Pabna

This article is about the city. For the district, see Pabna District.

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
Elevation	16 m (52 ft)
Population (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2011)
• Total	1,44,492
Time zone	BST (UTC+6)
Website	District website

Pabna (Bengali: পাবনা Pabna) is a city of Pabna District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh and the administrative capital of eponymous Pabna District.^[1] It is located on the north bank of Padma river (Ganges) and has a population of about 1,44,492.^[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 renowned 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 honored him by giving the name of his river Pabna.
• Most probably, the name comes from the Persian word "PANMBAH", which means cotton. At one time, a number of inhabitants here were weavers.

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 also 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 requires 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 also well connected to all the districts and towns of Rajshahi Division by road.

Pabna city has no rail network. Nearby railway stations are situated at Iswardi and Chatmohar Upazila. 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, Shorkar Travels, Raja Badsha, Badol, Mohanagar, Shorkar Travels, Ishurdi Express, Night Star, Kings, Esha, Capital Service, 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 situated 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 also several consumer and pharmaceutical producing factories. Square (Bangladesh) is the largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. Majority of its factories are situated near Jubilee Tank area of the town.^[4]

Education

Educational institutions include the Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna Zilla School, Pabna Cadet College, Polytechnic Institute, Govt. Edward College, Pabna, Govt. Shaheed Bulbul College, Government Women's College, Pabna, Imam Ghazzali School and College, Pabna Government Girls' School, Pabna Central Girls' School. In 2008, Pabna University of Science and Technology has been established in Pabna. Pabna Medical College has also re-opened. A laboratory high school and a collegeate school is under construction. There is also a Textile engineering college in Pabna.^[5]

Health

Pabna has the largest mental hospital in Bangladesh.^[6] It also has a big general hospital, and numerous medical centers 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] There is a General Hospital and a Mental Hospital at Pabna. The nine Upazilas under Pabna District holds an upazila health complex each. Government doctors get appointment through Bangladesh Civil Service commission.

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

Culture

There is a beautiful mosque at Chatmohar Upzilla named Shahi Mosque which built by Masum Khan kabuli at 15th century.^[8] There is a rumor about this mosque that the mosque built in one night. The remains of Hindu temple Jor Bangla (recently renovated) is situated 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] A wonderful Mughal-era mosque Varara Moshjid (Bengali: ভাঁড়াড়া মসজিদ) is situated some 10 km south-east of the town. Also people are famous for their hospitability.

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]

Notable residents

• Air Vice Marshal (Rtd.) A. K. Khandker, first Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Air Force (1971–1975), Former Minister, Ministry Planning of People's Republic of Bangladesh.
• Amiya Bhushan Majumdar, major Indian novelist
• Amjad Hossain, MNA Member of (National Assembly of Pakistan) Organizer of Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
• Advocate Aminuddin, (Martyr) Member of Provincial Assembly.
• Bonde Ali Miah, famous poet
• Bir Muktijuddha Ikbal Hossain, freedom fighter of Bangladesh.
• Bir Muktijuddha Rafikul Islam Bakul, freedom fighter former Member of Jatiyo Sangshad
• Group Captain (Rtd.) Saiful Azam, former Pilot a war hero of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War and 1967 Arab-Israeli War (Six-Day War).
• General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri OBE, former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.
• Pramatha Chaudhuri, eminent writer.
• Samson H. Chowdhury, Businessman, former chairman of Square Group.
• Shamsur Rahman Sherif, Minister of land of People's Republic of Bangladesh.
• Suchitra Sen, actress of Kolkata film industry in the 1950s through 70s.
• Thakur Anukulchandra, guru, physician and founder of Satsang Ashram.
• Mirja Azizul Haque, Adviser of caretaker gov. 2007 to 2009 .
• Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ameer (chairman) of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, former Minister and Member of Jatiyo Sangshad now under trial for war crimes during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

References

• Daily Jaijaidin, Zia Hider

External links

• National Web Portal of Pabna
• Dainik Ichhamoti
• Onabil Songbad
• News Pabna