Rajshahi is a city in Rajshahi District in northwestern Bangladesh. The river Padma, one of the major rivers of Indian subcontinent runs along the city.
Rajshahi is the headquarter of Rajshahi Division, one of the six administrative divisions in Bangladesh. Rajshahi Municipality was established in 1876, one of the first in Bangladesh. Rajshahi is located near many ancient capitals of Bengal, notably Lakhnoiti or Lokhonaboti and Pundra. Rajshahi is home to many educational institutes, and is often referred to in Bangladesh as the education city. It is famous for pure silk, mango and lichi. Attractive silk products are cheaper in Rajshahi and it is often referred to as silk city. There are also a number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around Rajshahi.
Rajshahi has a population of 700,000. According to the census of 1991, 93.46% of the total population are Muslims, 5.51% are Hindus, 0.62% are Christians, 0.02% are Buddhists and 0.39% others.
Rajshahi district was a part of Pundru region of ancient Bengal. The capital of Vijay Sen, the king who led military operations in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia was located 9 miles to the west of Rajshahi town. In medieval ages, the region came to be known as "Rampur Boalia". The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876. It was made a city corporation in 1991. During the British Raj, it was also known as "Beuleah" and was the administrative headquarters of Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam. It was originally chosen as a commercial factory for the silk trade, which was being officially encouraged by the agricultural department of that time. The town contained a government college, and an industrial school for sericulture. Most of the public buildings were severely damaged by the earthquake of the 12th of June 1897. There was a daily steamer service on the Ganges. Along with all of Bangladesh, Rajshahi witnessed both great atrocities by the Pakistan army and heroic struggles by the freedom fighters during the liberation war in 1971. The largest mass grave in Bangladesh is located in Rajshahi University, which was used as an army camp during the war. On the other hand, one of the great battles of the war took place near Rajshahi. Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, who died in battle, was awarded the highest honor (Bir Shrestho) by the Bangladesh government after the war.
Rajshahi itself is an important tourist destination with the beautiful river beaches of Padma and its vast mango orchards. Other attractions in and near Rajshahi include:
-Varendra Research Museum
-Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh (R). It is located besides the river Padma, in the Dargah Para of the city. The name Dargah Para is derived from the word Dargah which means shrine and refers to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh (R).
-Bara Kuthi (16th century Dutch establishment)
-Temple of King Kangsa Narayan
-Shona Dighi (Golden Pond)
Apart the usual agricultural products of Bangladesh, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and lentils, Rajshahi and its neighboring regions are specially suited from various crops such as Watermelons, Sugarcanes, Mangoes and Lichies.
In spite of being an important city and located on a riverbank, industrial development in Rajshahi hasnt been fast. Locals have claimed this is due to lack of attention from the central government in Dhaka. In 90s an Industry Park has been established in Rajshahi, now mainly home to industries producing products of the famous Rajshahi Silk. Rajshahi is also home to a jute mill, a sugar mill and mango based industries.
It was recently decided that Rajshahi will be the first "Digital City" in the country. |
