Murshidabad district (Bengali: মুর্শীদাবাদ জেলা) is a district of West Bengal, in eastern India. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km² (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 5.863m (according to 2001 census), it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India (out of 640).