Bogra (), officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in Rajshahi Division with a population of over 3.7 million. The Bogra bridge connects the Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. Bogra is named after Nasiruddin Bughra Khan, the Governor of Bengal from 1279 to 1282 and the son of Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban. The city is approximately and is divided into 21 wards. Bogra has a population of around 12,40,000 people. Since it is one of the oldest cities in Bengal, Bogra is famous for its many ancient Buddhist stupas, Hindu temples, and ancient palaces of Buddhist kings and Muslim sultans. The city has produced notable personalities including Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra of Pakistan, President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, both of whom were born and lived in the city. History Bogra is considered the oldest city of Bengal, dating to the reign of the Great Emperor Ashoka, who ruled India from 268 to 232 BCE. When Ashoka conquered the Bengal (Bongo) region, he founded Bogra and called it Pundra Bardhan. This is supported by the discovery in October 2008 of an ancient engraved stone believed to be produced in the Gupta era near Sura Masjid at Ghoraghat Upazila in Dinajpur. Bogra has been a transportation, cultural and economic hub for thousands of years. In the early 800AD, it was a core place of doing business through the Karatoya River(A sub-river of Bangali River, not to be confused with the Large Karatoya River). By 1200 AD it had also become an important geopolitical center for spreading Islam through the Mahasthangarh. In the late fiftieth century, it became a statistical trade area by the British East India Company. In the late seventh century, the British East India Company gave control of the area to Nowab & Shatani families, who still are two of the most reputed family in the city. During the Bangladesh War of Independence, the area witnessed the Battle of Bogra, a fierce conflict between the guerrilla units of the Bangladesh Forces under Sector 7 and the Pakistan Army. Geography First formed in 1821, the administrative district of Bogra contains an area of . The principal rivers in the district are formed by the different channels of the Brahmaputra. The rivers have local names such as