Nilphamari District

About 200 years ago, the British established farms for cultivating indigo (nil). The soil of this area was very fertile for indigo cultivation. As a result, a lot of nil kuthi and nil khamar (farm) were built here compared to the other districts. It is widely believed that the term "nil khamari" was derived from "nil khamar" by the local farmers. And then the word "Nilphamari" was derived from "Nil khamari".[5]

Nilphamari was previously under the Rajshahi division. The Nilphamari subdivision was established in 1875.[6] It was a subdivision of the Rangpur District. It was turned into a district in 1984. The district consists of 6 upazilas, 3 municipalities, 33 wards, 65 mahallas, 62 union parishads, 390 mouzas and 370 villages.

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (Census 2011).[8]

Nilphamari has an agriculture-based economy. Nilphamari produces rice, wheat, potato, tobacco, and many seasonal crops. The major occupation of the people is farming. Among the working population 45.28% are farmers, 27.81% are farm labourers, 3.42% are daily workers, 8.65% are businessmen, 6.07% are government and non-government employers, 8.77% have other occupations.[9]

• Nilsagar Nilphamari: Nilsagar a historical dighi (big pond) which stands at Dhobadanga mauza of Gorgram union about 14 km southwest of Nilphamari district headquarters. During the reign of Raja Birat, there were many cow farms at Gorgram. Raja Birat dug a large dighi named Birat Dighi or Birna Dighi or Binna Dighi for the cows. After the independence of Bangladesh, the dighi was renamed as Nilsagar. A Hindu mandir stands on the east bank and an abode of a Muslim darvesh on the west bank of the dighi. The area of the dighi is 21.449 ha and depth ranges from 7m to 12m. The entire dighi is surrounded by brick walls. The main decorated ghat of the dighi was made by Raja Birat. Every year the banks of the dighi are used as a village fair site especially during the Baruni Snan festival of the full moon in the month of Baisakh. The Harikirtan singers usually play music during the fair, with many kinds of kirtan songs. Every year many tourists and various kinds of migratory birds come here. It is well known as a recreation zone and a picnic spot.[10]
• The palace of Raja Harish Chandra (ninth century)
• Garh (Fort) of Raja Dharmapal and his palace (eighteenth century)
• Three domed Jami Mosque at Bherberi (eighteenth century)
• Tomb of Hazrat Pir Mohiuddin (Kundupukur)
• Dimla Rajbari[11]
• Saidpur Airport
• Railway Workshop in Saidpur
• Uttara Export Processing Zone
• Teesta Barrage
• Saidpur Church (1893)
• Nat Settlement (prison, 1871)
• Leprosy Hospital[7]
• Chini Mosque

The literacy rate of Nilphamari is 49.69% according to the 2011 consensus. There are 940 primary schools, 295 high schools, 95 colleges, 1 medical college, 2 government and 17 non-government technical institutes, 1 P.T.I., 115 dakhil madrasas, 24 alim madrasas, 14 fajil madrasas and one kamil madrasa in Nilphamari.

• Nilphamari Medical College
• Nilphamari Government College
• Nilphamari Government Mohila College
• Nilphamari Government High School
• Nilphamari Government Girls' School
• Nilphamari Technical School and College
• Nilphamari Teachers Training College
• Collectorate Public School & College, Nilphamari
• Nilphamari Model College, Nilphamari
• Domar Government College
• Domar ML High School
• Domar Women College
• Domar Government Girls' School
• Domar Balika Nikaton School
• Domar Shohid Smrity Government Primary School
• Saidpur College
• Sonaray High School
• Sonaray Dristi Nondon Govt. Primary School
• Chhitmirganj Shalongram Fazil Madrasah

Nilphamari district is connected with Dhaka by bus, train and air. Trains available in Nilphamari are Nilsagar Express (Dhaka), Barendro Express (Rajshahi), Titumir Express (Rajshahi), Rupsha Express (Khulna) and Simanto Express (Khulna). Major bus services are Greenline, Nabil, Shyamoli, Hanif, S.A. Travels, and BRTC. There is an airport at Saidpur, about 20 km from Nilphamari district town.[12]

The population of Nilphamari district is 1,907,497. The male population is 959,857 and the female population is 947,640. The density of population is 1215 per km². 82.84% of the total population are Muslims, 17.18% are Hindus, 0.07% are Christians, 0.02% are Buddhists and 0.1% are others.[9]

• Khairat Hosen, M.L.A., Minister of Food, Fisheries, and Livestock of Pakistan from 1955 to 1957
• Mashiur Rahman, also known as Jadu Mia, former Senior Minister of Bangladesh
• Nabab Nurul Uddin, leader of the farmer rebellion against the British government
• Advocate Dabir Uddin Ahmed, language movement activist in 1952
• Asaduzzaman Noor, actor and politician
• Harlal Rai, folk singer
• Rathindranath Roy, folk singer
• Mahesh Chandra Rai, singer, composer and songwriter
• Begum Lutfunnesa Abbas, writer
• Shah Kalandar, Sufi and preacher of Islam
• Anisul Hoque, journalist, writer and editor
• Baby Naznin, singer
• Ahosan Ahmed (Hasan) Politician
• Monirujjaman montu, Freedom fighter,politician

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nilphamari District.

Bayazid Amin (Represented BD u-15 & u-17 national cricket team)