Rangpur Division (রংপুর বিভাগ)
became Bangladesh's seventh division on January 25, 2010. Before that, it had been the northern 8 districts of the Rajshahi Division. The Rangpur division consists of eight districts: Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, and Lalmonirhat. There are 58 Upazilas or subdistrics under these eight districts. Rangpur is the northernmost division of Bangladesh and has a population of 15,665,000 at the 2011 Census.
The major cities of this new division are Rangpur and Dinajpur. Rangpur has well-known educational institutions, such as Carmichael College, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Rangpur Medical College, Rangpur Cadet College, and Begum Rokeya University.
The central City - Rangpur - has a historical importance and indentity. Mansingh, commander of Emperor Akbar, conquered part of Rangpur in 1575. Rangpur came completely under the Mughal empire in 1686. Mughalbasa and Mughalhat of Kurigram district still bear marks of the Mughal rule in the region. During the Mughal rule Rangpur was under the sarker of Ghoraghat. Rangapur Ghoraghat has been mentioned in the Riyaz-us-Salatin. During the early period of the company rule fakir-sannyasi resistance and peasant rebellion were held in Rangpur.