Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880–1932), the pioneering social reformer and feminist writer who campaigned for women's education across Bengal, was born in this quiet farming village of Pairaband. The ancestral homestead of the Saber family was enclosed within high brick walls, the ruins of which stand shaded by ancient trees. Adjacent to the ruins, the government established the Begum Rokeya Memorial Center, comprising a museum gallery, seminar hall, library, research wing, and training workshops for women. The museum showcases replicas of her published works including Sultana's Dream, period photographs, family documents, and educational dioramas.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free; bus from Rangpur city roughly ৳30–40; easy-bike ৳50–80
How to get to Begum Rokeya Memorial Center
Located in Pairaband village, Mithapukur upazila, about 18 km south of Rangpur city on the N5 highway. Local buses or easy-bikes from Jahangir Mor take 30–40 minutes.
Rangpur town is about 304 km from Dhaka, around 7 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Rangpur guide.
Begum Rokeya Day on December 9 brings cultural programs and book fairs to the memorial premises.
More to see in Rangpur
Photo: Sd Raihan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tajhat Palace তাজহাট রাজবাড়ি
A 20th-century white palace built for Maharaja Kumar Gopal Lal Roy, featuring a grand marble flight of stairs and a regional antiquities museum.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Entry ৳20 for citizens, ৳300 for foreigners; easy-bike from town centre ৳30–50
Photo: Anwar Hossen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Carmichael College কারমাইকেল কলেজ
A landmark educational institution established in 1916, centered on a 610-foot-long colonial Indo-Saracenic brick building set among trees.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free; battery easy-bike from town centre about ৳20–30
Photo: Salim Khandoker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Nisbetganj Shataranji Village নিসবতগঞ্জ শতরঞ্জি পল্লী
A riverside village on the Ghaghat where artisans hand-weave traditional geometric cotton carpets known as shataranji on wooden looms.
- Best time
- Year-round, especially October to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free to visit; easy-bike from town centre ৳30–50; rugs range from ৳300 for small mats to ৳3,000+ for large carpets
Photo: Ragib Rownak Shanti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Mithapukur Shahi Mosque মিঠাপুকুর তিন গম্বুজ শাহী মসজিদ
An early 19th-century three-domed Mughal mosque in Mithapukur, featuring ribbed corner turrets, arched entrances and terracotta panels.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free; local bus from Rangpur city ৳40–50; easy-bike in Mithapukur ৳20