Rangpur রংপুর | |
---|---|
Nickname(s): Green City, Education City, City of Colours | |
Coordinates: 25°44′56″N89°14′49″E / 25.749°N 89.247°E | |
Country | Bangladesh |
Division | Rangpur Division |
District | Rangpur District |
Establishment | 1575Mughal Empire) [1] | (During the
Municipality | 1 May 1869 |
City Corporation | 28 June 2012 |
Metropolitan City | 16 September 2018 |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–Council |
• Body | Rangpur City Corporation |
• Deputy Commissioner | Mohammad Robiul Foysal |
• Police Commissioner | Md Saifuzzam Faruqi |
Area | |
• Urban | 205 km2 (79 sq mi) |
• Metro | 239.72 km2 (92.56 sq mi) |
• Rank | 2nd largest City Corporation in Bangladesh |
Elevation | 34 m (111.549 ft) |
Population (2022) | |
• Rank | 5th in Bangladesh |
• Urban | 1,031,388 |
• Urban density | 3,871/km2 (10,030/sq mi) |
• Metro | 1,450,128 |
• Metro density | 4,167/km2 (10,790/sq mi) |
Demonyms |
|
Languages | |
• Official | Bengali • English |
• Native | Rangpuri |
Time zone | UTC+06:00 (BST) |
Postal code | 5400 [2] |
National calling code | +088 |
Calling code | 521 |
Police | Rangpur Metropolitan Police |
Airport | Saidpur Airport |
Railway Station | Rangpur Railway Station |
National Highway | |
Cricket Team | |
UN/LOCODE | BD RAU |
Website | rpcc |
Rangpur ( /rʌŋˈpʊər/ ; Bengali : রংপুর, romanized: Rongpur; pronounced [rɔŋpuɾ] ), is a metropolitan city and a major city in northern Bangladesh. This city serves as the administrative center of the Rangpur Division. It is strategically located on the banks of the Ghaghot River and near the Teesta River. It is the second largest City Corporation in Bangladesh. [3] The city has developed rapidly in recent years, with improvements in infrastructure and services enhancing its role as a key regional hub. Rangpur has become a key destination for students from other districts and cities seeking quality education. Rangpur City features notable educational institutions. Rangpur has also a vibrant local culture, including traditional festivals and community events. [4] [5]
It is said that back in 1575, a trusted general of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, took over Rangpur. But it was not until 1686 that Rangpur was fully integrated into the Mughal Empire. Back on 16 December, 1769, Rangpur was announced as a District Seat (Zila Sadar) and in 1869, it was announced as a municipality, thus making it one of the oldest municipalities in the country. However, Ghoraghat in Rangpur served as the one of the Mughal administrative headquarters till 18th century . [6] The municipal office building was erected in 1892 .
Previously serving as the headquarters of the Greater Rangpur district, The Greater Rangpur district was divided in five districts in 1984. Rangpur underwent administrative restructuring, resulting in the formation of the Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, and Rangpur districts.
It is said that the present name Rangpur came from the former 'Rongpur'. History has it, that English colonial rulers in this region started cultivating Indigo. Due to the fertile soil in this region, Indigo cultivation was very much profitable. The locals knew that Indigo by the name of "Rongo". So thus, this Region was named "Rongopur".And from that, the name of today's Rangpur has originated. It is known from another conventional notion that the name Rangpur comes from the naming of Rangmahal (Palace of Entertainment) of Bhagadatta, son of Narakasura, king of Pragjyotisha Kingdom. [7]
According to Hindu theology, the eastern kingdom of Kamarupa or Pragjyotisha existed in India, which included the present Rangpur region. During the reign of King Bhagadatta (15th century BC) Rangpur belonged to Pragjyotisha Kingdom. During the reign of King Samudragupta (340 AD) Rangpur was considered a "Tax state" of Kamarupa. [8]
According to Ain-i-Akbari, the Mughal period Rangpur consisted of three types of administrative areas. Rangpur was conquered by the army of Raja Man Singh, a commander of the Mughal emperor Akbar, in 1575, but it was not until 1686, it was fully integrated into the Mughal Empire. The Mughal Empire was established in the whole of Rangpur in 1611 AD. Place names Mughalbasa ("a locality of the Mughals"), and Mughalhat ("local market") organized by the Mughals bear testimony to the Mughal association and past of Rangpur and its hinterland. Later, Rangpur passed into the control of Sarker of Ghoraghat. [9]
After the East India Company gained "Deoani" in 1765, Rangpur came under British rule. The Fakir-Sannyasi rebellion took place in the Rangpur region, in which leaders like Fakir Majnu Shah played a key Role. The notable anti-colonialist rebel Devi Chaudhurani and Bhabani Pathak were from this region. [10] In the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the rebellious sepoys spread terror among the British rulers in the region. Later, in 1930, the first Civil disobedience movement was started in different parts of Rangpur on the call of Congress. A meeting of the peasant leaders of North Bengal was held here in October 1946, and the Tebhaga movement began in November. [8]
Rangpur was a District of East Pakistan Province during the Pakistani Period. People of Rangpur actively take part in different movements like Bengali language movement, Six point movement and 1969 Mass uprising. The first martyr from Rangpur in the liberation war was Sangku Samajhder, who was martyred on the date of 3 March 1971. Rangpur people started the Liberation War decisively on 28 March 1971, only three days after the Pakistani crackdown by attacking the Rangpur Cantonment. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Rangpur was under Sector 6 of the Bangladesh Forces and it was strategically important due to its close proximity to border of India. [11] [12]
The Greater Rangpur district was divided in five districts in 1984. On 28 June 2012, Rangpur Municipality was upgraded to Rangpur City Corporation and on 16 September 2018, Rangpur was granted as 8th Metropolitan city of Bangladesh. [13] [14]
Rangpur City is the divisional headquarters of Rangpur Division. The soil composition is mainly alluvial soil (80 percent) of the Teesta River basin, and the remaining is barind soil. The elevation of Rangpur is 34 meters. [15] The temperature ranges from 32 degrees Celsius to 11 degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall averages 2931 mm. Rangpur town, covering an area of around 42 square kilometers, lies on the bank of the Ghaghat river and was turned into a municipality back in 1869.
Rangpur has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), also in Trewartha climate classification (subtropical summer wet Cw). The 4 seasons of Rangpur generally characterize as a Summer or pre-monsoon season with high Temperature and frequent intense thunderstorms named Nor'westers (March–May), an intense and very wet Monsoon season with substantial flooding in low lying areas (June–September), short and cooler Autumn season (October–November) and lastly, the more pleasant, mild and drier Winter season from (December–February) with warm afternoons and cool mornings, with some cold nights. The average annual temperature in Rangpur is 24.9 °C (76.8 °F). In Winters, it can be very foggy and nighttime temperature can fall below 5 °C (41.0 °F) whereas, day time temperature remains around 20 °C (68.0 °F). About 2,192 mm (86.30 in) of precipitation falls annually, almost all of them falls in the monsoon season (June to September), Although, there is very little rain from November to March, but small amount of Precipitation can be seen due to Western Disturbance coming from the Mediterranean Sea. Snow and frost have been recorded in Rangpur, though very rarely.
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record high °C (°F) | 29.4 (84.9) | 34.4 (93.9) | 43.3 (109.9) | 42.5 (108.5) | 41.2 (106.2) | 38.2 (100.8) | 38.4 (101.1) | 39.8 (103.6) | 38.0 (100.4) | 37.2 (99.0) | 33.4 (92.1) | 30.6 (87.1) | 43.3 (109.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) | 26.4 (79.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.9 (89.4) | 31.0 (87.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 25.0 (77.0) | 29.7 (85.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 23.7 (74.7) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 24.6 (76.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.7 (56.7) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.3 (70.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.3 (55.9) | 20.3 (68.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) | 3.7 (38.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.1 (70.0) | 20.7 (69.3) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.2 (57.6) | 10.1 (50.2) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.5 (38.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 9 (0.4) | 10 (0.4) | 27 (1.1) | 121 (4.8) | 277 (10.9) | 426 (16.8) | 416 (16.4) | 343 (13.5) | 382 (15.0) | 171 (6.7) | 6 (0.2) | 4 (0.2) | 2,192 (86.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 108 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 82 | 75 | 68 | 74 | 81 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 80 | 81 | 81 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 184.6 | 206.9 | 239.3 | 210.0 | 199.4 | 150.2 | 154.9 | 172.0 | 165.5 | 227.8 | 236.6 | 214.8 | 2,362 |
Source 1: NOAA [16] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Bangladesh Meteorological Department (humidity 1981-2010) [17] |
The Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) is responsible for governing municipal areas in the Rangpur Metropolitan Area. It was established in 28 June 2012. Rangpur City Corporation's total area is 205.70 square kilometers with approximately has the population of 7,96,556 people in the city corporation area. [18] It is headed by the mayor of Rangpur. The mayor and ward councillors are elected every five years. The mayor's office has jurisdiction over all 33 wards of Rangpur City. Its principal sources of revenue are municipal taxes and conservancy charges.
Rangpur is the headquarters of 66th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army.
The city is the commercial hub. Its center has several government offices and private banks, insurance companies, residential hotels, and international restaurants, such as Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, convenience food, and gift shops. It is one of the most important economic zones in Bangladesh because of its global positioning. Rangpur is one of the major tobacco producing region in Bangladesh. [19] The northern suburbs of Rangpur homes to tobacco companies like British American Tobacco, Akij Group, Abul Khair Group.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1950 | 34,000 | — |
1960 | 44,000 | +29.4% |
1970 | 68,000 | +54.5% |
1980 | 134,000 | +97.1% |
1991 | 191,398 | +42.8% |
2001 | 241,310 | +26.1% |
2011 | 300,659 | +24.6% |
2022 | 708,534 | +135.7% |
Source: popstat,pre-1991,citypopulation.de after 1991,2022 census |
According to the 2022 Bangladesh census, Rangpur city had a population of 708,534 and a literacy rate of 80.94%. [21] : 388–394
According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Rangpur city had 64,885 households and a population of 300,659. 51,791 (17.23%) were under 10 years of age. Rangpur had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 72.08%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 926 females per 1000 males. [20]
Major educational institutes in the city including:
Rangpur City Corporation is divided into 33 wards and different neighbourhoods (Mahallah), which can be categorized as Urban and Suburban.
Rangpur is well connected by highways to Chittagong and Dhaka, as well as other parts of Rangpur. It takes about 6 to 7 hours by road to reach the capital Dhaka by National Highway 5. Bus services to other major districts are also available from Rangpur. Highway links to India have been established through the Asian Highway 2. Rangpur also has a BRTC Double Decker bus service, [23] which connects the suburbs of the city to city center.
The Rangpur Railway Station is the main railway station providing trains on national routes operated by the state-run Bangladesh Railway. The Rangpur Express [24] is a Bangladeshi Intercity train which runs between Rangpur and Dhaka. Other trains running between Rangpur and Dhaka are, Kurigram Express and Lalmoni Express.
The city of Rangpur is served by Saidpur Airport, located at the north of the city. Saidpur airport is a domestic airport. Saidpur Airport is connected through several private airlines such as Novoair, US-Bangla Airlines, Air Astra & Biman Bangladesh Airlines, a government airline with main hub in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. A massive renovation work is going on at Saidpur Airport ahead of its planning to become the new International Airport for Northern Bangladesh region.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Rangpur, Bangladesh, while field hockey, basketball, baseball, and tennis are also popular. [25]
The most popular sport in Rangpur is cricket, although football is also popular. There is a 10,000-capacity Rangpur Stadium is used for football and other sports. Another local stadium is Cricket Garden, [26] which is mainly used for cricket. There are also a few sports training academies in the city. In domestic Twenty20 cricket, Rangpur has a Bangladesh Premier League franchise known as Rangpur Riders. In December 2012, I Sports bought the Rangpur franchise for $1.01 m. Notable players from Rangpur who have played for the national team include Nasir Hossain, [27] Suhrawadi Shuvo. [28]
Rangpur's twin towns and sister cities are:
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, commonly known as Begum Rokeya, was a prominent Bengali feminist thinker, writer, educator and political activist from British India. She is widely regarded as a pioneer of women's liberation in Bangladesh and India.
Mymensingh District is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by the districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail. Mymensingh is the 8th administrative divisional headquarter and 12th city corporation of Bangladesh. According to Ministry of Public Administration, Mymensingh is ranked 4th in district status. The density of Mymensingh city is 44,458/km2 which is the second most densely populated city in Bangladesh. Mymensingh attracts 25 percent of health tourists visiting Bangladesh. Once known as the largest district of the Indian subcontinent. Mymensingh town is the district headquarters.
Nilphamari district is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division. It is about 400 kilometers to the northwest of the capital Dhaka. It has an area of 1,580.85 square kilometres (610.37 sq mi). Nilphamari is bounded by Rangpur and Lalmonirhat in east, Rangpur and Dinajpur in south, Dinajpur and Panchagarh in west, Cooch Behar of India in north. The many rivers in Nilphamari district include the Tista, Buritista, Isamoti, Jamuneshwari, Dhum, Kumlai, Charalkata, Sorbomongola, Salki, Chikli, Chara and Deonai. There are four Municipal Corporation in Nilphamari district. Area of these Municipalities are Nilphamari 42.70 SqKm(27.50 SqKm Present, 15.20 SqKm Ongoing), Saidpur-34.42 SqKm, Jaldhaka-28.22 SqKm and Domar-9.421 SqKm. There are 60(sixty) Unions, 370 Moujas and 378 Village in Nilphamari district.
Rangpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.
Saidpur is a city of Nilphamari district in Rangpur Division of Bangladesh. The city has become a very important communication hub for adjoining major district headquarters. Saidpur Airport is one of the domestic airports in Bangladesh. The Syedpur Railway Workshop, established in 1870, is the largest in Bangladesh and was the major railway workshop for Assam-Bengal railway. Historically the city has an Urdu-speaking community with close ties to Bihar.
Mithapukur is an upazila of Rangpur District in the division of Rangpur, Bangladesh. The upazila is situated in the middle of Rangpur, surrounded by Rangpur Sadar to the north, Pirganj to the south, Badarganj and Phulbari to the west and Pirgachha and Sundarganj to the east. Mithapukur is famous for being the birthplace of Begum Rokeya and its sweet mango Harivanga.
Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni was a Bangladeshi politician. He was one of the nephews of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. He was the founder of Mujib Bahini Bangladesh Liberation Force-BLF one of the major guerrilla forces of the Bangladesh Liberation War and also the founder of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, the youth wing of Bangladesh Awami League.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bangladesh:
The Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, formerly Rangpur University, is a public research university in Rangpur, Bangladesh. Founded in 2008, it is the only generally categorized university in Rangpur Division and the second public university in the region. It was named after the feminist writer and social worker Begum Rokeya.
Rangpur Division is one of the Divisions in Bangladesh. It was formed on 25 January 2010, as Bangladesh's 7th division. Before that, it was under Rajshahi Division. The Rangpur division consists of eight districts. There are 58 Upazilas or subdistricts under these eight districts. Rangpur is the northernmost division of Bangladesh and has a population of 17,610,956 in the 2022 Census.
Ghulam Muhammed Quader, better known as GM Quader, is a Bangladeshi politician and the 2nd chairperson of Jatiya Party and was the Opposition Leader of Bangladesh Parliament. He is a former Jatiya Sangsad member from the Lalmonirhat-3 constituency. He served as the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism from 2009 to 2014.
Naziur Rahman Manzur was a Bangladesh Jatiya Party politician, founding chairman of the party, former government minister in the cabinet of Hussain Mohammad Ershad and the first mayor of Dhaka City Corporation.
Karimunnesa Khanam Chaudhurani was a Bengali poet, social worker, and patron of literature.
The Rangpur region predominantly includes the northern Bangladeshi districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari. Since 2010, Rangpur City has been the headquarters of the Rangpur Division of Bangladesh.
Md. Hasibur Rashid is a Bangladeshi educationist and professor in the Department of Management Information Systems, Dhaka University and Head of Department of MIS, Begum Rokeya University. He was the fifth Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR). Prior to this position he was the second treasurer of the University.
The zamindars of Mahipur were a Bengali aristocratic family of feudal landowners. The zamindari estate encompassed the Chakla of Qazirhat under the Cooch Behar State since the Mughal period. Although their aristocratic status was lost with the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950, the Mahipur estate remains an important part of the history of Rangpur and belongs to one of the eighteen ancient zamindar families of Rangpur. The zamindari palace was lost as a result of flooding from the Teesta River, although the mosque, cemetery, polished reservoir and large draw-well can still be seen today.
Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah is the former vice-chancellor of Begum Rokeya University.
Md. Abu Bakr Siddique is the former secretary of the Ministry of Education in charge of the Secondary and Higher Education Division. He was the former Chairman of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. He was the Secretary of the Bridges Division. He served in the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Abu Sayed was a Bangladeshi student activist who was shot dead by the Bangladesh Police on 16 July 2024, while participating in the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. Sayed was a student of Begum Rokeya University and was involved in the protest in front of the university when the police engaged in lathi charges and opened fire on the students.