Pabna District () is a district in west central

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. It is a geographically and economically important district. Its administrative capital is the eponymous

Pabna Pabna () is a city of Pabna District, Bangladesh and the administrative capital of the eponymous Pabna District. It is on the north bank of the Padma River and has a population of about . Etymology * According to the historian Radharaman Saha ...

town. The main five rivers of this district are: Padma, Jamuna, Baral, Atrai and Chiknai.

History

Archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeol ...

Alexander Cunningham Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Sappers who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly crea ...

conjectured that the name "Pabna" might be derived from the

Pundra Pundravardhana or Pundra kingdom (), was an ancient kingdom of Iron Age India located in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and parts of Rangpur Division of Bangladesh a ...

or Poondrobordhon

civilisation A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond signed or spoken languag ...

, whose capital was

Mahasthangarh Mahasthangarh is the earliest urban archaeological sites discovered thus far in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj upazila of Bogra District contains the remains of an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardha ...

, the oldest city of Bangladesh, in neighbouring

Bogra Bogra (), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, officially Bogura, is a city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in North Bengal, Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in te ...

, 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 The Indigo revolt (or ''Nil bidroha''; Bengali: নীল বিদ্রোহ) was a peasant movement and subsequent uprising of indigo farmers against the indigo planters, that arose in Bengal in 1859, and continued for over a year. The vill ...

. Beginning in ''Yusufshahi'' period in 1873, the serfs resisted excessive demands of increased rents by

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

lords (

zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

), They were led by the ''nouveau riches''

Banerjee Banerjee, also known as Bandyopadhyay, is a Bengali Kulin Brahmin surname originating from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. The surname belongs to the Rarhi clan of the Hindu Bengali Brahmin caste. History Notable people N ...

s and

Dwijendranath Tagore Dwijendranath Tagore (11 March 1840 – 19 January 1926) was an Indian poet, song composer, philosopher, mathematician and painter. He was one of the pioneers of shorthand and notation in Bengali script. He was the eldest son of Debendranath Ta ...

, by forming an Agrarian League. This largely peaceful movement found the support of the Lieutenant-governor of

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

, George Campbell, 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 A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...

. The peasants' 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.

Geography

Pabna forms the south-east boundary of

Rajshahi Division Rajshahi Division () is one of the eight first-level administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population at the 2022 Census of 20,353,119. Rajshahi Division consists of 8 districts, 70 upazilas (the next lower administrat ...

Sirajganj District Sirajganj District () is a district in North Bengal, Bangladesh, it is located in Rajshahi Division. It is the 25th largest district by area and 9th largest district by population in Bangladesh. It is known as the gateway to North Bengal. Its a ...

is on the north-east, while the

Padma River The Padma () is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the eastern and main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River, near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is situated on the banks ...

, the main stream of the

holy river Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleri ...

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

, in the south separates it from

Rajbari District Rajbari District () is a district in central Bangladesh, located in Dhaka Division. It is a part of the Padma Division, Greater Faridpur subregion of Bengal due to the historical and cultural identities of its inhabitants, with Kushtia border on th ...

and

Kushtia District Kushtia District (; ) is a district in the Khulna Division, Khulna administrative division of western Bangladesh. Kushtia is the second largest municipality in Bangladesh and the eleventh largest city in the country. Kushtia has existed as a sepa ...

. The

Jamuna River The Jamuna River () is one of the three main rivers of Bangladesh. The two other major rivers in Bangladesh are the Padma and the Meghna. The Jamuna is the lower stream of the Brahmaputra River, which originates in Tibet as Yarlung Tsangpo, ...

runs along its eastern border separating it from Manikgonj District; and on the north-west, it has a common boundary with the

Natore District Natore district () is a district in Rajshahi Division located in northern Bangladesh. It borders the metropolitan city of Rajshahi and used to be a part of Rajshahi District. History Natore was the district headquarters of Rajshahi from 1769 to ...

. Its average maximum temperature is 36.8 °C, and the minimum is 9.6 °C; annual rainfall is 1872 mm. Characteristically, the soil of the district is divided into four, due to the flood plains of the Ganges, Karatoya, Jamuna, and Barind Tracts. Its main rivers are the Ganges, Ichamati, Gumani, Baral, and

Hurasagar River The Hurasagar River, or Hoorsagar, is a major river of Bangladesh that formerly flowed into the Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Pad ...

s. The rivers Padma and Jamuna meet at the south-eastern end of Pabna

Aminpur Thana Aminpur Thana () is a thana of Pabna District. Location The name Aminpur Thana refers to the village of Aminpur, in the Jatsakhni Union of Bera Upazila in the Pabna District, Pabna District of Bangladesh. It is located beside the Atrai River, A ...

Rivers

The district is intersected by rivers of varying magnitude. The river system, though, is constituted by the Padma and the Jamuna with their interlacing offshoots and tributaries. Besides these flowing streams, the interior has 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, with 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 following rivers flow through Pabna District: #

Ichamati River Ichamati River () (also spelt Ichhamati), is a trans-boundary river which flows through India and Bangladesh and also forms part of the boundary between the two countries. The river is facing siltation leading to thin flow of water in the dry sea ...

# Baral River #

Atrai River Atrai River (also spelt as Atreyee) () flows in West Bengal in India and northern parts of Bangladesh. In ancient times the river was called Atreyee and finds a mention in the Mahabharata, one of the two Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is ...

# Chiknai River #

Kazipur River Kazipur River () flows through Kazipur Upazila in Sirajganj District, Bangladesh. It then flows south and joins the Ichamati River. The Kazipur is a small offshoot of the Jamuna River that departs from the main river in the northernmost part of ...

Karatoya River Karatoya River (also spelt Korotoa River) is a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Etymology The name of the river is a combination of two Sanskrit words ''kar'' (hand) and ''toa'' (water). Course The Karatoya, known as the Phuljh ...

# Hurasgar River # Gumany River # Rotnai River # Badai River # Kageshari River # Sutikhali River # Komla River # Chondraboti River #

Climate

Demographics

According to the

2022 Census of Bangladesh The 2022 Bangladeshi census () was a detailed enumeration of the Bangladeshi population constituting the sixth national census in the country. It was scheduled to be held in June 2022, was conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and th ...

, Pabna District has 743,558 households and a population of 2,909,624 with an average 3.86 people per household. Among the population, 533,571 (18.34%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 1,225 people per km². Pabna District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 70.49%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 99.38 males per 100 females. Approximately, 22.00% (640,077) of the population live in urban areas. The ethnic population was 2,369. Muslims are the overwhelming majority. The Hindu population has continuously decreased from 1981, when it was a high of 100,000, to 74,000 in 2011. Christians also form a minority in urban areas.

Economy

* Main occupations: Agriculture 34%, agricultural farm-hands 22.77%, wage

labourer A laborer ( or labourer) is a person who works in manual labor typed within the construction industry. There is a generic factory laborer which is defined separately as a factory worker. Laborers are in a working class of wage-earners in which ...

4.46%, transport 2.18%,

weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainmen ...

s 2.85%, commerce 13.27%, service 7.26%, and others 13.21% * Land control: Among the peasants, 29% are landless peasants, with 49% small, 18% intermediate, and 4% rich * Value of land: The market value of the land of the first grade is Tk 155000 per 0.01 acre * Crops: Paddy rice, jute, wheat,

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

oil seeds Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed o ...

, onion, garlic,

betel leaf Betel (''Piper betle'') is a species of flowering plant in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious vine, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plants are cultivated for their leav ...

(''paan''),

pulses Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

* Extinct or nearly extinct crops:

Indigo InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an India, Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest List of airlines of India, airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market ...

sesame Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for ...

linseed Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of the ...

cereals A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize (Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, suc ...

such as and ''cheena'', and pulses * Fruits:

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

, banana,

lychee Lychee ( , ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. There are three distinct subspecies of lychee. The most common is the Indochinese lychee found in So ...

(''lichu''),

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...

pomelo The pomelo ( ; or pummelo, ''Citrus maxima''), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fr ...

, and

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

* Fisheries, dairies, and poultries: 1069

dairies A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

, 88

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

, 714 poultry, and 37

hatcheries A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish, poultry or even turtles. It may be used for ''ex situ'' conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled ...

* Industries: Ishwardi EPZ; Pakshey

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

, sugar mill,

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

, jute press,

edible oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing he ...

mill,

Square Pharmaceuticals Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a Bangladeshi Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1958 by Samson H. Chowdhury along with three of his friends PK Saha, Kazi Harunur Roshid and Radhabinod Rai as a priva ...

, biscuit factory. The most prominent rice industry is

Purbasha Automatic Rice Mills Ltd. South Talpatti (), also known as New Moore () and Purbasha Island (), was a small uninhabited offshore sandbar island in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta region.Ishwardi and flour mill (Rouf and Sons Flour Mill), ice factory, welding, saw mill, and

cold storage Tim Wright, known professionally as CoLD SToRAGE (stylised as CoLD SToRAGE), is a Welsh video game music composer best known for his work on ''Wipeout 2097''. His compositions for the game drew on 1990s UK big beat and electronic music trends ...

. The

SQUARE In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...

group established several factories in the district, namely

pharmaceuticals Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

spices In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

, food, toiletries, and textiles, and converted the

agricultural economy Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...

of Pabna to an

industrial society In sociology, an industrial society is a society driven by the use of technology and machinery to enable mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity for division of labour. Such a structure developed in the Western world ...

* Cottage industries:

Hand loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

and

cane Cane or caning may refer to: *Walking stick, or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking * Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance * White cane, a mobility or safety device used by blind or visually i ...

works,

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

, potteries, woodworks, and tailoring * Main exports: Rice, jute, betel leaf,

hosiery Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the foot, feet and human leg, legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also ...

goods, cotton, cotton

fabrics Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not ...

* Active NGOs: BRAC,

CARE Care may refer to: Organizations and projects * CARE (New Zealand), Citizens Association for Racial Equality, a former New Zealand organisation * CARE (England) West Midlands, Central Accident Resuscitation Emergency team, a team of doctors & ...

ASA Asa may refer to: People and fictional characters * Asa (given name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters so named * Asa people, an ethnic group based in Tanzania * Aṣa, Nigerian-French singer, songwriter, and reco ...

Grameen Bank Grameen Bank () is a microfinance, specialized community development bank founded in Bangladesh. It provides small loans (known as microcredit or "grameencredit") to the impoverished without requiring collateral. Grameen Bank is a statutory ...

, Caritas, Proshika, Shomota, Thengamaara Mohila Shobuj Shongho (TMSS), Polli Progoti, ASEAB, BOSS

Irrigation

Water from the river Jamuna is pumped from

Bera Bera may refer to: Acronyms * Bioelectric recognition assay, a method in electrophysiology * Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority, an energy regulatory body in Botswana * Brainstem evoked response audiometry, a screening test to monitor for heari ...

pump house to the east through the Baral river.

Points of interest

Pakshey is a popular green area and a small town. The railway colony of

Paksey Paksey () is a town situated on the banks of the Padma River in Ishwardi Upazila–the westernmost Upazila of Pabna District in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. Paksey is home to the Hardinge Bridge–a steel railway bridge named after Baron Hard ...

, divisional headquarters of

Bangladesh Railway Bangladesh Railway () is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains all railways in the country, and is overseen by the Directorate General of Bangladesh Railway. The Bangladesh Railway is governed by the Mi ...

, has many old trees and is beside the river Padma and the

Hardinge Bridge Hardinge Bridge is a steel railway truss bridge over the Padma River located at Ishwardi, Pabna and Bheramara, Kushtia in Bangladesh. It is named after Lord Hardinge, who was the Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916. The bridge is long. Const ...

. An export processing zone ( EPZ) and the newly built

Lalon Shah Bridge Lalon Shah Bridge (), locally known as Pakshey Bridge, is a road bridge in Bangladesh over the river Padma. The bridge connects Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna on the east, and Bheramara Upazila of Kushtia on the west. It was constructed by China Ma ...

are situated here. Idyllic ''Poddar Par'' (the bank of the Padma) at Shilaaidoho Ghaat is 5 km south of town's old

Technical Institute An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

, where people can enjoy a river cruise. A river crossing (''ghaat'') here connects to Shilaaidoho of

Kumarkhali Upazila Kumarkhali () is an upazila of Kushtia District in the Division of Khulna, Bangladesh. It is famous for the Shelaidaha area, where the poet Rabindranath Tagore spent a considerable time of his youth. Geography Kumarkhali is located at . It has ...

Nobel laureate The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

poet

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

had a ''Koothibari'' (

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

) at Shilaaidoho, where his birth anniversary is celebrated regularly. Bangladesh

Mental Hospital, Pabna Pabna Mental Hospital is a 500-bed mental hospital located in Hemayetpur village of Pabna District in Bangladesh. It was the only specialised mental hospital of the region during establishment. History The mental hospital was founded by Mohamm ...

is a hospital beside Pabna's main town, and the only mental hospital in Bangladesh. Mental patients from anywhere in Bangladesh go there to get treatment. There is a marshy area,

Chalan Beel Chalan Beel () is a wetland in the Sirajganj District, Sirajganj, Natore District, Natore and Pabna District, Pabna districts of Bangladesh. It is a large inland Depression (geology), depression, marshy in character, with rich flora and fauna. ...

, in the north. Dhalarchar (Aminpur) was famous for crime, but it is now popular and valuable for its geographical position after established Aminpur Thana.

Administration

The district comprises nine

upazila An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western countries. Rural upazilas ...

s: # Atgharia Upazila # Bera Upazila # Bhangura Upazila #

Chatmohar Upazila Chatmohar () is an upazila of Pabna District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Chatmohar is located at . It has 70,260 households and a total area of 310.10 km2. Demographics According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, C ...

# Faridpur Upazila (formerly Banwari Nagar) #

Ishwardi Upazila Ishwardi (, ''Ish-shordi'', officially ''Ishurdi'') is an upazila of Pabna District in Rajshahi Division. It is the westernmost upazila of Pabna district. This upazila is a dynamic administrative region with a rich cultural heritage and significan ...

Pabna Sadar Upazila Pabna Sadar () is an upazila of Pabna District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Pabna Sadar is located at . It has 74,517 households and the total area is 439.30 km2. Demographics According to the 2011 Census of Banglade ...

Santhia Upazila Santhia () is an upazila of Pabna District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Geography Santhia is located at . It has 89,032 households and a total area of 331.55 km2. Santhia has some forest-like areas with wild animals like foxes, mo ...

Sujanagar Upazila Sujanagar () is an upazila of the Pabna District of northern Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division. It is the home of agriculture across the district, and the Onion Capital of the country. History Sujanagar (lit. ''City of Shuja'') takes its name from th ...

Health

general hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

and a

mental hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with ...

are in Pabna. The 11 ''thanas'' of the district hold a

Upazila An ''upazila'' ( pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative division in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a borough of Western countries. Rural upazilas ...

health complex each. Each Upazila health complex has qualified doctors who got appointment through

Bangladesh Civil Service Bangladesh Civil Service (), popularly known by its acronym BCS, is the civil service of Bangladesh. Civil service in the Indian subcontinent originated from the Imperial Civil Service which was the elite higher civil service of the British Empir ...

(BCS) commission. For better treatment, people need to go to

medical college A medical association or medical college is a trade association that brings together practitioners of a particular geographical area (a country, region, province). In common-law countries, they are often grouped by medical specialties ( cardiolog ...

and other tertiary hospitals in

Rajshahi Rajshahi (, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major Urban area, urban, administrative, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi Distr ...

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. The 250-bed government general hospital is here, with a 450-bed mental hospital, second oldest in

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

, only after

Ranchi Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...

Mental Hospital,

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

, India. Recently, government-owned Pabna Medical College and Hospital has been set up. Around 15 health clinics are available in Pabna.

and Pabna Medical College and Hospital are built on land donated by Lord Thakur Anukulchandra at

Hemayetpur Hemayetpur or Himaitpur () is a small village of Pabna Sadar Upazila in Pabna District of Bangladesh. It is situated on the bank of Padma river. This is birthplace of Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra. He initiated a spiritual movement in Banglade ...

. Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed has started its 10th subcenter at Pabna in the name of "CRP- Pabna Diabetic Shamity" from January 2017 with the collaboration of Pabna Diabetic Shamity to provide rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, awareness raising program regarding disability and rehabilitation, and scarf-injury prevention, and also provide assistive devices to the persons with disabilities.

Transport

Roads, waterways, railways, and one airport are present. The traditional (

sedans A sedan (American English) or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of ''sedan'' in reference to an automobile body oc ...

), ''tomtom'' (horse carriages), and ''gorur gaari'' (bullock carts) are now going out of the fashion. The and , locally made mechanical haulers using

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

pumps as their main engines, are mainly used for transporting agricultural goods and rural folks. Inexpensive Chinese electric and petrol autobikes (tricycles) are gaining popularity as urban transport. Dhaka is about five hours by road.

and

over the Padma-linked Pabna with

and

Khulna Division Khulna Division () is the second largest of the eight divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population of 17,416,645 at the 2022 Bangladesh census (preliminary returns). Its headquarters and largest city is Khulna city in Khulna Dist ...

and the southern

. Before the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

, it was a major stoppage for trains from

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

and

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

. Pabna is also connected to

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 connected with Dhaka by modern roads through

Jamuna Bridge Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge (), is a bridge built over the river Jamuna in Bangladesh. The bridge was opened in June 1998. With a length of 4.8 kilometres, it is the second longest bridge of Bangladesh, Padma Bridge being the first. It connect ...

. There is a new rail link established in Pabna town.

Pabna Railway Station Pabna () is a city of Pabna District, Bangladesh and the administrative capital of the eponymous Pabna District. It is on the north bank of the Padma River and has a population of about . Etymology * According to the historian Radharaman Saha ...

is situated in near Pabna Central Bus Terminal. Nearby rail stations are situated in Tebunia,

and

. Ishwardi Upazila is one of the important railway junctions of the

North Bengal North Bengal ( , Uttar Banga) is a cross-border cultural–geographic region consisting of the north-western areas of Bangladesh as well as the northern part of the West Bengal state of India. Bounded to the east by the Jamuna and in the south ...

as well as in Bangladesh. There are nine rail stations in this district: Ishwardi, Pakshi, Muladuli, Chatmohar, Bhangura, Baral Bridge, Sharat Nagar, Dilpashar and Guakhara. Pabna is well connected by road, rail, river or air to the rest of the country.

has an airport.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Biman Bangladesh Airlines, commonly known as Biman ( , ), is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the airline also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Am ...

used to operate twice-weekly services to Ishwardi from

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka (; ) is the main international airport serving Dhaka City, the capital city of Bangladesh, and it is the largest airport in the country. It is located in Kurmitola, from the city centre, in the ...

, Dhaka, but no airline is operating to and from Ishwardi now. Several Dhaka-bound private bus services are available: Pabna Express, Shyamoli Parbahan, Sarkar Travels, Raja Badshah, Ishurdi Express, Shahzadpur Travels, Baadol, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Mahanagar, Capital Service, Sakal Shandha, Uttara, B Nagar, Al Hamra, etc. The 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

are situated in Pabna. In the Pabna district, ride by , rickshawvan, and are pleasant.

Education

Overall,

literacy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

for males is 71.8% and for females 65.7%. A renowned science and technology university, Pabna University of Science and Technology, is located there, as are 34 colleges, a cadet college, a law college, a government

polytechnic institute An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

, a government vocational training institute, a textiles college, a government commerce college, a teachers' training college, a primary teacher's training institute, a

nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

training institute, a

homoeopathic Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

college, 202 high schools, 29 junior high schools, a Madrassa Aliya, 261

madrassa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning. ...

(seminary), 667 government primary schools, 445 nongovernment primary schools, eight community schools, 29

kindergartens Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

, 32 satellite schools, 299 NGO-operated schools, and a music college. Pabna Zilla School, Pabna Edward College, and Banwarinagar C.B. Pilot High School of this district are very old in the region–over a hundred years. Noted educational institutions are: Field of Pabna Zilla School

School *

Pabna Cadet College Pabna Cadet College (), is a residential military high school, partly financed by the Bangladesh Army, located at Jalalpur, east of Pabna town, Bangladesh. History Pabna Cadet College was one of six cadet colleges set up in a second wave (1979� ...

(1981) * Bansherbada ML High School, Ishwardi, Pabna (1917) *

Pabna Zilla School Pabna Zilla School () is the oldest high school in the Pabna District of Bangladesh. It provides education from class Three to Ten. It has two shifts - morning and day. The morning shift starts at 7:15 am and ends at 11.45am. And the day shift star ...

(1853) * Pabna Govt. Girls High School (1883) *

Govt. Edward College, Pabna Govt. Edward College, Pabna is one of the oldest colleges in Bangladesh. History It was established in July 1898 in Pabna. The college was first named as "Pabna Institution" and founded by Gopal Chandra Lahiri, a pioneer of education in norther ...

(founded 1898) * Pabna University of Science and Technology (2008) * Pabna Medical College (2008) *

Pabna Textile Engineering College Pabna Textile Engineering College is a government educational institution in Pabna, Bangladesh that offers a bachelor's degree in textile engineering. It is operated by a department of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, and an affiliated college ...

(2008) * Pabna Polytechnic Institute (1962) * Govt Technical School and College, Pabna (1889) * Selim Nazir High School (1924) * North Point School & College, Pabna (2015) * Pabna Collectorate Public School and College (2008) * North Bengal Paper Mills High School, Paksey (1972) * R.M Academy School & College, Pabna * Jagir Hossain Academy, Pabna (1983) * Al-hera Academy School and College (1987) * Gopal Chandra Institution (GCI) (1894) * Galaxy School & College Bera-Pabna (2001) * Atghoreia Government College (1972) * Atghoria Government High School (1954) * Government Shahid Bulbul College * Pabna City College * Banwarinagar Cornation Bonomali Pilot High School (1912), Faridpur * Basanta Raha Institute of engineering and health science (1899) * Shahid Fazlul Haque Municipal High School (1967) * Banglamotion Institute of Engineering & Technology (2012) * Pabna Town Girls High School (1903) * Madrassa Aliya (1925) * MC Jubilee High School (1936) * Pabna Cadet Collegiate School (1993) * Online.net (IT School) (2000) * Amina Monsoor Girls High School (2002) * Ataikula High School (1938) * Bhangura Union High School * Bhangura Jarina Rahim Girls High School * Haji Jamal Uddin Degree College * Bhangura Alia

Madrassa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning. ...

* Hadol Madrassa, Debottor, Atgharia, Pabna * Government Primary School (1880) * Varenga (Bera) Academy (1835) * Bera B B High School (1899) * Adarsha High School, Kaitola (1972) * Bera High School (1906) * Monjur Kadir Mohila College, Bera, Pabna (1990) * Dhobakhola Coronation High School (1906) * Banwarinagar Pilot Girls High School (1972), Faridpur * Shara (Ishwardi) Marwari School (1917) * Khalilpur (Shujanogor) High School (1901) * Bhadurpur Government Primary School (1909) * JotGoury Jalalpur Government Primary School (1943) * Dulai High School (1967) * Pabna Collectorate Public School and lege (2009) * Khan Pura High School (1918) * Malifa Habibor Rahman Multilateral High School (1957) * Masundia Bhabanipur K.J.B College * Masundia Bhabanipur High School * Pabna College, Pabna (1983) * Nariagodai High School, Nariagodai, Santhia, Pabna (1963) * Kashinathpur Abdul Latif High School, Pabna * Sujanager Pilot Model High School And College (1956) * Karanja Pre Cadet School & College (2005) * Pakuria School and College (1907) * Imam Hossain Academy, Santhia, Pabna (2001) * Santhia Pilot High School, Santhia (1943) * Chatmohar RCN & BSN High School & College (1861) * Saint Rts. High School, Mothurapur, Chatmohar, Pabna (1970) * Chiknai High School, Mulgram, Chatmahor * Chatmohar Pilot Girls High School (1970) * Chatmohar Government Degree (hons) College (1970) * Tebunia Wasim Pathshala, Tebunia, Pabna * Samsul Huda Degree College, Tebunia, Pabna * Shaheed Abdul Khaleque High School, Khidirpur, Atgharia, Pabna * Par Khidirpur High School, Atgharia, Pabna * Ramchandrapur High School, Atgharia, Pabna * Khidirpur College, Atgharia, Pabna * Par Khidirpur College, Atgharia, Pabna * Aftab Nagr High School, Santhia, Pabna 1965

Newspapers

Locally published newspapers and periodicals include: * ''Ichamati'' * ''Uttor Janoata'' (Ishwardi) * ''Gayana Bikashini'' * ''Pabna Barta'' * ''Bibriti'' * ''Arshi'' * ''Jamuna'' * ''Charmohar Barta'' * ''Faridpur Barta'' * ''Junction'' * ''Jonodabi'' (Ishwardi) * ''Gayana Prava'' * ''Palli Darpan'' * ''Manashi'' * ''Amar Desh'' * ''Pabna'' * ''Tawhid'' * ''Sachetan'' National dailies are also available.

Notable residents

* Thakur Anukulchandra,

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

, physician and founder of

Satsang Satsang () is an audience with a satguru for the purpose of spiritual or yogic instruction. The ''satsanga'' is a gathering of good people for the performance of devotional activities. Meanings The word is derived from the Sanskrit ''sat'' mean ...

Ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Group Captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

(Rtd.)

Saiful Azam Saiful Azam (; 11 September 1941 – 14 June 2020) was a Pakistani and later Bangladeshi fighter pilot and flying ace, and politician. He first served as a fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). ...

, former pilot of

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) () is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The air force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army a ...

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

, Jordanian Air Force and

Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF; ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for t ...

, war hero of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War and

1967 Arab-Israeli War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

(

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

) * Selina Banu, politician * General

Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri (10 June 1908 – 6 April 1983) was an Indian army general who served as the 5th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1962 to 1966 and the Military Governor of Hyderabad State from 1948 to 1949. After his retirem ...

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, former

Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Army (IA), the land forces branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star general officer, the COAS is the senior-most ...

Pramatha Chaudhuri Pramathanath Chaudhuri (7 August 1868 – 2 September 1946), known as Pramatha Chaudhuri, ''alias'' Birbal, was a Bengali essayist, poet, and writer. He was the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore as his mother was Sukumari Debi, the second sister of ...

, writer * Samson H. Chowdhury, former chairman of

Square Group Square Group () is a Bangladeshi diversified multinantional conglomerate based in Dhaka. Samuel S Chowdhury is the chairman and Tapan Chowdhury is managing director of Square Group. Square Group has 60,000 employees. History Square Group was ...

* Priyamvada Devi, writer * Amzad Hossain, MNA (Member of

National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...

), organizer of Independence War * A. B. Mirza Azizul Islam, advisor of military-backed caretaker government * Air Vice Marshal (Rtd.) A. K. Khandker, first

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

(1971–1975), and former Planning Minister * Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu, jurist, politician and civil servant,

President of Bangladesh President of Bangladesh (POB), officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is the head of state of Bangladesh and commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The role of the president has changed three times since ...

* Mozid Mahmud, poet and essayist * Amiya Bhushan Majumdar, Indian novelist * Bonde Ali Miah, poet *

Motiur Rahman Nizami Motiur Rahman Nizami (; 31 March 1943 – 11 May 2016) was a politician, former Minister of Bangladesh, Islamic scholar, writer and a former Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He was accused of leading Al-Badr during the Bangladesh War of ...

, Ameer (chairman) of

Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh. The origin of the party can be traced back to the original faction founded by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi in 1941. The predecessor of Jamaat which is known as Jam ...

, former Member of

Jatiyo Sangsad The Jatiya Sangsad (), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as is the unicameral legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for women. Elected ...

(2001–2006), former Minister of Agriculture (2001–2003) * Shreemati Rasasundari, 19th century writer * Dilip Bagchi, Bengali mass singer and political activist * Kamal Ahmed, singer, administrator *

Suchitra Sen Suchitra Sen, widely known as the Mahanayika (), was an Indian actress who worked in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali and Hindi cinema. The movies in which she was paired opposite actor Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Cinema of Wes ...

, actress * Mazidul Islam Moni, former footballer and fighter

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Districts of Bangladesh Districts of Bangladesh established before 1971 Rajshahi Division