Rajbari, Dhaka
Rajbari
A quiet Padma-side district at the meeting of the Padma and the Jamuna, home to the old river port of Goalanda and the last home of the writer Mir Mosharraf Hossain.
Local food to try
Where to eat
Where to stay
Culture
Rajbari is river country, and its life follows the Padma: fishing, char (river-island) farming and the rhythm of the ferries.
- Literature: the memory of Mir Mosharraf Hossain is kept at Padamdi, where he lived his last years.
- Folk music: baul and other folk songs of the Padma region are sung at village fairs and gatherings.
- Festivals: Eid, Durga Puja and Pohela Boishakh are celebrated across the district, with fairs in the countryside.
History
Rajbari lies on the south bank of the Padma, just below the point where the Jamuna joins it. For more than a century this made it a gateway: in the British period the railway from Kolkata ended at Goalanda Ghat, where passengers changed to river steamers bound for Narayanganj, Chandpur and beyond. Goalanda became one of the busiest river ports of Bengal.
The district’s name means “royal house”, and local accounts link it to the estates of zamindars and rajas of the area; the exact origin is told in more than one way. Rajbari was long a subdivision of greater Faridpur and became a district in 1984.
The writer Mir Mosharraf Hossain, author of Bishad Sindhu, spent his last years at Padamdi in Baliakandi, where he is buried. Today the Daulatdia ferry ghat in Goalanda still links the south-west of the country with Paturia across the river, and the town of Rajbari keeps the easy pace of a railway and river town.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit
October to March, when the Padma is calm and the weather is cool
How to get there
- By bus from Dhaka: the classic route crosses the Padma by ferry from Paturia (Manikganj) to Daulatdia (Goalanda), then runs on to Rajbari town — usually 3–5 hours, depending on the wait at the ghat. Some buses instead take the Padma Bridge and go via Bhanga and Faridpur; check which route your bus uses.
- From nearby cities: Faridpur is close by road; Kushtia and Jashore are a few hours away.
- By train: Rajbari is an old railway town on the line through Goalanda, Kushtia and Khulna. Check current services at the station.
Getting around
- Rajbari town is small: rickshaws and battery auto-rickshaws go everywhere.
- For Goalanda, Pangsha and Baliakandi, use local buses or hire a CNG for the day.
- At the river, small boats can be hired for a short trip; agree on the trip before you set off.