Bogura District বগুড়া জেলা | |
|---|---|
| Bogura District | |
 .JPG)  .jpg) Clockwise from top-left:Kherua Mosque inSherpur Upazila, Street inBogra, Sannasir Vita inVasu Vihara,Gokul Medh inMahasthangarh | |
 Location of Bogra District in Bangladesh | |
 Expandable map of Bogra District | |
| Coordinates:24°47′N89°21′E / 24.78°N 89.35°E /24.78; 89.35 | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Division | Rajshahi Division |
| Established | 1821 |
| Headquarters | Bogra |
| Government | |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Md. Toufikur Rahman |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,898.68 km2 (1,119.19 sq mi) |
| [2] | |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,734,297 |
| • Density | 1,288.28/km2 (3,336.62/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+06:00 (BST) |
| Postal code | 5800 |
| Area code | 051 |
| ISO 3166 code | BD-03 |
Bogra District,officiallyBogura District[3] (Bengali:বগুড়া জেলা), is a district in the northern part ofBangladesh, inRajshahi Division.[4] Bogra is an industrial city where many small and mid-sized companies are sited. Bogra was a part of thePundravardhana territory of ancientBengal and the ruins of its capital can be found in northern Bogra. Bogra is named after the independent sultan of BengalNasiruddin Bughra Khan (1287–1291).[5]
In theancient period, Bogra District was a part of the territory of thePundras orPaundras, which were known by the name ofPundravardhana, one of the kingdoms of ancientBengal region and was separated by theKaratoya River from the more easterly kingdom of Prag-Jyotisha orKamrupa. The name Pundravardhana frequently occurs in theMahabharata,Ramayana, and thePuranas. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas,Vasudeva, a powerful prince of thePundra family, ruled over Pundravardhana as far back as 1280 BC.[citation needed] The claims of the district to antiquity, however, mostly rely on an association with the old, fortified town that is now known asMahasthangarh.[6]
The district was under the rule of theMauryas in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. This is evidenced by the presence ofpillars of Ashoka in many parts of Pundravardhana and the discovery of an ancientBrahmi inscription atMahasthangarh in this district.Bhadra Bahu, a high monk of theJain religion and the son of aBrahmin ofKotivarsha, was the Jain-Guru ofChandra Gupta Maurya. Ashoka was a firm believer inBuddhism and put to death and many naked sectarians, presumably the Jains, were in Pundravardhana.[6]
TheGupta authority of the third-to-fifth centuries AD over this district is revealed by the discovery of several inscriptions of that period from Pundravardhana, which was a Bhukti under the rule ofGuptas till the end of the fifth century.[6]
Bogra was the part ofGauda Kingdom of ancientBengal, after the rule ofGuptas inBengal. At the beginning of the seventh century, KingShashanka came upon the throne ofGauda and exercised his authority over Pundravardhana, including this district.[7] After the death ofShashanka, the region fell under the rule ofHarshavardhana (626–647). This is evident from the account of a ChinesepilgrimXuanzang, who may have visited Pundravardhana in 640 AD.[7]
By the middle of the eighth century,Gopala I assumed control over the affairs ofNorth Bengal, establishing aroyal house known as thePala Dynasty. After Gopal was elected king, he took his seat in Pundravardhana and ruled over the region up toc. 780 and was succeeded by his sonDharmapala (c. 781–821). The Pala Kings had peaceful possession of this district until the end of their rule over Bengal in the twelfth century.Dharmapala was the son of and successor toGopala, extended his power beyond Pundravardhana. Like his father, he was a Buddhist and founded the BuddhistVihara atSomapura Mahavihara inVarendra, the ruins of which inNaogaon District have been discovered.[7]
TheSenas originally came from theDeccan Plateau and settled inWest Bengal.Vijayasena was the first ruler of the dynasty. He defeated the lastPala kingMadanapala and established his authority over the district. He was succeeded by his sonVallal Sena (1160–1178), who was in possession of the district. He built his capital atBhabanipur Shaktipeeth, a Shakti Peeth in this district.
In the early 13th century, Pundravardhana along with the rest of the Senas fell to Turkic invaders from the Delhi Sultanate, who began governing the territory as part of Bengal.Nasiruddin Bughra Khan, for whom Bogra is named, declared his independence from the Delhi Sultanate. The Bengal Sultans built a large number of mosques in Bogra district. In the late 16th century, the region was largely governed by Afghan warlords settled on rent-free land. When theMughals invaded, these supported theBaro-Bhuiyans, but were defeated. Bogra then became part of the Sarkar of Bazuha.[6]
The present Bogra District was first formed in 1821 duringBritish rule.[8] The British Raj built theBogura District Jail in 1883 on theKaratoa River bank.[9] In the 1901 census, the population of the district on a reduced area was around 854,533, an increase of 11% over the past decade, and it also revealed there was no town with a population above 10,000.[8] The famousPrafulla Chaki (1888–1908) was born in this district.[10]
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During theBangladesh War of Independence of 1971, fighting occurred in the Bogra district during theBattle of Bogra between the allied troops ofMukti Bahini andIndian Army against thePakistan Army.[11] CaptainGias Uddin Ahmed led a group of students to attack the Pakistan Army unit in Bogra killing 23 soldiers on 29 March.[11] The Pakistan Army killed 16 Bamacharan Mozumder family members on 4 April.[11] The Pakistan Army killed Manmath Chandra Kundu and eight of his family members on 11 April. The Mukti Bahini raided State Bank of Pakistan in Bogura and looted 40 million Pakistani rupee which they deposited in theMujibnagar government.[11] Pakistan Army launched an attack on Dhunat Police Station killing one.[11] On 23 April, Pakistan Air Force bombed Bogra City while the Pakistan Army entered the city with artillery support.[11] 20 soldiers and 150 Bengalis were killed in the battle.[11] Pakistan Army detained 32 from Baghra Colony and executed 25 of them at the Itkhola mass killing site.[11] Pakistan Army killed 333 at Ghoga Bridge and Elangi Bandar.[11] It killed 26 at Darimukanda village.[11] On 27 April, Pakistan Army attacked Dhunat Thana and killed five police constables.[11] The Army killed 157 at Baman village inNandigram upazila.[11] The Army killed three at Sonatala Rail Station Bazar.[11]
Pakistan Army killed 100 Kallani village inSherpur Upazila and three in Kalerpara union. Mukti Bahini killed in three soldiers, one police officer, and number of personnel of theRazakar unit in a battle on 16 August.[11] The Army killed three at Sonatala Bandar and the Mukti Bahini destroyed a bridge at Sariakandi.[11] A mine killed six soldiers of Pakistan Army near the bridge.[11] Mukti Bahini killed six constables of Pakistan Police in Fulbarighat.[11] The Army killed and buried 17 near Dhunat Police Station. On 19 September a battle took place between the Mukti Bahini and Pakistan Army at Tajurpara village.[11] Pakistan Army raided Narchi and Ganakpara villages killing local villagers.[11] On 11 November, Pakistan Army killed 14 and buried them in Bibirpukur ofShajahanpur Upazila.[11] The Pakistan Army killed two Mukti Bahini personnel on 28 November.[11] Mukti Bahini attacked Sariakandi Police Station killing 18 soldiers and Razakar personnel while taking three casualties. A battle in Dhunat resulted in the death of five.[11]
Bogra District holds five mass graves located at Padmapukur (near Talore-Dhupchanchia Road), Bibirpukur (Shajahanpur), Baman Gram (Nandigram), Hariakandi (Sonatala), and near Dhunat Police Station.[11] A mass killing site exists in Baghra Colony, Sherpur. Memorial monuments have been erected at Kahaloo High School, Adamdighi cremation site, and Dhunat.[11]
In 2018, thegovernment of Bangladesh changed the spelling of the district's name from Bogra to Bogura.[12]
The area consisting ofSariakandi Upazila,Gabtali Upazila,Sonatala Upazila, and the majority ofDhunat is called the eastern alluvial tract. It is fertilized by silt from floodwaters. The eastern alluvion is one of the most fertile and prosperous areas in Bogra;jute, amanpaddy,sugarcane and pulses are locally grown. Sometimes, as many as three cycles of crops are grown on one field in a year with little diminution in productivity.[13]
The western portion of the district is well-wooded with dense, shrub jungles in Upazilas ofSherpur and in parts of Sibganj, which has a large portion of cultivable wasteland. This part of the district is slightly higher than the eastern parts and is mostly above flood level. The soil of this part is generally suited to the growth of paddy.Adamdighi is well known for the fine qualities of rice, which is also grown to some extent in the Shibganj Upazila.[13]
The tract to the east of theKaratoya is a part of the valley of theBrahmaputra River; it is generally low-lying and intersected by numerous khals (canals, shallow swamps and marshes). It is subject to yearly inundation from the overflow of the Brahmaputra and gets a rich deposit of silt. There is very little jungle and almost the entire area is under cultivation.
There are many rivers in the Bogra District. The Karatoya is the central divider of the water channel in the district. The other rivers may be classified into the eastern and western systems.[14] Some of the major rivers in this district are:
The district has ahumid subtropical climate. The average annual rainfall in this part of the country varies from 1400 mm to 1600 mm.[15]
| Climate data for Bogra | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 32.6 (90.7) | 35.1 (95.2) | 33.5 (92.3) | 32.0 (89.6) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 28.9 (84.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 30.3 (86.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.0 (68.0) | 25.2 (77.4) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 27.1 (80.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 25.3 (77.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.8 (49.6) | 12.7 (54.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.5 (77.9) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.2 (73.8) | 17.6 (63.7) | 12.6 (54.7) | 20.3 (68.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 9 (0.4) | 13 (0.5) | 21 (0.8) | 61 (2.4) | 210 (8.3) | 326 (12.8) | 396 (15.6) | 303 (11.9) | 257 (10.1) | 145 (5.7) | 15 (0.6) | 6 (0.2) | 1,762 (69.3) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 44 | 34 | 36 | 45 | 63 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 68 | 50 | 46 | 57 |
| Source:National newspapers | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1,723,262 | — |
| 1981 | 2,108,622 | +2.93% |
| 1991 | 2,669,287 | +2.39% |
| 2001 | 3,013,056 | +1.22% |
| 2011 | 3,400,874 | +1.22% |
| 2022 | 3,734,297 | +0.85% |
| Sources:[1][16] | ||
According to the2022 Census of Bangladesh, Bogra District has 1,025,200 households and a population of 3,734,297 with an average 3.58 people per household. Among the population, 612,661 (16.41%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 1,288 people per km2. Bogra District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) was 72.55%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 98.52 males per 100 females. Approximately, 25.74% (961,354) of the population live in urban areas. The ethnic population was 5,994.[1]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 94.16% | |||
| Hinduism | 5.80% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.04% | |||
| Religion | 1941[18]: 92–93 [a] | 1981[16] | 1991[16] | 2001[16] | 2011[16] | 2022[17] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 892,627 | 86.21% | 1,946,056 | 92.29% | 2,472,019 | 92.61% | 2,819,432 | 93.57% | 3,192,728 | 93.88% | 3,516,157 | 94.16% |
Hinduism | 139,868 | 13.51% | 160,495 | 7.61% | 187,973 | 7.04% | 191,528 | 6.36% | 205,333 | 6.04% | 216,657 | 5.80% |
| Others[b] | 2,968 | 0.29% | 2,071 | 0.10% | 9,295 | 0.35% | 2,096 | 0.07% | 2,813 | 0.08% | 1,483 | 0.04% |
| Total Population | 1,035,463 | 100% | 2,108,622 | 100% | 2,669,287 | 100% | 3,013,056 | 100% | 3,400,874 | 100% | 3,734,297 | 100% |
The main language of the district isBengali; aNorthern Bengali dialect is commonly used.[19]
Bogra has 12upazilas (subdistricts):[4]
Media related toBogura District at Wikimedia Commons| Barisal Division |  | |
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