Rajshahi

Rajshahi (Bengali: রাজশাহী; historically Rampur Boalia; nicknamed Silk City) is a metropolitan city in Bangladesh and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of North Bengal. It is the administrative seat^{[note 1]} of Rajshahi Division & Rajshahi District . Located on the north bank of the Padma River, near the Bangladesh-India border; the city has a population of over 763,952 residents.^[3] The city is surrounded by satellite towns like Katakhali & Nowhata, which together build an urban agglomeration of about 1 million population.
Modern Rajshahi lies in the ancient region of Pundravardhana. The foundation of the city dates to 1634, according to epigraphic records at the mausoleum of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Makhdum. The area hosted a Dutch settlement in the 18th century.^[4] The Rajshahi municipality was constituted during the British Raj in 1876. It was a divisional capital of the Bengal Presidency.
Rajshahi is an important administrative, educational, cultural & business centre in Bangladesh today. It is a historic center of silk production. Varendra Research Museum, which is oldest of its kind in Bangladesh is located in the city. The city is home to the Rajshahi College- which is the third oldest college in Bangladesh after Dhaka College and Chittagong College, Rajshahi Medical College- 2nd oldest medical college in erstwhile East Pakistan. The University of Rajshahi is the second oldest and one of the largest public universities in the country. Rajshahi Engineering College,now RUET was the second engineering college established in the then East Pakistan in 1964 (The first one was Ahsanullah Engineering College: now BUET).^[5] Engineering and Survey Institute, RajshahiThe head office of Rajshahi Agricultural Development Bank and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) is situated in the city. Rajshahi is served by the Shah Makhdum Airport.