History & Background
The Padma, the main distributary of the Ganges as it flows into Bangladesh, has shaped Rajshahi's identity since the city grew as a colonial-era administrative and educational center on its northern bank. Seasonal sandbars, or chars, emerge along the riverbed as water levels drop in the dry season, and the city built a long promenade (T-bandh) and points along the riverfront in recent decades for public recreation, making an evening walk or a boat trip out to the chars a popular local pastime, especially as the sun sets over the wide river.