Pabna District () is a district in west central Bangladesh. It is a geographically and economically important district. Its administrative capital is the eponymous Pabna town. The main five rivers of this district are: Padma, Jamuna, Baral, Atrai and Chiknai.
History
Archeologist Alexander Cunningham conjectured that the name "Pabna" might be derived from the Pundra or Poondrobordhon civilisation, whose capital was Mahasthangarh, the oldest city of Bangladesh, in neighbouring Bogra, but this hypothesis has not received general acceptance among scholars.
In 1859–61, the district was one of the major areas involved in the Indigo revolt. Beginning in Yusufshahi period in 1873, the serfs resisted excessive demands of increased rents by feudal lords (zamindar), They were led by the nouveau riches Banerjees and Dwijendranath Tagore, by forming an Agrarian League. This largely peaceful movement found the support of the Lieutenant-governor of Bengal, George Campbell, who antagonised the absentee feudal lords. These protests are generally referred to as Pabna disturbances. In the following year, the district was one of the worst hit by famine. The peasants' demands were finally partially met with the Rent Law Act of 1885.
In 1875, Raaygonj was transferred back to Pabna from Bogra, and in 1879, a separate judgeship for the districts of Pabna and Bogra was created.
Geography
Pabna forms the south-east boundary of Rajshahi Division. Sirajganj District is on the north-east, while the Padma River, the main stream of the holy river Ganges, in the south separates it from Rajbari District and Kushtia District. The Jamuna River runs along its eastern border separating it from Manikgonj District; and on the north-west, it has a common boundary with the Natore District. Its average maximum temperature is 36.8 °C, and the minimum is 9.6 °C; annual rainfall is 1872 mm. Characteristically, the soil of the district is divided into four, due to the flood plains of the Ganges, Karatoya, Jamuna, and Barind Tracts. Its main rivers are the Ganges, Ichamati, Gumani, Baral, and Hurasagar Rivers.
The rivers Padma and Jamuna meet at the south-eastern end of Pabna Aminpur Thana.
Rivers
The district is intersected by rivers of varying magnitude. The river system, though, is constituted by the Padma and the Jamuna with their interlacing offshoots and tributaries. Besides these flowing streams, the interior has the abandoned beds of old rivers, most of which are dry except in the rains.<br />The general trend of the drainage of the Serajganj subdivision is from north-west to south-east, with the rivers entering it from the north-west flow into the Jamuna after a tortuous course. In the Sadar subdivision, however, the general slope of the country is from west to east, and the main rivers fall into Hurasagar, an offshoot of the Jamuna.
The following rivers flow through Pabna District:
- Padma River
- Ichamati River
- Baral River
- Atrai River
- Chiknai River
- Jamuna River
- Kazipur River
- Karatoya River
- Hurasgar River
- Gumany River
- Rotnai River
- Badai River
- Kageshari River
- Sutikhali River
- Komla River
- Chondraboti River
Climate
Demographics
According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Pabna District has 743,558 households and a population of 2,909,624 with an average 3.86 people per household. Among the population, 533,571 (18.34%) inhabitants are under 10 years of age. The population density is 1,225 people per km<sup>2</sup>. Pabna District has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 70.49%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 99.38 males per 100 females. Approximately, 22.00% (640,077) of the population live in urban areas. The ethnic population was 2,369.