History of Bongaigaon District includes the most important decision of the Government of Assam in 1989, to create this new district by curving out some areas of the Goalpara District and Kokrajhar District of Assam.

History also recounts that the state government`s decision of creating this new district with its headquarters located at Bongaigaon was quite difficult. It was the political and administrative demands, which forced the requirement of forming this new district. However, the people of Bongaigaon and the neighbouring areas were demanding a new Sub-Division with its headquarters to be located at Bongaigaon.

Initially, this decision of forming the new Bongaigaon District was relatively challenging. This decision was not a long-standing one and more over, the decision to set up a district headquarter at Bongaigaon was more challenging as there was no sub-divisional infrastructure in this town. Whereas, the other newly created district head quarters of Assam had Sub-divisional infrastructures of their own. Although the logic behind the creation of this new district was an administrative one but the political as well as economic exigencies were also responsible behind the formation of Bongaigaon district.

The original Goalpara district was first created in 1822 A.D. by David Scott, an employee of British East India Company, who was the first Commissioner of newly created North East Rangpur district with headquarters at Rangpur town (now in Bangladesh) and newly created Goalpara district was also tagged with North-East Rangpur district for administration.

The previous Bijni Kingdom`s area which included the undivided Garo Hills area also constituted the original Goalpara district area in the year 1822. In 1866 Garo Hills region was separated from Goalpara district area and in the same year `Greater Koch Behar` district was created and the residual portion of Goalpara district was withdrawn from Rangpur and tagged with Coch Behar. In the year 1874, the British Government in India created a new province named Assam Valley Province and Goalpara district area was withdrawn from Coch Behar and tagged with Assam Province. Thus, original Goalpara district has given birth to four districts namely Goalpara, Dhubri District, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon.

The name of Bongaigaon town and district is the elongation of a fig and old village named Bongaigaon also known as Bong-ai-gaon located on the southern border of the town. This Bongaigaon village area was famous for orange fruits, which were sold along with other agricultural products in the nearest market named Birjhora Bazar located at the heart of Bongaigaon town.