Rangpur District
Rangpur District (rangpur division) area 2400.56 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 dinajpur district on the west.
Population Total 2881086; male 1443816, female 1437270; Muslim 2604263, Hindu 258684, Buddhist 1863, Christian 6594 and others 9682. 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 | ||||||||
| 2400.56 | 8 | 3 | 83 | 1197 | 1492 | 442713 | 2438373 | 1200 | 48.5 |
| Others Information of District | ||||||||
| Name of Upazila | Area (sq km) | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) |
| Kaunia | 147.64 | 1 | 6 | 75 | 78 | 227805 | 1543 | 41.9 |
| Gangachara | 269.67 | - | 10 | 93 | 128 | 297869 | 1105 | 43.2 |
| Taraganj | 128.65 | - | 5 | 40 | 41 | 142512 | 1108 | 43.8 |
| Pirganj | 411.34 | - | 15 | 308 | 332 | 385499 | 937 | 45.4 |
| Pirgachha | 266.84 | - | 9 | 170 | 170 | 313319 | 1174 | 44.6 |
| Badarganj | 301.28 | 1 | 10 | 63 | 120 | 287746 | 955 | 43.0 |
| Mitha Pukur | 515.62 | - | 17 | 309 | 315 | 508133 | 985 | 46.0 |
| Rangpur Sadar | 359.48 | 1 | 11 | 139 | 308 | 718203 | 1998 | 61.0 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2001, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
War of Liberation In March 1971 the Pak army killed Shanku Samaddar, Abul Kalam Azad, Mokbul Hossain and Omar Ali of Rangpur. On 28 March 1971 the people of Mitha Pukur upazila surrounded the Rangpur Cantonment with indigenous weapons such as lathi (stick), ballam (barcha, alternatively known as barsha) bow and arrow. 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 the district and the most noted mass killing took place at Joyram Anwar Mouza of Pairaband Union. On 1 April 1971 the freedom fighters of Kaunia upazila shot and killed the Officer in Charge of the Police Station. 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 of Khalisa Hajipur, Bujruk Hajipur, Ghatabeel and Ramnathpur. The Pak army killed Professor Chitta Ranjan Roy (Mathematics), Professor Boam Krishna Adhikari (Philosophy) and Professor Sunil Chandra Chakravorty of the Department of Bangla, (all residing in the Rangpur Carmichael College campus), in the night 30 April and buried them in a mass grave at a place in a bamboo hedge near the Damdam Bridge. Besides, the Pak army also killed many teachers and students including Professor Kalachand Roy along with his wife, Professor Md. Abdur Rahman and Professor Shah Solaiman Ali in the College compound. The Pak army used Rangpur Town Hall as their torture cell. On 2 June two Pakistani soldiers entered a village near the Tista Bridge of Kaunia upazila and attempted violation of women. The agitated villagers killed both of them. Following the event the Pak army sacked the villages located on the western side of the Tista Bridge on 30 June 1971 and killed nearly 200 persons. In August the Pakistani soldiers captured a number of people at village Darar Par of Sayar union under Taraganj upazila and later 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 Pakistani 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 Pakistani 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 forced and thereby Rangpur district was liberated. There are mass graves at 4 places (Damdama Bridge and Damdama Bazar (Mithapukur), Angrar Bridge, Madarganj Bazar (Pirganj) and 10 mass killing sites at Dahiganj Crematory, eastern side of the river Ghaghat, Balar Dighi (adjacent to the cantonment), under the bridge of the river Ghaghat, Lahirir Hat (adjacent to the Badarganj Road), a place near the Damdama Bridge (Mitha Pukur), Sahebganj, Nandiganj, Jharuar Beel (Badarganj); a memorial sculpture (Arjan) was built.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 48.5%; male 51.2%, female 45.9%. 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 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Rangpur District 2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Rangpur District 2007.
