevation 8 m (26 ft) Population (2001) – Total 2,153,921 – Density 908.3/km2 (2,352.4/sq mi) Demonym Bangalee Literacy rate – Total 38.47% Time zone BST (UTC+6) – Summer (DST) BDST (UTC+7) Postal code 6600-6661 Website [1] Pabna District (Bengali: পাবনা জেলা Paabna Jela) is a district in north-western Bangladesh. It is the southern most district of Rajshahi Division. Its administrative capital is eponymous Pabna town.
Contents
Geography
Pabna forms the south-east boundary of Rajshahi Division. Sirajganj District is on the north-east, while the Padma River, main stream of the holy river Ganges, in the south separates it from Rajbari District and Kushtia District. The Jamuna River runs along its eastern border separating it from Manikgonj District; and on the north-west it has a common boundary with the Natore District. Average maximum temperature 33.9°C, minimum 9.6°C; annual rainfall 1872 mm. Characteristically the soil of the district is divided into four, viz flood plains of the Ganges, Karatoya, Jamuna and Barind Tract. Main rivers are Ganges, Ichamati, Gumani, Baral and Hurasagar.
Rivers
The district is intersected by rivers of varying magnitude. But in fact, the river system is constituted by the Padma and the Jamuna with their interlacing offshoots and tribataties. Besides these flowing streams, the interior is visited by the abandoned beds of old rivers, most of which are dry except in the rains.
The general trend of the drainage of the Serajganj subdivision is from north-west to south-east, the rivers entering it from the north-west flow into the Jamuna after a tortuous course. In the Sadar subdivision, however, the general slope of the country is from west to east, and the main rivers fall into Hurasagar, an offshoot of the Jamuna.The Rivers are Follows in Pabna District :
1. Padma River 2. Ichhamati River 3. Baral River 4. Atrai River 5. Chiknai River 6. Jamuna River 7. Kazipur River 8. Karatoya River
History
Archeologist Cunningham conjectured that the name Pabna might be derived from Pundra or Poondrobordhon civilization, whose capital was Mahasthangarh, the oldest city of Bangladesh, in neighbouring Bogra. But this hypothesis has not received general acceptance among scholars.
In 1859-61 the district was one of the major areas involved in the Indigo revolt. Beginning in Yusufshahi period in 1873 the serfs resisted excessive demands of incresead rents by feudal lords (zamindar), led by the nouveau riches Banerjees and Dwijendranath Tagore, by forming an Agrarian League. This largely peaceful movement found the support of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal George Campbell (1824–1892), who antagonised the absentee feudal lords. These protests are generally referred to as Pabna disturbances. In the following year the district was one of the worst hit by famine.[1] The peasant's demands were finally partially met with the Rent Law Act of 1885.
In 1875, Raaygonj was transferred back to Pabna from Bogra, and in 1879, a separate judgeship for the districts of Pabna and Bogra was created.
Administration
The administrative work is done by the District Administration of which District Commissioner acts as the Chief. The district comprises nine administrative units call ed upazilas, which are of follows:
- Atgharia Upazila
- Bera Upazila
- Bhangura Upazila
- Chatmohar Upazila
- Faridpur Upazila (Formerly Bonwareenogor)
- Ishwardi Upazila
- Pabna Sadar Upazila
- Santhia Upazila
- Sujanagar Upazila
Each Upazila is headed by an elected Upazila Chairman.
Demographics
Of the 2.1 million inhabitants, 51.17% are male. 90.12% are Muslims, 9.50% Hindu, 0.22% Christian and others 0.16%. There are 2353 mosques, 420 Hindu temples, and 11 Churches. There is no Buddist pagoda in Pabna. Thakur Anukulchandra Aasrom (missionary) beside Mental Hospital, Pabna at Hemayetpur has the largest Hindu temple in Pabna.
Newspapers
Locally published newspapers and periodicals are Doinik Ichhamoti, Doinik Uttor Jonota (Ishwardi); weekly: Gan Bikashini, Pabna Barta, Bibriti, Arshi; fortnightly: Jomuna, Charmohar Barta, Faridpur Barta, Junction, Jonodabi (Ishwardi); monthly: Gan Prova, Polli Dorpon, Manoshi, Amar Desh and Pabna, Tawhid (Bhangura), Chetona, Shocheton.
National dailies like Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, Jugantor, Ittefaq, Kaaler Kontho, Janakantha, Amader Shomoy, The New Age are also available.
Economy
- Main occupations: Agriculture 34%, agricultural farm-hands 22.77%, wage labourer 4.46%, transport 2.18%, weavers 2.85%, commerce 13.27%, service 7.26% and others 13.21%.
- Land control: Among the peasants 29% are landless peasants, 49% small, 18% intermediate and 4% rich.
- Value of land: The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 7500 per 0.01 acre.
- Crops: Paddy, jute, wheat, sugarcane, oil seeds, onion, garlic, betel leaf (paan), pulses.
- Extinct or nearly extinct crops: Indigo, sesame, linseed, cereals like kaaun and cheena, and orhor pulses.
- Fruits: Mango, jackfruit, banana, lychee (lichu), cocoanut, guava, pomelo and papaya.
- Fisheries, dairies & poultries: Dairies 1069, fisheries 88, poultry 714, hatcheries 37.
- Industries: Paksey paper mill, sugar mill, cotton mill, jute press, edible oil mill, Square (Bangladesh) pharmaceutical company, biscuit factory, rice and flour mill, ice factory, welding, saw mill, cold storage. The Square (Bangladesh) Group established several factories in the district, namely pharmaceuticals, spices, food, toiletries and textile, and converting the agricultural economy of Pabna to an industrial society.
- Cottage industries: Handloom, bamboo and caneworks, blacksmith, goldsmith, potteries, woodworks and tailoring.
- Main exports: Rice, jute, betel leaf, hosiery goods, cotton, cotton fabrics.
- Active NGOs are: BRAC, CARE, ASA, Grameen Bank, Caritas, Proshika, Shomota, Thengamaara Mohila Shobuj Shongho (TMSS) and Polli Progoti, ASEAB, BOSS.
Irrigation
Water from the river Jamuna is pumped from Bera pump house to the east through the Baral river.
Education
Average literacy is male 31.8% and female 21.5%. There are 34 colleges, a cadet college, a law college, a government polytechnic institute, a government vocational training institute , a textiles college, a government commerce college, a teachers' training college, a primary teacher's training institute, a nursing training institute, a homeopathic college, 202 high schools, 29 junior high schools, a Madrassa Aliya, 261 qaomi madrassa (seminary), 667 government primary schools, 445 non-government primary schools, 8 community schools, 29 kindergartens, 32 satellite schools, 299 NGO-operated schools, and a music college.
Noted educational institutions are: Pabna University of Science and Technology (2008) Pabna Edward College (founded 1898),Govt.Shahid bulbul College, Pabna Textile Engineering College (2008), Pabna Medical College (2008), Pabna Zilla School (1853), Pabna Cadet College, Gopal Chondro Institution (GCI) (1894), RM Academy (1899), Shahid Fazlul Haque Municipal High School(1967), Polytechnic Institute (1891), Pabna Town Girls High School(1903), Madrassa Aliya (1925), MC Jubilee High School (1936), Bhangura Union High School, Bhangura Jarina Rahim Girls High School, Hazi Jamal Uddin Degree College, Bhangura Alia Madrasa, Hadol Madrasa, Debottor (Atgharia) Government Primary School (1880), Varenga (Bera) Academy (1835), Bera B B High School (1899), Bera High School (1906), Dhobakhola Coronation High School (1906), Banwarinogor (Faridpur) CB Pilot High School (1912), Shara (Ishwardi) Marwari School (1917), Khalilpur (Sujanagar) High School (1901).Bhadurpur Govt. Primary School(1909)
Health
There is a General Hospital and a Mental Hospital at Pabna. The nine thanas of the district hold a Upazila health complex each. Each upazila health complex has qualified doctors who got appointment through Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) commission. For better treatment people need to go to medical college and other tertiary hospitals in Rajshahi or Dhaka. There is a 250 bed government general hospital here and a 450-bed mental hospital, second oleest in Indian subcontinent, only after Ranchi Mental Hospital, Jharkhand, India. Recently government owned Pabna Medical College and Hospital has been set up. There are around 15 health clinics.
Mental Hospital, Pabna and Pabna Medical College and Hospital are built on land donated by Lord Thakur Anukulchandra at Hemayetpur.
Transport
There are roads, waterways, railways and one airport. The traditional paalkee (sedans), tomtom (horse carriages) and gorur gaari (bullock carts) are now going out of the fashion. The Nochhimon and Korimon, locally made mechanical hauler using irrigation pumps as main engine, are mainly used for transporting agricultural goods and rural folks. Inexpensive Chinese electric and petrol autobikes (tricycle) are getting popularity as urban transport. Dhaka is about five hours by road. Hardinge Bridge and Lalon Shah Bridge over the Padma linked Pabna with Kushtia District as well as Khulna Division and the southern Bangladesh. Before the Partition of India, it was a major stoppage for trains from Kolkata to Assam and Darjeeling. Pabna is also connected to Dhaka by the age old roadway through the Jamuna River crossing at Nogorbari, opposite to the river crossing of Aricha at Manikgonj District. It is also very well communicated with Dhaka by modern roads through Jamuna Bridge. There is no rail link to Pabna town; nearby rail stations are situated in Chatmohar Upazila and Ishwardi Upazila. Ishwardi Upazila is one of the important railway junctions of the North Bengal as well as in Bangladesh. There are nine rail stations in this district: Ishwardi, Paksi, Muladuli, Chatmohar, Bhangura, Baral Bridge, Sharat Nagar, Dilpashar and ... Pabna is well connected by road, rail, river or air to the rest of the country.
There is an airport at Ishwardi Upazila which has twice weekly air services to Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Several Dhaka bound private bus services are available: Pabna Express, Shyamoli Parbahan,Shorkar Travels, Raja Badsha, Ishurdi Express, Shahjadpur Travels, Baadol, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Mohanogor, Capital Service, Sakal Shandha, Uttara, B Nagar, Al Hamra etc. Government owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) provides bus services to Rajshahi and Bogra cities. Water transport is important as the Padma and other rivers, and Chalan Beel are situated in Pabna. In Pabna district ride by Nosimon, rickshawvan and Korimon are pleasure worthy.
Places of interest
Paksey is a popular green area. The railway colony of Paksey, divisional headquarters of Bangladesh Railway, has many old trees, and is beside the river Padma and the Hardinge Bridge. An export processing zone (EPZ) and the newly built Lalon Shah Bridge are situated here.
Idyllic Poddar Par (the bank of the Padma) at Shilaaidoho Ghaat is 5 km south of town's old Technical Institute, where people can enjoy a river cruise. A river crossing (ghaat) here connects to Shilaaidoho of Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia District. Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore had a koothibari (villa) at Shilaaidoho, where his birth anneversary is celebrated regularly.
There is a marshy area, Chalan Beel, in the north.
Literature
- Kalyan Kumar Sen Gupta; Pabna Disturbances and the Politics of Rent 1873-1885; New Delhi 1974
Notable Personalities
- Thakur Anukulchandra, eminent guru, physician and founder of Satsang Ashram.
- Suchitra Sen, actress of Kolkata film industry in the 1950s through 70s.
- Bonde Ali Miah, a renowned poet[citation needed]
- Ostad Baarin Mojumdar, renowned classical singer[citation needed]
- Principal Mowlana Muhammad Ishaq, Ameer of Khelafat Majlis (an Islamic Movement of Bangladesh) Ex-Minister of Local Govt.
- Air Vice Marshal (Rtd.) A. K. Khandker, first Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Air Force (1971–1975), now Planning Minister[citation needed]
- Ronesh Moyitro, leader of Gano Forum (previously Communist Party of Bangladesh)[citation needed]
- Major General (Dr.) Mohammad Rabiul Hossain, Consultant Physician General, Bangladesh Army
External links
References
Admin reels from Pabna shock http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=156674
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