city, west-central Bangladesh. It lies along the Ichamati River, which is a tributary of the upper Padma River (Ganges 【Ganga】 River (Ganges River)). An industrial centre, Pabna has mills for jute, cotton, rice, flour, oil, paper, and sugar. It also produces pharmaceuticals. Hosiery and hand-loomed products are important cottage industries. Historical remains include the 19th-century Hindu temple of Jor Bangla and the Pabna Jubilee tank (a water reservoir excavated in 1887). Pabna was incorporated as a municipality in 1876; it has several general and specialized hospitals, including a mental hospital, and numerous government and private colleges.

The surrounding area lies within the angle formed by the confluence of the Padma and Jamuna (the name of the Brahmaputra (Brahmaputra River) in Bangladesh) rivers. A wide alluvial plain is intersected by a network of streams, and many villages are accessible only by boat during the rainy season. The soil, enriched by flood deposits, supports rice, jute, wheat, sugarcane, and pulses. Pop. (2001) 116,305.