Bogra, officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in the Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. It is major commercial hub. The Bogra bridge connects the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division and also the largest City in Rajshahi.This city is also known as the capital of North Bengal of Bangladesh. Shatmatha is the heart of this city. Bogra is named after Nasiruddin Bughra Khan, the Governor of Bengal from 1279 to 1282 and the son of Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban. The city is approximately and is divided into 21 wards. Bogra has a population of around 540,000 people. Since it is the oldest city in Bengal, Bogra is famous for its many ancient Buddhist stupas, Hindu temples, and ancient palaces of Buddhist kings and Muslim sultans. The cuisine of Bogra is famous for the diversity of its desserts and its famous Bogurar doi named after this city. The city has produced notable personalities including Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra of Pakistan, President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, All were born or have lived in the city. The current mayor of the municipality is Advocate Mahbubur Rahman from BNP.
First formed in 1821, the administrative district of Bogra contains an area of. The principal rivers in the district are formed by the different channels of the Brahmaputra. The rivers have local names such as the Konai, the Daokoba, and the Jamuna. The latter forms a portion of the eastern boundary of the district. The Brahmaputra and its channels, together with three minor streams, the Bangali, Karatoya and Atrai, drive the thriving commercial activities in the area. In 1911 the Karatoya, divided the district into two portions, the eastern tract with rich alluvial soil, subject to fertilizing inundations, yielded heavy crops of coarse rice, oil seeds, and jute, while the soil of the higher western portion of the district allowed for growing rice.
Climate
The city enjoys a tropical climate, with two main seasons: winter and summer. Bogra experiences more rainfall during the summer.
Economy
Since the 2009 adoption of new urban planning, there has been a significant development in the infrastructure of Bogra. This includes the restructuring and widening of roads, improvement of telecommunications infrastructure, and the installation of underground gas connections. Additionally, red chili production in Bogra is a major industry, with companies such as Square, Acme, and BD Food collecting red chili from twelve centers within Bogra. Often called the "Town of Banks", Bogra is the location of numerous online banking facilities, credit card, debit card, and remittance companies. Banking in Bogra has significantly expanded with the presence of government banks such as the Bangladesh Bank, Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank, Janata Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, Bangladesh Development Bank Ltd., Uttara Bank Ltd, and Agrani Bank, as well as a number of private and specialized banks, including Pubali Bank, National Bank, IFIC bank Ltd., Citi Bank Ltd., and others. Bogra is also home to an increasing number of IT, software, technology, and computer services companies. One of the milestones of its tech sector occurred in 2008 when the French Grameen Group and Groupe Danone entered into a joint venture with a local company to establish an organization named Grameen Danone. Statistically, Bogra's workforce is still dominated by jobs in the agriculture sector and agricultural manufacturing. They are followed by general commerce, customer service, transportation, wage labor, and other industries.
Transportation
Bogra has several railway stations and bus terminals.
Tourism
Bogra is home to Mahasthangarh, the earliest known urban archaeological site in Bangladesh, as well as the village of Mahasthan in Shibganj thana of Bogra District. This site contains the remains of Pundranagara, an ancient city in the territory of Pundravardhana. This place is considered sacred to Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus alike. Pilgrims and visitors tour the area all year round. The Behular Bashor Ghor is a popular tourist attraction in the city and is close to other popular spots and monuments such as the Mahasthangar, , Kherua Mosque, Bara Mosque, Mazar of Shah Sultan Balkhi, Mazar of Panchpir, Gokul Medh, Palace of Parshuram, Basu Bihara, Palli Unnayan Academy, Saudia City Park, Bhimer Jangle, Museum of Nawab Bari Palace, Wonderland Shishupark, Shanewaz Shishubagan, Woodburn Park, Dreshtinandan Park, Bijayangan, and the Jaina Temple.
