Chapainawabganj

About Chapainawabganj

Chapainawabganj is the westernmost district of Bangladesh. It is wedged between the Indian border and the Padma, which enters the country at Shibganj under its Indian name, the Ganges. The Mahananda flows through the district town before joining the Padma, and the Pagla and Punarbhaba cross the western villages. The eastern upazilas of Nachole and Gomastapur lie on the raised red soil of the Barind tract.

For most Bangladeshis the district means one thing: mangoes. Shibganj, Bholahat and Gomastapur are covered in orchards, and in season the whole economy turns to picking, packing and trucking fruit. Khirsapat, Langra, Fazli, Ashwina and many lesser-known varieties come from here. Kansat in Shibganj hosts one of the biggest mango markets in the country, and special mango trains have run to Dhaka in season.

History

The district contains the Bangladeshi part of Gaur (Gauda), the capital of Bengal under several medieval dynasties and of the independent Bengal Sultanate. The finest building left is the Choto Sona Mosque, built under Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah (1493–1519). It was named the "small golden mosque" for its once-gilded domes. Nawabganj town is said to have been founded under the Nawabs of Bengal, and the name Chapai was added to set it apart from other Nawabganjs. Until 1947 the area belonged to Malda district. Partition left five of its thanas in East Bengal; they formed a subdivision of Rajshahi and became a district in 1984.

In 1950 Nachole saw the Tebhaga peasant uprising, in which Santal sharecroppers led by Ila Mitra demanded a fairer share of the crop. In 1971, Bir Sreshtho Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir was killed fighting at Rehaichar on the Mahananda on 14 December. He is buried in the grounds of the Choto Sona Mosque.

Economy and livelihoods

Mangoes drive the economy. Orchards, nurseries, fruit traders, crate makers and couriers all depend on the May–August harvest. Rice and wheat are grown on the Barind lands, and sericulture and silk weaving survive in pockets of Bholahat and Shibganj. The Sonamasjid land port in Shibganj is a major crossing for trade with India, handling stone, fruit and other goods. Kalai (black gram) and other pulses grow well on the dry Barind soils.

Food, culture and festivals

Gombhira is the district's signature folk art. In this sung and acted dialogue, usually between a grandfather (Nana) and grandson (Nati), the performers make fun of local problems and politics in the strong Chapai dialect. The local breakfast is kalai ruti, a thick flatbread of black-gram and rice flour eaten with chilli-and-onion bhorta or beef. Santal, Oraon and other indigenous communities live in the Barind villages around Nachole.

Places to visit in Chapainawabganj

1. Choto Sona Mosque

   A fifteen-domed stone-faced mosque at Shahbazpur near the Sonamasjid border crossing, built between 1493 and 1519. Its carved stone and terracotta panels make it one of the most beautiful Sultanate-era buildings in Bangladesh.

2. Tahkhana complex

   A Mughal "cool house" built by Prince Shah Shuja in the seventeenth century for his spiritual guide Shah Niamatullah. The site includes a three-storey palace, a three-domed mosque and the saint's tomb beside a large tank.

3. Darasbari Mosque and Madrasa

   The ruins of a large brick mosque dating from 1479 and a nearby madrasa, set among fields close to the border. They are atmospheric and seldom crowded.

4. Khania Dighi (Rajbibi) Mosque

   A single-domed late-fifteenth-century mosque beside a tank, with fine terracotta decoration. It is a short walk from Darasbari.

5. Mahananda riverside, Chapainawabganj town

   The town's riverfront and bridge are where locals gather in the evening. The river is broad and calm in the dry season.

What Chapainawabganj is famous for

• Chapainawabganj Khirsapat mango
• Langra mango
• Fazli mango
• Aamsotto (mango leather)
• Kalai (black gram) flour

How to get to Chapainawabganj

Chapainawabganj is roughly 320 km from Dhaka. By bus via the Jamuna Bridge and Rajshahi the trip takes about 7–8 hours, from Gabtoli or Kallyanpur. The Banalata Express runs from Kamalapur to Chapainawabganj via Rajshahi, and other trains connect at Rajshahi. The nearest airport is Rajshahi, about 50 km (around 1–1.5 hours) by road.

Markets and haats

Kansat mango market, Shibganj

One of the largest mango markets in Bangladesh. From late May, bicycles and vans piled with fruit pack the roads as traders from across the country buy wholesale.

Sonamasjid land port area

The busy border trading post in Shibganj, with transport yards and wholesale traders serving cross-border commerce.

Chapainawabganj town bazar

The main bazar near the Mahananda, where you can buy kalai flour, pulses, local rice and mangoes in season.

Chapainawabganj at a glance

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More districts in Rajshahi Division

• Bogura Ancient Pundranagar, sweet curd and the gateway to North Bengal
• Joypurhat Potatoes, arum stolons and the country's biggest sugar mill
• Naogaon Rice bowl of the Barind, home of Paharpur and Amrapali mangoes
• Natore Rani Bhabani's palaces, Chalan Beel and the sweet kacha golla
• Pabna Onions, litchis and ghee between the Padma and the Jamuna
• Rajshahi Silk City on the Padma, famous for mangoes, temples and learning
• Sirajganj Handlooms, milk and the bridges over the Jamuna