Dinajpur

                                                

                                                                    Dinajpur





Dinajpur is bounded by Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the north, Gaibandha and Joypurhat districts in the south, Nilphamari and Rangpurdistricts in the east, and the state of West Bengal, India in the west. The total area of the district is 3,437.98 km².^[1] Annual average highest temperature 33.5 °C and lowest 10.5 °C; annual rainfall 2,536mm. Main rivers are Dhepa, Punarbhaba, and Atrai.

Administration

Deputy Commissioner (DC): Ahmed Shamim Al Razi^[2]
Administrator of Zila Porishod: Azizul Imam Chowdhury^[3]

Subdistricts

Upazilas are 1. Birampur Upazila, 2. Birganj, 3. Biral Upazila, 4. Bochaganj Upazila, 5. Chirirbandar Upazila, 6. Phulbari Upazila, 7. Ghoraghat Upazila, 8. Hakimpur Upazila, 9. Kaharole Upazila, 10. Khansama Upazila, 11. Dinajpur Sadar Upazila, 12. Nawabganj, 13. Parbatipur Upazila.

Population statistics

• Total Population is 2,99,0128 (According to the census report of 2011).^{[4][citation needed]} Among them male 50.45%, female 49.55%.
• Muslim 76.65%, Hindu 20.58%, Christian 0.80%, Buddhist 0.11% and other 1.86%.
• Religious institutions: Mosques 4891, Temples 956, Churches 75, Pagoda 23, sacred place 5, tombs 16 and shrines 255
• Ethnic nationals: the Santal, Oraon, Munda and Malo.
• Average literacy: 60%; male 34.7% female 19.5%.
• Main occupations: Agriculture 42.85%, agricultural laborer 29.19%, wage laborer 2.48%, commerce 10.2%, transport 1.67%, service 5.58%, others 8.03%.
• Land control: Landless 40%, small farmers 30%, medium farmers 25%, large farmers 5%; per capita cultivable land 500m².

                            

History

Dinajpur was once a part of the ancient state of Pundravardhana. Devkot which rotated as capital of Lakhnauti was located 11 miles south of Dinajpur town. The British administrative control in Dinajpur was established in 1786 (ref. Banglapedia). At the time of Partition of Bengal in 1947, part of greater Dinajpur district was included in West Bengal and it was named West Dinajpur district. People of the district took part in the Tebhaga Movement and also had significant contribution in the War of Liberation of 1971.^[1]
An ancient engraved stone, believed to be from the Gupta era, was recovered from the bank of a pond near Sura Masjid at Ghoraghat Upazila in Dinajpur in October 8.

Dinajpur Municipality

At first, after its formation in 1856, the Dinajpur Municipality used to be run by a town committee presided over by the Deputy Magistrate. This was among the first 40 municipalities in Bengal at that time. Later in 1868, the 'District Town Act' commissioned a Chairman of the municipality who replaced the Deputy Magistrate and given a similar rank as a District Magistrate. Mr. Patterson was appointed the first Chairman of Dinajpur Municipality in 1869.^[5]
Website of Dinajpur Municipality is http://www.dinajpurmunicipality.com

                                 

Archaeology

Kantajew Temple,^[6] Shita Coat Bihar(the oldest Buddist Bihar in the world), Rajbari, Dinajpur Museum, Ramsagar tank,^[7] Sukhsagar, Matasagar and the tombs of Chehel Gazi and Gor-e-Shahid Moydan, Sitar Kuthuri, Habra Zamindar Bari, Gour Gabindha, Baraduari, Shingha Darwaza (Lion Gate), Nayabad mosque, Aowkora(echoing) Mosque, Ghughu-danga Zamindar Bari

Climate

Dinajpur experiences a hot, wet and humid tropical climate. Under the Köppen climate classification, Dinajpur has a tropical wet and dry climate. The district has a distinct monsoonal season, with an annual average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) and monthly means varying between 18 °C (64 °F) in January and 29 °C (84 °F) in August.

 

                      

Economy

The economy of Dinajpur mainly depends upon agriculture based production. Dinajpur is famous for rice production. 'Katharivog' rice is the best produced rice in Bangladesh. Dinajpur is also rich with wheat production. The Lychee(fruit) of Dinajpur is the best of Bangladesh. Dinajpur is also famous for its Mangoes. "Kosba" is called the matrix of mango. Also it grows a plenty of vegetables and seasonal fruits. A huge percentage of people from Dinajpur depends upon agri based products. The main industry also includes rice processing mills. However, Dinajpur is highly rich with natural resources like coal. The coal of Boropukuria Coal Mine is empowering the 250MW Barapukuria Power Station. More sites are discovered to have coal. Asia Energy PLC is a new company, without any history of previous mining experience, quoted in the London Alternative Investment Market, set up to mine open cast coal mining opportunities with the government in the Phulbari region of Dinajpur.
The Phulbari Coal Project is a landmark project for the country. It will bring significant benefits to national and regional economy. In addition to revenues from tax, royalty and service charges, the Project will create new jobs and opportunity for development of new industries and businesses, and will provide much needed coal for domestic and industrial uses including for power generation. It will also significantly enhance rail and port infrastructure in western Bangladesh and help transform the region’s economy, which is predominantly subsistence agriculture.
Local and regional benefits
Up to 17,000 new jobs (direct and indirect) New industries for mine support and from co-products with additional opportunity of employment New planned township and villages with better amenities Improved and reliable water supply for irrigation, domestic and industrial uses Improved communication infrastructure, and education and health services Net increase in local agriculture production

Education

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University^[8] is a government-financed public university of Bangladesh situated 10 km from Dinajpur main town. It serves as an institution of science and technology in northern part of the country.
There are two government colleges in the Dinajpur town. One is for female students and another is for both male and female students. Dinajpur government college is for both male and female, which was previously known as Surendranath college. Both colleges are operated under national university.
This district gives the opportunity to read in two Govt. schools, Dinajpur Zilla School (for boys only) and Dinajpur Govt. Girls' High School. Dinajpur Zilla School[4] was established in 1854 during the British reign. It is located at the center of the Dinajpur town. It owns a hostel too for residential facilities. This school is one of 20 schools in Bangladesh, which has a govt. funded "E-Learning" facility and E-Laboratory. There is Stone made Map of South Asia subcontinent in this school, which was made at 1934. It has a very talented Score in S.S.C participation. There is also an auditorium, a sculpture of celebrating the 150 years of the school, a mosque, an enhanced library and laboratory in this school. There is also a textile institute.

Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital

There is a government medical college here, which is one of the 22 government funded medical colleges in Bangladesh. It is located in the town of Dinajpur. It admits 150 students into the f-year MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) degree program. There is a four story building. There are two hostels for boys and three hostels for girls. There are four hostels for intern doctors. Sixteen batches of students have passed from this medical college.^[when?] Dinajour Medical College Journal is recognized by the BMDC and is published twice a year (ISSN: 2070-2019). The 500-bed hospital has high technology and has started to provide more services. There is also a well-developed nursing college behind the hospital building. The hospital has an ultrasound center for nuclear medicine near Sadar Hospital, Dinajpur. Dinajpur Medical College Hospital now provides health services not only in the Dinajpur District but also to people from other districts near Dinajpur.

Other

Dinajpur Central Shahid Minar is the 2nd largest Shahid minar in the country. Dinajpur Boasts a regional training center of Bangladesh Krira Shiksha Pratisthan Bangladesh Krira Shiksha Pratisthan only second of its kind in Bangladesh. It aims to train and educate sports prodigy. Dinajpur also has a government Veterinary college, a government Polytechnique institute and several private polytechnique institutions. Tenth educational board [5] of Bangladesh has been established in Dinajpur in 2007. From 2009 S.S.C. (Secondary School Certificate) and H.S.C. (Higher Secondary School Certificate) exams have been started to be taken. In S.S.C. exam for the first time it stood 2nd in the country in the G.P.A. 5 list.

Places of interest

• Kantajew Temple
•                                                   
  
• Kaliya jue Temple
• Gorashohid Boro-Moydan
• Nayabad Mosque
• Aowkora Mosque
•                                             
  
• Dinajpur Rajbari
•                                            
  
• Dipshikha School in Rudrapur ^[9]
• Ramsagar [6]
• Hili Land Port is the second-largest land port of Bangladesh ^[10]
•                                               
  
• Shopnopuri artificial amusement park
•                                            
  
• Nowpara Ideal Village
• Ghughu-danga Zamindar Bari
• Singra Forest
• K. T Complex Proprietor - RAJ KUMAR KHETAN
• Shita Coat Bihar, Nawabganj
• SHIMANTA SHIKHA CLUB, Hakimpur, Dinajpur.
• S M Tower Complex, Bahadur Bazar, Dinajpur.

Crops and grown in the district include rice, wheat, maize, potato, brinjal and tomato.
Fruits grown include lichi, mango, banana, jackfruit and blackberry.

Notable people from the district

• Khaleda Zia
• Khurshid Jahan
• Haji Mohammad Danesh
• M. Yousuf Ali
• Moinuddin Ahmed Chowdhury