The best time to visit Rajshahi is between November and March, when temperatures are mild (20–25°C by day), the sky is clear, and the oppressive heat and humidity of the rest of the year have subsided. This is the dry season: the Padma River is at its lowest, and the sandy riverbed that stretches for kilometres beyond the embankment makes an otherworldly landscape.
May and June bring the mango harvest, which is worth timing a visit around if you can stand the heat — Rajshahi mangoes are the best in Bangladesh, and the market stalls overflow with varieties that never reach the capital. June to October is monsoon season, hot, humid, and prone to flooding; travel is harder and the countryside is waterlogged, though the green of the rice paddies is exceptional. Avoid the spring and summer heat if possible: temperatures regularly exceed 40°C in April and May.