Bogura sits on the Karatoya river where the main roads into North Bengal meet, which makes it the natural first stop after crossing the Jamuna. Thirteen kilometres north lies Mahasthangarh, the walled city of Pundranagara, with a ring of excavated Buddhist mounds in the villages around it. The town itself is a busy trading centre, known across the country for its sweet curd.
- From Dhaka
- About 200 km, 5 hours by road
- Best time
- November to February
- A day costs
- About ৳1,400 to ৳7,000 per person
What Bogura is famous for
- Sweet curd দই
- Kotkoti from Mahasthan মহাস্থানের কটকটি
- Chillies মরিচ
How Bogura got its name
The name is said to come from Nasiruddin Bughra Khan, son of the Delhi sultan Balban, who governed Bengal in the late 13th century. Bughra became Bogra, and the official English spelling changed to Bogura in 2018.
Places to visit in Bogura
Photo: Zaheed Sarwer Khan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Mahasthangarh মহাস্থানগড়
The walled citadel of Pundranagara, the oldest city yet found in Bangladesh, on the west bank of the Karatoya.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- Ramparts free; museum ticket about ৳20–30 for Bangladeshis, more for foreigners; CNG from town about ৳300–400 return
Photo: Azim Khan Ronnie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Gokul Medh (Behula's bridal chamber) গোকুল মেধ
A stepped brick mound south of Mahasthan that local legend calls the bridal chamber of Behula and Lakhindar.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free; a CNG auto-rickshaw from town costs about ৳250–350 return with waiting
Photo: Nahid.rajbd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Nawab Palace (Mohammad Ali Palace Museum) মোহাম্মদ আলী প্যালেস মিউজিয়াম
The Bogura Nawab family's town house beside the Karatoya, now a museum and park in the middle of the town.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Small entry fee; rickshaw from Satmatha about ৳30
Unseen Bogura: the lesser-known places
Quieter spots most visitors miss. Go with a local driver or ask us to arrange one.
Photo: Jubair1985, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Vasu Vihara ভাসু বিহার
Foundations of two Buddhist monasteries and a shrine in open farmland west of Mahasthan, known locally as Narapatir Dhap.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free; a CNG from Mahasthan about ৳200–300 return
Photo: Biddut Khoshnobish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Kherua Mosque খেরুয়া মসজিদ
A three-domed brick mosque from 1582 outside Sherpur, built in the first years of Mughal rule in Bengal and still used for prayer.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free; bus from Bogura about ৳50, rickshaw about ৳30
How to get to Bogura
- Coaches leave Gabtoli and Mohakhali through the day and night; Hanif, Shyamoli, SR Travels and TR Travels all run the route. Allow 5 to 6 hours, more when traffic backs up at the Jamuna bridge.
- The Rangpur Express, Lalmoni Express and Burimari Express from Kamalapur stop at Bogura station, a short walk west of Satmatha in the town centre.
Where to stay in Bogura
Rooms run from about ৳1,000 a night for a simple hotel, around ৳2,500 mid-range and ৳8,000 or more for the most comfortable. Prices are approximate.
- Momo Inn
- Hotel Naz Garden, Silimpur
- Parjatan Motel on the city bypass
- Budget hotels around Satmatha in the town centre
What to eat in Bogura
Curd set in clay pots is sold all over town and in Sherpur, from sweet and thick to the sour kind eaten with rice. At Mahasthan, buy kotkoti, a crisp fried sweet sold by the stalls near the shrine.