Dinajpur District
Dinajpur District (rangpur division) area 3444.30 sq km, located in between 25°10' and 26°04' north latitudes and in between 88°23' and 89°18' east longitudes. It is bounded by thakurgaon and panchagarh districts on the north, gaibandha and joypurhat districts on the south, nilphamari and rangpur districts on the east and west bengal state of India on the west.
Population Total 2990128; male 1508670, female 1481458; Muslim 2333253, Hindu 583313, Buddhist 473, Christian 37488 and others 35601. Indigenous communities such as santals, oraon, Mahali, Malpahari, Kol' belong to this upazila.'
Water bodies jamuna, Tulsiganga, punarbhaba and atrai rivers are notable.
Administration Dinajpur district was established in 1786. Its previous name was Ghoraghat district. Various parts of the districts were included in Purnia, Rangpur and rajshahi districts at different times during 1833 to 1870. Thakurgaon and Panchagarh Sub-divisions of this district were turned into independent districts in 1984. Among the 13 upazilas under this district birganj is the biggest (413 sq km); it covers 12.01% of the total area of the district. hakimpur is the smallest upazila of the district (99.92 sq km).
| District | |||||||||
| Area (sq km) | Upazila | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Urban | Rural | ||||||||
| 3444.30 | 13 | 8 | 101 | 1974 | 2131 | 453699 | 2536429 | 868 | 52.4 |
| Others Information of District | ||||||||
| Name of upazila | Area (sq km) | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) |
| Kaharole | 205.53 | - | 6 | 152 | 152 | 154432 | 751 | 51.3 |
| Khansama | 179.72 | - | 6 | 57 | 57 | 171764 | 956 | 47.5 |
| Ghoraghat | 148.67 | 1 | 4 | 103 | 103 | 117740 | 792 | 46.0 |
| Chirirbandar | 312.69 | - | 12 | 142 | 142 | 292500 | 935 | 52.9 |
| Dinajpur Sadar | 354.73 | 1 | 10 | 207 | 207 | 484597 | 1366 | 64.3 |
| Nawabganj | 314.68 | - | 9 | 204 | 272 | 229337 | 729 | 42.8 |
| Parbatipur | 395.04 | 1 | 10 | 152 | 230 | 365103 | 924 | 53.9 |
| Fulbari | 228.49 | 1 | 7 | 151 | 152 | 176023 | 770 | 52.6 |
| Biral | 353.98 | - | 10 | 237 | 237 | 257925 | 729 | 47.3 |
| Birampur | 212.88 | 1 | 7 | 150 | 169 | 170806 | 802 | 51.6 |
| Birganj | 413.11 | 1 | 11 | 186 | 187 | 317253 | 768 | 48.1 |
| Bochaganj | 224.79 | 1 | 6 | 139 | 141 | 160049 | 712 | 52.6 |
| Hakimpur | 99.92 | 1 | 3 | 56 | 83 | 92599 | 927 | 54.7 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011,Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
War of Liberation Dinajpur district was under Sector 7 of war of liberation. On 29 March a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army on the Dinajpur road of fulbari upazila in which the freedom fighters captured a number of Pak military vehicles, arms and ammunitions, and a lot of supplies of the Pak army. On 8 April the Pak army killed about 300 persons at Ramkrishnapur, Baghbari and Peyadapara of parbatipur upazila; the Pak army also set many houses of those areas on fire. On 19 April the Pak army attacked the Hili of Hakimpur upazila. Two freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army at Chhatni of Hakimpur. In an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Ketra Hat of birampur upazila 7 Pakistani soldiers were killed and so were 16 freedom fighters. On 20 July the Pak army brutally killed 21 innocent persons at village Khairgani of nawabganj upazila. They also killed 157 innocent persons at Chararhat of this upazila on 10 October. The Pak army brutally killed 37 innocent persons at Bahala of Bijore union of BIRAL upazila on 13 November. About 345 freedom fighters were killed in encounters with the Pak army at different places of Hakimpur between 21 November and 11 December. In the first week of December, an encounter between the freedom fighters and the Pak army was held at a place on the east side of the Bhatgaon Bridge of Birganj upazila in which about 50 Pakistani soldiers were killed and so were a number of freedom fighters. In this encounter the freedom fighters also destroyed two tanks belonging to the Pak army. On 4 December the general public attacked a Pak military vehicle and killed a number of Pakistani soldiers at Beparitola of Birampur upazila. About 30 freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Pak army on 15 December at Bogulakhari. Besides, about 100 Pakistani soldiers were killed in an encounter with the freedom fighters at Bahabal Dighi of Biral upazila. In encounters between the freedom fighters and the Pak army in kaharole upazila 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed and so were 7 innocent Bangalis. Mass graves have been discovered at 7 places of Dinajpur district, there are 4 mass killing sites and 5 memorial monuments had been built.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 52.4%; male 55.7%, female 49.1%. Educational institutions: university 1, veterinary college 1, college 118, vocational and other centres 10, textile institute 1, secondary school 617, primary school 1713, community school 11, NGO school 29, kindergarten 10, madrasa 351. Noted educational institutions: Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (1999), Parbatipur Degree College (1964), Biral Degree College (1972), Daudpur Degree College (1972), Hakimpur Degree College (1984), William Carey Nimna Madhyamik School (1799), Dinajpur Zila School (1854), Dinajpur Government Girls' High School (1869), Jubilee High School (1887), Maharaja Girijanath High School (1913), Rajarampur SU High School (1913), Mollapara Bilateral High School (1913), Parbatipur Pilot Girls' High School (1914), Rudrani High School (1915), Sujapur High School (1919), Fulbari GM Pilot High School (1920), Palashbari High School (1921), Janangkur Pilot High School (1925), Saradeshwari Girls' High School (1927), Dinajpur High School (1930), Ekoir Mangalpur High School (1930), Kaharole High School (1940), Habra High School (1942), Raniganj Bilateral High School (1945), Nurul Huda High School (1951), New Pakerhat High School (1959), Birganj Government High School (1962), Mission Primary School (1842), Jurai Fazil Madrasa (1952), Bhawanipur Islamia Kamil Madrasa (1972).
Main sources of income Agriculture 63.90%, non-agricultural labourer 3.29%, industry 0.90%, commerce 12.89%, transport and communication 3.35%, service 6.58%, construction 3.37%, religious service 0.17%, rent and remittance 0.23% and others 5.32%.
Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Uttara, Pratidin, Uttarbanga, Tista, Janamat, Ajker Protibha and Uttar Banga, Antar kantha, Uttranchal, Simanto Barta, Patralap; Weekly: Atahpar and Ajker Barta; Monthly: Noaroj (defunct).
Folkculture Bhawaya, kirtan, panchali, Meyeli geet (folk song sung by women on festive occasions), songs of Gorokshanath, Charak song, Baul song, proverbs, rhymes, puzzles, jarigan, etc are notable.
Tourist spots Mazar of Chehel Gazi, Rajbari, Sukhsagar, Matasagar, Ramsagar Dighi, Ananda Sagar (Dinajpur Sadar), kantanagar temple (Kaharole), Swapna Puri (Nawabganj). [Ahmad Hossain]
See also The upazilas under this district.
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Dinajpur District 2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Dinajpur District 2007.
