Rangpur District (rangpur division) area 2370.45 sq km,
located in between 25°18' and 25°57' north latitudes and in between 88°56' and
89°32' east longitudes. It is bounded by nilphamari and lalmonirhat districts on the north, gaibandha district on the south, kurigram district on the east and dinajpurdistrict on the west.
Population Total 2542441; male 1307396, female 1235045;
Muslim 2296790, Hindu 229963, Buddhist 5781, Christian 2060 and others 7847.
Indigenous communities such as santal, munda and oraon belong
to this upazila.
Water bodies Main rivers: tista,
Jamuneshwari, ghaghat, karatoya, Chikali, Akhira.
Administration Rangpur' district was formed on 1
February 1984.
District
|
Area (sq km)
|
Upazila
|
Municipality
|
Union
|
Mouza
|
Village
|
Population
|
Density (per sq km)
|
Literacy rate (%)
|
Urban
|
Rural
|
2370.45
|
8
|
3
|
83
|
1215
|
1435
|
457234
|
2085207
|
1101
|
41.91
|
History of the War of Liberation In March 1971, the Pak
army killed Shanku Samaddar, Abul Kalam Rangpur Carmichael
College campus), on the night of 30
April and buried them in a mass grave inside a bamboo hedge near the Damdam Bridge.
Besides, the Pak army also killed some teachers and students including
Professor Kalachand Roy along with his wife, Professor Md. Abdur Rahman,
Professor Shah Solaiman Ali in the College compound. The Pak army had their
torture cell at Rangpur
Town Hall. On 2 June two
Pak soldiers entered into a village near the Tista Bridge of Kaunia upazila and
attempted violation of women; the agitated villagers killed both of them. In
consequence, on 30 June 1971, the Pak army sacked the villages located on the
western side of the Tista
Bridge and killed nearly
200 persons. In August the Pak soldiers captured a number of people at village
Darar Par of Sayar union under Taraganj upazila and later on killed all of
them. In the month of October an encounter was held between the freedom
fighters (Mujib Bahini) and the Pak army at village Shankardaha of Pirgachha
upazila in which 2 Pak soldiers and 5 razakars were killed. The Pak army
brutally killed 17 pious Muslims inside the Taltala Mosque. On 2 December
another encounter was held between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at
Monurchhara of Parul union under Pirgachha upazila in which one freedom fighter
was killed and so were two Pak soldiers. On 3 December the Pak army conducted
mass killing on the Barati
Bridge over the river
Jamuneshwari. On 13 December, 212 razakars of Gangachara upazila surrendered to
the freedom fighters. On 17 December the Pak army surrendered to the joint
forces and thereby Rangpur district was liberated.
Azad, Mokbul Hossain and Omar Ali of
Rangpur sadar. On 28 March 1971 the people of Mitha
Pukur upazila surrounded
the Rangpur cantonment with indigenous weapons such as Lathi, Ballam, bow and
arrow, etc. At this time the 29 Cavalry Regiment fired from machine gun and
killed a large number of people. The Pak army conducted mass killing and heavy
plundering in this upazila most noted of which is the mass killing of Joyram
Anwar Mouza ofPairaband union. On 1 April 1971, the freedom fighters of
Kaunia upazila shot the Officer in Charge of the Police Station dead. On 13
April the Pak army brutally killed 11 Bangali EPR personnel at Nandiganj of
Pirganj upazila. On 17 April the Pak army and their local agents conducted mass
killing in Badarganj upazila; they also sacked the villages Khalisa Hajipur,
Bujruk Hajipur, Ghatabeel and Ramnathpur. The Pak army killed Professor Chitta
Ranjan Roy (Mathematics), Professor Boam Krishna Adhikari (Philosophy),
Professor Sunil Chandra Chakravorty of the Department of Bangla, (all residing
in the
Marks of War of Liberation Mass grave 4 (Damdama Bridge
and Damdama Bazar (Mithapukur), Angrar Bridge, Madarganj Bazar (Pirganj); Mass
killing site 10 (Dahiganj crematory, eastern side of the river Ghaghat, Balar
Dighi (adjacent to the cantonment), under the bridge on the river Ghaghat,
Lahirir Hat (adjacent to the Badarganj Road), place near the Damdama Bridge
(Mitha Pukur), Sahebganj, Nandiganj, Jharuar Beel (Badarganj); Memorial
sculpture 1 Arjan).
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average
literacy 41.91%; male 46.50%, female 37.06%. Educational institutions:
university 1, open university 1, medical college 1, teacher's training college
2, law college 1, homeopath college 1, college 65, polytechnical institute 1,
vocational institutions 1, cadet college 1, secondary school 320, primary school
1166, community school 20, kindergarten 25, satellite school 44, music school
1, NGO operated school 193, madrasa 370. Noted educational institutions: Begum
Rokeya University (2008), Rangpur Carmichael College (1916), Begum Rokeya
Government Mohila College (1964), Rangpur Medical College (1966), Teachers
Training College (1858), Rangpur Cadet College (1977), Rangpur Zila School
(1832), Rangpur Girls' High School (1876), Kailash Ranjan High School (1913).
Main sources of income Agriculture 62.99%, non-agricultural
labourer 4.66%, industry 1.11%, commerce 13.28%, transport and communication
3.90%, service 6.32%, construction 1.18%, religious service 0.20%, rent and
remittance 0.20% and others 6.16%.
Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Dabanal (1980), Juger
Alo (1992), Rangpur (1997), Paribesh (1994), Akhira, Arjan; weekly: Atal
(1991), Rangpur (1996), Rangpur Barta (1996), Bajrakantha (Pirganj); defunct:
Rangpur Bartabaha (1847), Rangapur Darpan (1907), Rangpur Sahitta Porishad (1905),
Rangpur Dik Prakash (1861), Uttar Bangla (1960), Pravati (1955).
Folk culture The prevalent folk culture of the district
include Palagan, Yogir Gan, Chhokra Nachani Gan, songs imitating marriage of
trees, songs imitating marriage of frogs, Goalir Gan (songs of milk maid),
Hudumar Geet, Punthi path (recitation from the Puthi), songs of Lalon,
Bhawaiya, Bhatiali, songs of Hasan Raja, songs of Abbasuddin, Murshidi,
Marfati, Dehatattva, Harishava in the temple, rhymes, folk tale, proverbs, etc.
Tourist Spots Tajhat Zamindar Bari (Rangpur Sadar),
Pirgachha Zamindar Bari, Phanibhusan Majumdar Zamindar Bari, Paira Chhattar,
Three Domed Keramatia Mosque at Rangpur, Tribigraha Mandir, Vinna Jagat
Amusement Park, Dargah of Shah Ismail Gazi (R), Begum Rokeya Memorial Centre at
Pairabandh (Mitha Pukur). '[Abdus Sattar]
See also The upazilas under this district.
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001,
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Rangpur District
2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Rangpur District 2007.
