Rajshahi (, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, administrative, commercial and educational centre of

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 also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

. Located on the north bank of 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 ...

, near the

Bangladesh–India border The Bangladesh–India border, known locally as the Radcliffe line, is an international boundary, international border running between the republics of Bangladesh and India. Six Divisions of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi divisions and five States and ...

, the city is surrounded by the satellite towns of Nowhata and Katakhali, which together build an urban agglomeration of about 1 million population. Modern

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 ...

lies in the ancient region of

Pundravardhana 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 ...

. The foundation of the city dates to 1634, according to epigraphic records at the mausoleum of

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

saint Shah Makhdum. The area hosted a Dutch settlement in the 18th century. The Rajshahi municipality was constituted during the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

in 1876. Rajshahi is a historic center of

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

production. Varendra Research Museum, the oldest of its kind in Bangladesh, is located in the city. Sometimes the city is referred to as the ''City of Education'', on account of being home to many renowned educational institutions of Bangladesh. The head office of Rajshahi Agricultural Development Bank and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) is situated in the city. The Shah Makhdum Airport serves Rajshahi. According to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', Rajshahi is the cleanest city of Bangladesh, and it is also the most environmentally friendly city in the country.

History

Etymology

The name "Rajshahi" originates from the Bengali words "Raj" (meaning "kingdom") and "Shahi" (meaning "royal"), reflecting its historical association with ruling dynasties and governance. The region was historically part of the

Pundra Kingdom 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 ...

and later saw rule by various empires, including the

Maurya The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

and Gupta empires.

Early history

Rajshahi has a rich history dating back to ancient times. The region was a significant center during the Mauryan period, and archaeological evidence suggests it was an important hub for trade and cultural exchange. The area was later part of the

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire was the empire ruled by the Pala dynasty, ("protector" in Sanskrit) a medieval Indian dynasty which ruled the kingdom of Gauda Kingdom, Gauda. The empire was founded with the election of Gopala, Gopāla by the chiefs of Kingdo ...

, which contributed to its

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

heritage. It was also under the rule of the

Sena dynasty The Sena/Sen dynasty was a List of Hindu empires and dynasties, Hindu dynasty during the Classical India, early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak cover ...

before the

Muslim conquest The Muslim conquests, Muslim invasions, Islamic conquests, including Arab conquests, Arab Islamic conquests, also Iranian Muslim conquests, Turkic Muslim conquests etc. *Early Muslim conquests **Ridda Wars **Muslim conquest of Persia ***Muslim conq ...

in the 13th century.

Medieval period

During the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

, Rajshahi came under the rule of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

and later the

Bengal Sultanate The Bengal Sultanate (Middle Bengali: , Classical Persian: ) was a Post-classical history, late medieval sultanate based in the Bengal region in the eastern South Asia between the 14th and 16th century. It was the dominant power of the Ganges- ...

. The region saw the influence of Persian and Mughal culture, which is still reflected in its architecture and traditions. The Mughal Empire played a crucial role in developing Rajshahi as a trade center, especially for

silk production Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, the caterpillar of the domestic silkmoth is the most widely used and intensively studied silkworm. This spe ...

British colonial rule

Under

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

, Rajshahi became an important administrative and commercial hub. The British established educational institutions and modern infrastructure, including railways, which boosted trade and connectivity. The region was particularly known for its silk industry, which flourished under British patronage. However, it was also a center of nationalist movements, with local leaders actively participating in the struggle for independence.

Post-independence development

After the partition of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in 1947, Rajshahi became part of

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

and later, following the Liberation War in 1971, an integral part of independent Bangladesh. The city continued to grow as a major educational and cultural center, housing prestigious institutions such as the

University of Rajshahi The University of Rajshahi (), also known as Rajshahi University (RU), is a public research university located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is the second oldest and third largest university in Bangladesh. The university's 59 departments are or ...

. Today, Rajshahi is recognized for its contributions to education.

Geography

Topography

Geographically Rajshahi is situated within Barind Tract, 23 m (75 ft) above sea level, and lies at . The city is located on the alluvial plains of the

, which runs through the southern side of the city. It is bounded on the east, north, and west by Paba Upazila (a subdivision of a district) of the district. Rajshahi District is bounded by Naogaon District to the north, Natore District to the east, and Chapai Nawabganj District and the river Padma & Kushtia District to the south.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Rajshahi has a tropical wet and dry climate. The climate of Rajshahi is generally marked with

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

s, high temperature, considerable

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

and moderate rainfall. The hot season commences early in March and continues till the middle of July. The maximum mean temperature observed is about during April, May, June, and July and the minimum temperature recorded in January is about . The highest rainfall is observed during the months of monsoon. The annual rainfall in the district is about . Although once noted for its

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

, since 2014 the levels of

particulates Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspension (chemistry), suspended in the atmosphere of Earth, air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate ...

have been dramatically reduced by various efforts to switch to cleaner fuels and to battery-powered vehicles, to pave earth streets, to encourage walking and bicycle transport, and to plant vegetation. The levels of PM10 dropped by 67% and PM2.5 which are particularly harmful to human health, dropped from 70 to 37 micrograms per cubic meter between 2014 and 2016. Lowest recorded temperature in Rajshahi was 3.4 °C on 9 January 2003 and highest recorded temperature was 45.1 °C on 18 May 1972.

Parks and greenery

Shaheed A.H.M Qamaruzzaman Central Park and Zoo is one of the popular public places in Rajshahi city. A wide area with green trees and grasses houses different animal species. It is located by the bank of the

. Other parks in the city are Bhubon Mohon Park and Captain Monsur Ali Park. Shahid Zia's children's park is specially designed for children's amusement. The bank of the Padma River along the city is also a destination for recreation. The bank is a planned zone in many parts of the city to accommodate city dwellers for recreation purposes. In 2015, Munsguard Park near the old Dutch

Boro Kuthi Boro Kuthi () is a historic building in Rajshahi, Bangladesh built by Dutch traders in eighteenth century. The building was also used as the first administrative center for Rajshahi University. The building is now under the Ministry of Cultural a ...

building and Lalonshah Park near Shahmukhdum Eidgah was built bordering the bank to provide residents a place to enjoy the views of the Padma river.

Points of interest

* Banks of the Padma River: One of the largest rivers in South Asia. During the Monsoon season, the water level rises. * Varendra Research Museum: Established in 1910, the museum is dedicated to ancient history and culture. It has a collection of artifacts relating to Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim heritage. Some of these date back to the 16th century. It is maintained by the university, located in the center of town. * Shrine of Shah Makhdum Rupos: A dargah (tomb) was established to mark the resting place of Shah Makhdum in 1635. He was the first preacher of Islam in the region. Legend has it that he arrived by riding down the Padma on two crocodiles. To preserve this myth, some crocodiles are kept in the pond next to the shrine. * Shaheed A.H.M Qamaruzzaman Central Park and Zoo: The park is a wide area with trees and grass. The zoo houses a variety of animal species. It is located by the bank of the river Padma. * Shahid Zia Park: An amusement park, it has a mono rail and bumping cars. It is under the Rajshahi City Corporation. *

: This campus is within a few kilometers of the city center. The second largest university in Bangladesh. * Shaheb Bazar: This is the center of the city, where most of the shopping malls and commercial buildings are located. * Ghoramara: The oldest part of Rajshahi City, consisting of most of the oldest (70 to 100 years old) buildings. *

: In the compound of the Barakuthi there is a small cemetery with groves dating back to the nineteenth century. There are 14 tombs with thirteen

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

s within the cemetery. * Upashohor: This is a planned model town. Rajshahi Cantonment is located beside this area. * Motihar:

Rajshahi University The University of Rajshahi (), also known as Rajshahi University (RU), is a Public university, public research university located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is the second oldest and third largest university in Bangladesh. The university's 59 ...

is situated in this area on a large campus surrounded by mango groves. * Kashia-Danga: From this area a massive mango tree garden area of Rajshahi starts. It is in the western part of the city, near Rajshahi Court railway station. * Santal Para: Located inside the Mahish-Bathan Area. Some Santal tribes people live here. * Bangabandhu Novo Theatre, Rajshahi: Establishment of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, Rajshahi is being implemented. File:Saheb Bazaar Rajshahi.jpg, Saheb Bazaar Rajshahi File:Shahid Zia Shishu Park 03.jpg, Shahid Zia Shishu Park File:Boddhovumi, University of Rajshahi.JPG, The site of mass grave inside Rajshahi University campus File:Rajshahi from Padma river.jpg, View of Rajshahi city from the

File:Smriti Amlan 02.jpg, Smriti Amlan Monument

Administration

Rajshahi is the headquarters of one of the eight administrative

divisions of Bangladesh Divisions are the first-level administrative divisions in Bangladesh. As of 2024, there are eight divisions of Bangladesh, each named after the major city within its jurisdiction that also serves as the administrative seat of that division. Eac ...

. The Divisional Commissioner, who is the administrative chief of the Rajshahi Division, the DIG for the Rajshahi division, and other divisional civil servants have their own offices in the city, which function as part of the government administrative setup. Deputy Commissioner (DC) who is the administrative chief of Rajshahi District, Civil Surgeon, and other district-level civil servants have their offices in the city. District judges as well as Metropolitan magistrates have their offices within the city. Rajshahi is one of seven metropolitan cities in Bangladesh. One mayor and 30 ward commissioners are elected for five-year terms by direct votes.

Rajshahi City Corporation Rajshahi City Corporation (), is a local governing body that manages all civic services in the Rajshahi, the city of Bangladesh. The RCC government is elected by popular vote every five years. It is headed by a mayor, who presides over 40 counc ...

is responsible for all the administrative work related to city governance under its jurisdiction.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) is a unit of Bangladesh Police, which is responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan area of Rajshahi. History Rajshahi Metropolitan Police was established on 1 July 1992. RMP began with four poli ...

(RMP), headed by a Commissioner, controls law and order as well as traffic movements within the metropolitan area. Rajshahi Unnayan Kortripokhkho/Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) plans and coordinates the development-related works within the metropolitan area. Rajshahi WASA is responsible for the water supply and drainage system within the city area.

Demographics

At the time of the 2022 census, Rajshahi had a population of 553,288 in 213,467 households. Rajshahi has a sex ratio of 942 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 75.17% Bengali is the main language for the citizens of the city. Many distinctive Bengali dialects and regional languages are also spoken. There is a minority Urdu-speaking population, who are descendants of displaced Muslims from the eastern part of British India who sought refuge during the separation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Rajshahi has been famous for its silk textiles since the British period. There are also several jute mills in Rajshahi. At present many glass-making factories have been set up in Rajshahi. Rajshahi City Corporation has constructed BSIC. Industrial City-02 in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi. And work is underway on a leather industry area. There will also be a 1,200-acre industrial zone under the Bangladesh Economic Zone (BEPZA). Bangabandhu Hi-Tech Park will play an important role in the development of IT in Rajshahi. When completed, it will revolutionize information and communication technology in the region, which will employ about 50,000 people. There is also a char on the banks of the river Padma near the city of Rajshahi. Rajshahi City Corporation has plans to build another economic zone on the char. When the construction of the char is completed, it will become the commercial center of

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 ...

Culture

Arts and festivals

Rajshahi is famous for Rajshahi silk, which has a special status as clothing material in the Indian subcontinent. Rajshahi is the home of the region's best mangoes and lichis. Rajshahi is also the location of Barendra Museum, which is known for its collection of local sculptures and other artifacts dating from medieval times. It also has some important structures made by the British like the T Dam. '' Pohela Baishakh'', the Bengali New Year, and Pahela Falgun, the first day of spring of the Bengali month Falgun, in the

Bengali calendar The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar (, colloquially , or , , "Bangla Year") is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. In contrast to the traditional Indian Hindu calendar, which begins with the month Chait ...

, is festively celebrated in the city. There are widespread celebrations of

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

festivals of

Eid ul-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the ...

Eid ul-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carri ...

, and

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

; Hindu festivals of

Durga Puja Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...

, the Buddhist festival of

Buddha Purnima Buddha's Birthday or Buddha Day (also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, and Buddha Pournami) is a primarily Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of South, Southeast and East Asia, commemorating the birth of the prince Siddhartha ...

; and the Christian festival of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

across the city.

Media

There are many Bengali daily newspapers published in the city, including ''Sonali Sangbad'', ''Uttorbongo Protidin'', Shadhin Janapad, ''Sunshine'', ''Dainik Barta'', ''Sonar Desh'', ''Natun Provat'', and ''Amader Rajshahi''. There are also many online news portal such as Uttarkal, Padmatimes24, AjkerRajshahi, rajshahinews24.com, silkcitynews.com, Priyojon TV and others. State-owned Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar have transmission centers in Rajshahi. The BTV relay station in Rajshahi is headquartered in the Kazihata neighborhood and has been operating since 2001. A local FM radio station, Radio Padma, transmits at 99.2

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

frequency and Radio Foorti transmits at 88.0

. There are also five press clubs in Rajshahi City. Known as Rajshahi City Press Club, Rajshahi Press Club, Rajshahi Metropolitan Press Club, Rajshahi Varendra Press Club, and Rajshahi Padma Press Club.

Sports

There are three 15,000+ capacity stadiums in the city. One is at the center of the city which is normally called the Rajshahi District Stadium, another is inside the Rajshahi University and the last one used for cricket is located at Terokhadia called Shaheed Qamaruzzaman Stadium. There is also an international standard tennis complex and a few sports training academies in the city. Many national-level footballers groomed in the city such as former Bangladesh national team captain Mohammed Mohsin and recent midfielder Manik Hossain Molla. The city is the home of several national-level club teams like Diganta Proshari Sangha and Sonali Otit Club. There are also a few football training academies including one in Rajshahi's central ''eidgah'' (large open ground used on special occasions for Muslim prayers) and in the Zilla stadium. The city is an important place for cricket in Bangladesh. As a regular supplier of cricketers in the national team, it is also the home of Bangladesh Premier League team Rajshahi Kings. The city has two cricket academies, Banglatrack and Clemon, to grow and train upcoming cricketers. Rajshahi is also known for hockey. Many local hockey practice clubs allow playing at national, inter-university, college, and school levels. There are National Team hockey players from Rajshahi. Late Mintu was one of them and by his name, there is "Mintu Chottor" at Lokkhipur Mor, Rajshahi.

Transport

Road

Rajshahi is connected to most other parts of the country via the N6 national highway. There are two intercity bus terminals in the city. It takes about 5 to 6 hours by road to reach the capital city

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 ...

. Several bus services, including air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses, are available to and from Dhaka. Bus services to other major cities and the district's headquarters are also available from Rajshahi.

Railway

Four inter-city train services are operated by Bangladesh Railway, named ''Silk City Express'', ''Padma Express'' and ''Dhumketu Express'', and Bonolota Express between Dhaka and Rajshahi railway station regularly. There are other inter-city, mail and local trains operated from Rajshahi to

Khulna Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division. It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division. Khulna is also the seco ...

and other regions of the country. There are two other railway stations in the city, ''Rajshahi Court'' and ''Rajshahi University''.

Air

The city is served by Shah Makhdum Airport, named after the Islamic preacher Shah Makhdum Rupos, situated at Nowhata, a commuter town of the city. Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Novoair, and US-Bangla Airlines operate domestic flights to and from

Public transport

Auto rickshaws and charging rickshaws are the main modes of transport within the city and metro area. Once there was plenty of Tomtom (horse-driven cart) in the city, which are still found, but fewer in numbers. There are bus and minibus services in a limited number of routes, connecting suburban areas of the city. Plenty of rental car agencies operate within the city and metro area, where sedans, SUVs, and micro-buses are available to hire hourly or daily. Ride-sharing services like

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...

and ''Obhai'' are also available in the city.

Healthcare

The city has many government, private and NGO-run hospitals. Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) is a tertiary-level public hospital with a teaching facility for graduate and postgraduate medical education. There are two private medical college hospitals, and another two are under construction in the city. There is also a government-run children's hospital, one chest hospital, a district-level government hospital, and a Christian missionary hospital within the city area.

Education

Building of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute

Rajshahi, commonly referred to as Education City ''(Sikkha Nogori)'', is home to many government, private and autonomous educational institutions. The secondary and higher secondary institutions in the city fall under the jurisdiction of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi. The city is home to the

Rajshahi College Rajshahi College (Bengali language, Bengali: রাজশাহী কলেজ) is a public college, public educational institution in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Established in 1873, it is the third oldest college in Bangladesh after Dhaka College a ...

- which is the third oldest college in Bangladesh after

Dhaka College Dhaka College (), informally known as DC, is a public educational institution of Bangladesh located in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. It is one of the oldest educational institutions in the subcontinent. It offers Honours degree, honours and Master's degree ...

, and

Chittagong College Chittagong College is a public educational institution in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is a higher secondary school and also a degree awarding college of National University, Bangladesh. It is the second higher secondary school in the region that ...

. Rajshahi Medical College is the second oldest medical college in erstwhile East Pakistan. The

is the second oldest and one of the largest public universities in the country. Rajshahi Engineering College, now known as RUET, was the second engineering college established in East Pakistan in 1964. For Technical Education Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute was Established in 1963, This Institute is under the

Bangladesh Technical Education Board The Bangladesh Technical Education Board is a state regulatory board responsible for monitoring and developing technical and vocational education in the secondary level ( SSC), 2-year higher secondary level (HSC/Vocational), 4-year Diploma in Agr ...

. Rajshahi consistently leads in pass rates and GPA 5 achievements in SSC and HSC results. Major educational institutes include: Universities: *

* Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology-RUET * Rajshahi Medical University *

Varendra University Varendra University (VU) is a private university 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 ...

* North Bengal International University Medical colleges: * Rajshahi Medical College(RMC) * Islami Bank Medical College * Barind Medical College * Shah Mokhdum Medical College Polytechnic institutes: * Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute * Rajshahi Women's Polytechnic Institute * Rajshahi Government Survey Institute Higher secondary institutions : *

* Rajshahi Government City College * New Government Degree College, Rajshahi * Rajshahi Cadet College * Rajshahi Collegiate School and College * Rajshahi Shikkha Board Government Model School and College * Rajshahi Cantonment Board School and College * Rajshahi Government Womens' College * Rajshahi Government Model School and College * Mohanagar College, Rajshahi * Shahmakhdum College, Rajshahi * Agroni School And College * Shahid A.H.M Kamaruzzaman Government Degree College * Shaheed Buddhijibi Government College * Rajshahi University School And College * Masjid Mission Academy (School And College) * Paramount School And College * Varendra College, Rajshahi * Bangabandhu Degree College, Rajshahi * Metropolitan College, Rajshahi * Rajshahi Court College Secondary institutions: * Government Pramathnath Girls' High School, Rajshahi * Rajshahi Government Girls' High School, Helenabad, Rajshahi * Rajshahi Collegiate School * Seroil Government High School * Government Laboratory High School Rajshahi * Haji Muhammad Mohsin Government High School, Rajshahi * Shahid Nazmul Haque Girls' High School * Rajshahi Government Model School and College * Rajshahi Shikkha Board Government Model School and College * Rajshahi Cantonment Public School and College * Rajshahi Cantonment Board School and College * Shimul Memorial North South School and College, Rajshahi * Sristy Central School and College * Court Model High School * Shaheed Colonel Kazi Emdadul Haque Public School * Uposhohor Housing Estate Girls' High School, Rajshahi Other institutions: * Technical Training Centre, Rajshahi * Rajshahi Govt. Teachers Training College * Silk Research and Training Institute * Higher Secondary Teacher's Training Institute

Notable residents

* A.H.M. Quamruzzaman, politician *

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor and playwright. Widely considered as one of the greatest film makers of all time, his works remained largely underrated and ignored during hi ...

, filmmaker * Hasan Azizul Huq, linguist * Fazle Hossain Badsha, Politician * Selina Hossain, novelist * Andrew Kishore, singer * Rajanikanta Sen, Poet * Akshay Kumar Maitreya, historian * A. H. M. Khairuzzaman Liton, Politician * Khaled Mashud, cricketer * Ila Mitra, activist * Sabbir Rahman, cricketer * Sir Jadunath Sarkar, historian * Mohammad Shamsuzzoha, academic * Mohammed Mohsin, footballer * Manik Hossain Molla, footballer * Junaid Siddique, cricketer * Najmul Hossain Shanto, cricketer * Enamul Karim Nirjhar, architect * Mizanur Rahman Minu, Politician * Mahiya Mahi, Actress *

Malay Bhowmick Malay Bhowmick is a Bangladeshi playwright, actor, director, and educationist. Bhowmick has a broad role to play in the movement of pedestrians, especially in the open play movement in the northern region of Bangladesh. Although professor of the ...

, Playwright and director * Shahriar Alam, politician *

Mrinal Haque Mrinal Haque (September 9, 1958 – August 22, 2020) was a Bangladeshi sculptor. Appointed by the Government of Bangladesh, best known for having created murals on the city streets of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Education Born in Rajsh ...

, sculptor * Saleh Hasan Naqib, university professor and vice-chancellor * Mostakim Wazed, footballer

Twin towns and sister cities

Rajshahi's twin town and

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there ar ...

are: *

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality is the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 116,000 as of January 2020, following th ...

, Norway (1979) *

Yiyang Yiyang ( zh, s=益阳 , t=益陽 , p=Yìyáng) is a prefecture-level city on the Zi River in Hunan province, China, straddling Lake Dongting and bordering Hubei to the north. According to the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Repub ...

, China (2018)

Awards

* National Environment Award (2021) * Environment Friendly City of the Year (2020) * National Environmental Award (2013) * Prime Minister’s National Award For Tree Plantation (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013)

References

External links

Map of Rajshahi District

E-Rajshahi (in English)
an online portal for information and government services managed by Rajshahi City Corporation
FinancialExpress-bd.com
News about LSE survey

Radio Bangladesh website for information on Bangladesh Betar

information on Shah Mokhdum Airpor {{Authority control Populated places in Rajshahi Division Cities in Bangladesh