Administrative regions
In Bangladesh
| Rajshahi Division | Rangpur Division |
|---|---|
In West Bengal, India
| Jalpaiguri Division | Malda Division |
|---|---|
|
North Bengal (Bengali: উত্তর বাংলা or, উত্তর বঙ্গ; Uttor Bangla, Uttor Bongo) is a cross-border cultural–geographic region consisting of the north-western regions of Bangladesh as well as the northern portion of the West Bengal state of India. Bounded to the east by the Jamuna and in the south by the Padma, it roughly consists of the Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh, as well as the Jalpaiguri and most of the Malda Division of the Indian state of West Bengal (often excluding Murshidabad). Under a broader sense it can also include adjacent areas considered culturally or geographically part of Bengal, such as Mahananda River basin. Within the context of Bangladesh, this region is also referred to as Uttoranchal (the northern region) or Uttor Bangladesh (Northern Bangladesh).
It is roughly coterminous with the historical region of Barind (Varendra), which gives its name to the Barind Tract, located within this region.
| Rajshahi Division | Rangpur Division |
|---|---|
| Jalpaiguri Division | Malda Division |
|---|---|
|
The population of the region is 37,962,820 (3.79 crore) as per the 2022 census. The majority of the population follows Islam, with Hinduism being the largest minority.
The population of the region is 18,702,060 (1.87 crore) as per the 2011 census. The majority of the population follows Hinduism, with Muslims being the largest minority. A small but significant population follow Christianity and Buddhism.
Bengali is the predominant language spoken by 75% of the population in North Bengal, followed by Kamtapuri (Rajbanshi), Nepali, Hindi, Sadri, Kurukh and other languages.
The North Zone cricket team in Bangladesh is a first-class cricket team that represents northern Bangladesh (Rajshahi and Rangpur) in the Bangladesh Cricket League.