Pabna

Pabna
পাবনা
Pabna
Coordinates: 24°01′N 89°13′E / 24.017°N 89.217°E / 24.017; 89.217Coordinates: 24°01′N 89°13′E / 24.017°N 89.217°E / 24.017; 89.217
Country Bangladesh
Region Rajshahi Division
District Pabna District
Area
  Total 27.43 km2 (10.59 sq mi)
Elevation 16 m (52 ft)
Population (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2016)
  Total 190,392
  Density 6,900/km2 (18,000/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+6 (BST)
Website pabna.gov.bd

Pabna (Bengali: পাবনা) is a city of Pabna District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh and the administrative capital of eponymous Pabna District.[1] It is on the north bank of the Padma river (Ganges) and has a population of about 190,392.[2]

Name

  • According to the historian Radharaman Saha, Pabna is named after Paboni, a branch of the Ganges.
  • Archeologist Cunningham wrote that the name came from "Poth", a totem folk who lived long ago in this region (Poundrabardhan). A survey map from 1850 depicts a Mouza (medium-size village) named Padeh Pabna in the Nazirpur Pargana (pargana can be considered as a cluster of villages).[3]
  • Haraprasad Shastri, the author and historian, regarded the name Pabna as originating from Podubomba, a small feudal kingdom, which was established by a king named Shom, during the Pal Dynasty period.
  • Historian Durgadas Lahiri, in his book Prithibir Itihash, used a map from the ancient period where a village named Pabna can be seen.
  • A legend: There was a robber (like Robin Hood) named Pobana who lived here long ago. He became a legendary hero for his good deeds. People honoured him by giving the his name to the river Pabna.
  • The name comes from the Persian word "Panmbah", which means cotton. At one time, a number of inhabitants here were weavers.

Climate

Climate data for Pabna
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 25.3
(77.5)
28.5
(83.3)
33.6
(92.5)
36.7
(98.1)
35.2
(95.4)
32.7
(90.9)
31.7
(89.1)
31.8
(89.2)
32.2
(90)
31.6
(88.9)
29.1
(84.4)
26.4
(79.5)
31.2
(88.2)
Average low °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9)
13.9
(57)
18.5
(65.3)
22.8
(73)
24.6
(76.3)
25.6
(78.1)
25.9
(78.6)
26.4
(79.5)
26.2
(79.2)
23.6
(74.5)
17.5
(63.5)
12.9
(55.2)
20.8
(69.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 19
(0.75)
18
(0.71)
34
(1.34)
56
(2.2)
159
(6.26)
300
(11.81)
260
(10.24)
294
(11.57)
242
(9.53)
201
(7.91)
17
(0.67)
3
(0.12)
1,603
(63.11)
Source: Climate-data.org

Administration

Pabna Municipality comprises a mayor and 15 councillors and 5 female councillors. Each councillor represents a ward of the town. All of them are elected by people's vote.

Transport

Dhaka is about five hours by road, through the Jamuna Bridge. Cities and towns of Dhaka Division, Chittagong Division and Sylhet Division are connected though it. Kushtia District and other parts of Khulna Division and Barisal Division is connected through Lalon Shah Bridge.

River crossing (ferry ghaat) at Nogorbari on the Jamuna River is the old route to Dhaka and the eastern part of Bangladesh. It takes three to four hours to cross only the Jamuna from Nogobari to Aaricha river port in Manikgonj District. Najirgonj river crossing on the Padma River connects Pabna city with neighbouring Rajbari District as well as Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj Districts, and Barisal Division.

Pabna is well connected to all the districts and towns of Rajshahi Division by road.

Pabna city has connected with a new railway network. Pabna Railway Station is in Shalgaria near Pabna Central Bus Terminal, opened July 14, 2018. A nearby railway station was in Tebunia, 10 km from city center.

The nearby airport is at Ishwardi Upazila. Biman Bangladesh Airlines used to operate twice-weekly services to Ishwardi from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka. However, no airlines are operating to and from Ishwardi at the moment.

Several Dhaka-bound private bus services are available such as Pabna Express, Shyamoli, Sarkar Travels, Raja Badsha, Badol, Mohanagar, C-line, Arif, Ishurdi Express, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Capital Service, Al-Hamra, Silver Line, etc. Government-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) provides bus services to Rajshahi and Bogra city.

Water transport is important, as the Padma and other rivers, and Chalan Beel wetland are in Pabna. In Pabna district, rides by Nosimon, rickshaw-van, and Korimon are pleasure worthy.

Industry

Pabna has fledgeling knitted fabric and handloom related textile industries.

There are consumer and pharmaceutical producing factories. Square Pharmaceuticals is the largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. A majority of its factories are at Shalgaria near Jubilee Tank area of the town.

Notable industries

  • Square Pharmaceuticals, Square Road, Shalgaria, Pabna
  • Square Toiletries, Meril Road, Shalgaria
  • Square Food & Bevarages, Meril Road, Shalgaria
  • Akij Jute Mills Ltd., Ataikula
  • Edruc Limited, Arifpur
  • Shyamoli Foods Ltd, Shalgaria
  • Shamim Flower Mills, Radhanagor
  • Ms. Gani & Brothers, Kalachandpara
  • Intra Foods, Balarampur
  • Ms. Shapla Plastics Ltd., BSCIC I/A
  • Five Star Fish Processing Mills, near Central bus terminal, Laskarpur
  • Universal Foods Ltd., Dilalpur[4]

Education

Educational institutions include the Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna Zilla School, Pabna Cadet College, Pabna Polytechnic Institute, Govt. Edward College, Pabna, Govt. Shaheed Bulbul College, Government Women's College, Pabna, Pabna College, Shaheed M Munsur Ali College, Pabna Islamia College, Imam Ghazzali School and College, Pabna Government Girls' School, Pabna Central Girls' School. In 2008, Pabna University of Science and Technology was established. Pabna Medical College has re-opened. A laboratory high school and a collegiate school is under construction. There is a textile engineering college in Pabna.[5] Al-Hera Academy school & College, Bera, [url=http://alheraacademybera.edu.bd ]

Health

Pabna has the largest mental hospital in Bangladesh.[6] It also has a big general hospital, numerous medical centres, and small private clinics. Pabna Medical College and Hospital is under construction.

In healthcare, Pabna Community Clinic, a division of Dhaka Community Clinic, established and led by Prof. Dr. Quazi Qumruzzaman, has made a great contribution in development and mitigation of arsenicosis.[7] The nine Upazilas under Pabna District holds an upazila health complex each. Government doctors get appointment through Bangladesh Civil Service commission.

A 250-bed government-owned general hospital is at Shaalgaariya and a 450-bed mental hospital is at Hemayetpur. Recently the government-owned Pabna Medical College has been set up near the mental hospital, Pabna premise.

Culture

There is a mosque at Chatmohar Upzilla named Shahi Mosque which built by Masum Khan kabuli at 15th century.[8] There is a rumour that the mosque built in one night.

A Mughal-era mosque 'Varara Moshjid' (Bengali: ভাঁড়াড়া মসজিদ) is some 10 km southeast of the town.

The remains of Hindu temple Jor Bangla (recently renovated) is in Jor Baangla Paara of the town. Jagannath Temple at Chatmohar Upazila is considered one of the most beautiful Hindu temples in northern Bangladesh.[9]

Rassundari Devi, a Bengali writer who is identified as the author of first full-fledged autobiography in modern Bengali literature, was born in Pabna in 1809 or 1810.[10] i

Notable residents

References

  1. "Pabna in Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.
  2. এক নজরে পাবনা [Pabna at a Glance]. Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  3. জেলার ইতিহাস [History of the District]. Bangladesh National Portal.
  4. Rahman, Md. Motiur; Al Mamun, Mohammad Abdullah (December 2012). "Socio-economic Profile of Executives: A Study on Small Industries in Pabna and Bogra Districts" (PDF). Daffodil International University Journal of Business and Economics. 6 (1 & 2). Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. "Educational Institutes of Pabna". Bangladesh National Portal.
  6. "Organization Registry – Pabna Mental Hospital". Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  7. "Organization working on Arsenic Calamity in Bangladesh". UNDP.
  8. জেলার ঐতিহ্য. pabna.gov.bd (in Bengali).
  9. "Temple awaits repair for 400 years – Jagannath Temple chatmohar". The Daily Star.
  10. Deepa Bandopadhyay. নারীর লেখা নারীর কথা. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015.
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