The first and oldest Roman Catholic Church in the northern region is located 9 km from Syedpur in Nilphamari district. The church was built in 1886 for Anglo-Indian Catholics and Protestant Christians working on the Syedpur Railway. Saidpur was a center of trade and commerce in the past. The importance of Syedpur increased a lot when the Assam Bengal Railway was established during the British rule. A small locoshed was set up just north of the railway station and the railway factory was built around the locoshed on an area of about 110 acres. Bengalis and Biharis as well as British and Anglo-Indians from the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities worked in the railway factories. For the worship of working Christians, the British government built two churches in Roman and European architecture at either end of the neighborhood. The church adjacent to the railway factory gate is dedicated to Mary (Mary), the mother of Jesus Christ. In 1892, the British government built a priest’s house on 3 bigha of railway land next to the church. Many people come from far and wide to see these two churches rich in ancient art.
How to go
Nilphamari district can be reached from Dhaka by road, rail and air. Direct buses to Syedpur in Nilphamari leave from Collegegate, Gabtali and Mohakhali in Dhaka. These buses will cost Tk 800-950 per person. You can go to Nilphamari by Nil Sagar Express and Chilahati Express trains from Kamalapur Railway Station. The price of the train ticket per seat is 560-1921 taka. Catholic church is located near Sayedpur railway station. From Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, you can take Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US Bangla Airlines and NovoAir flights to Syedpur. Air ticket will cost 4500 to 6600 taka.