Rajshahi District (রাজশাহী জেলা) is a district in mid-western Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rajshahi Division. The metropolitan city of Rajshahi is in Rajshahi District.
Rajshahi District is bounded by Naogaon District to the north, Natore District to the east, Chapai Nababganj District to west and a small part of Kushtia District and the river Padma to the south. The district consists of alluvial plain.
There are ten rivers in this district, totaling 146 km in length.
The main river is the Padma (Ganges). Other rivers include Mahananda, Baral and Barnai.
The Mughal Emperor Akbar gave the Rajshahi region to the Puṭhia Raj family to govern. The governor was Pitambar.
In 1772, the Rajshahi District was established. Parts of it eventually became the districts of Bogura, Malda, Natore, Naogaon, Nawabganj, and Pabna. On 1 April 1876, Rajshahi town was made into the municipal town.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the town was the site of battles between the Mukti Bahini and the Pakistan Army. Between 26 and 30 March, Pakistan's forces killed 31 people in Godagaɽi upazila. A battle on 30 March resulted in the death of an East Pakistan Rifles member. On 13 April, the Pakistan army killed Rajshahi Cadet College Professor AB Siddiqi. On 24 May, it attacked Tahirpur Haṭ in Bagmara upazila, killing 25 people. Mukti Bahini commander Havilder Shafiq led an attack on a Pakistani boat on 8 August, killing 18 personnel. Pakistan then killed two members of Bangladesh Ansar and established a camp in the Zoha Hall of Rajshahi University, where they massacred hundreds of civilians. The Pakistan army also established camps inside Rajshahi Cadet College, Roy Saheb brickfield, Sardaha Pilot School, and Sardah Police Academy. It tortured members of Mukti Bahini and civilians in the camps, and killed hundreds of refugees on the banks of the Padma river who were fleeing to India. In a battle between Mukti Bahini and Pakistan near Kabasmul, a Pakistani army major was killed. Pakistan retaliated by killing 44 civilians in Gaganbari and Palsa.