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98-468: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka was established on 7 May 1921 according to the recommendation of Sadler Commission. Intermediate colleges and high schools in Dhaka city and Islamic intermediate colleges and high madrasah of greater Bengal were under control of that board. An advisory board made by the director of public education department of greater Bengal was given the authority to govern

196-559: A Phuti carpus cotton fabric of plain weave, was historically hand woven in the areas of Dhaka and Sonargaon in Bangladesh and exported for many centuries. The region forms the eastern part of the historic region of Bengal. The muslin trade at one time made the Ganges delta and what is now Bangladesh into one of the most prosperous parts of the world. Of all the unique elements that must come together to manufacture muslin, none

294-403: A Kashmiri Brahman, Kalhana , the region was originally known as Dhakka . The word Dhakka means watchtower . Bikrampur and Sonargaon —the earlier strongholds of Bengal rulers were situated nearby. So Dhaka was most likely used as the watchtower for fortification purpose. The history of urban settlements in the area of modern-day Dhaka dates to the first millennium. The region was part of

392-461: A complete description of the process of weaving muslin. Cloths including muslin were exchanged for ivory , tortoiseshell and rhinoceros -horn at that time. Muslin was traded from Barygaza – an ancient port of India located in Gujarat – to different parts of Indian subcontinent before European merchants came to India. The Romans prized muslin highly, using bullion and gold coins to buy

490-758: A hotbed for European rivalries. The British moved to oust the last independent Nawab of Bengal in 1757, who was allied with the French. Due to the defection of Nawab's army chief Mir Jafar to the British side, the last Nawab lost the Battle of Plassey . After the Battle of Buxar in 1765, the Treaty of Allahabad allowed the British East India Company to become the tax collector in Bengal on behalf of

588-471: A jurisdiction covering most of modern-day Bangladesh and all of what is now Northeast India . The partition was the brainchild of Lord Curzon , who finally acted on British ideas for partitioning Bengal to improve administration, education, and business. Dhaka became the seat of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Legislative Council . While Dhaka was the main capital throughout the year, Shillong acted as

686-583: A major Muslim-majority city . Dhaka ranks third in South Asia and 39th in the world in terms of GDP . Lying on the Ganges Delta , it is bounded by the Buriganga , Turag , Dhaleshwari and Shitalakshya rivers. Dhaka is also the largest Bengali-speaking city in the world. The area of Dhaka has been inhabited since the first millennium. An early modern city developed from the 17th century as

784-401: A modern capital city, the population, area and social and economic diversity of Dhaka have grown tremendously. The city is now one of the most densely industrialized regions in the country. The city accounts for 35% of Bangladesh's economy . The Dhaka Stock Exchange has over 750 listed companies. Dhaka hosts over 50 diplomatic missions ; as well as the headquarters of BIMSTEC , CIRDAP , and

882-608: A movement for self-determination . On 7 March 1971, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a massive public gathering at the Ramna Race Course Maidan in Dhaka, in which he warned of an independence struggle. Subsequently, East Pakistan came under a non-co-operation movement against the Pakistani state. On Pakistan's Republic Day (23 March 1971), Bangladeshi flags were hoisted throughout Dhaka in

980-576: A potential future Mughal empress before her premature death. Internal conflict in the Mughal court cut short Dhaka's growth as an imperial city. Prince Azam Shah's rivalry with Murshid Quli Khan resulted in Dhaka losing its status as the provincial capital. In 1717, the provincial capital was shifted to Murshidabad where Murshid Quli Khan declared himself as the Nawab of Bengal . Under the Nawabs of Bengal,

1078-506: A provincial capital and commercial centre of the Mughal Empire . Dhaka was the capital of a proto-industrialized Mughal Bengal for 75 years (1608–39 and 1660–1704). It was the hub of the muslin trade in Bengal and one of the most prosperous cities in the world. The Mughal city was named Jahangirnagar ( The City of Jahangir ) in honour of the erstwhile ruling emperor Jahangir . The city's wealthy Mughal elite included princes and

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1176-506: A result, many of the immediate environmental burdens of river pollution are borne by these low-income residents. Water bodies and wetlands around Dhaka are facing destruction as these are being filled up to construct multi-storied buildings and other real estate developments. Coupled with pollution, such erosion of natural habitats threatens to destroy much of the regional biodiversity. Muslin trade in Bengal Muslin ,

1274-504: A show of resistance. On 25 March 1971, the Pakistan Army launched military operations under Operation Searchlight against the population of East Pakistan. Dhaka bore the brunt of the army's atrocities, witnessing a genocide and a campaign of wide-scale repression, with the arrest, torture, and murder of the city's civilians, students, intelligentsia , political activists and religious minorities. The army faced mutinies from

1372-466: A third of the Bengali population, also weakened the local muslin industry. From 1787 to 1788, Dhaka suffered from severe natural calamities - especially heavy rainfall - and famine broke out. After the disaster, more emphasis was given on agriculture to reduce the effects of the famine. Tax was revoked on the exportation of grains. So, people became more interested in agricultural works than weaving as

1470-583: A trilateral summit between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in 1998; the summit of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in 1999 and conferences of the Commonwealth , SAARC, the OIC and United Nations agencies during various years. In the 1990s and 2000s, Dhaka experienced improved economic growth and the emergence of affluent business districts and satellite towns. Between 1990 and 2005,

1568-535: A well-defined central business district . Old Dhaka is the historic commercial centre, but most development has moved to the north. In 1985, the area around Motijheel was considered the "modern" CBD, while by 2005 Gulshan was considered the "newest" part of the CBD. Many Bangladeshi government institutions can be found in Motijheel, Segunbagicha , Tejgaon , Karwan Bazar , and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar . Much activity

1666-547: Is 1600 silver pence. As the business expanded, European companies became interested in founding their own factories in Dhaka . The Dutch made their factory in Dhaka in 1663, the English in 1669 and the French in 1682. The Ostend Company came to Bengal at the beginning of the eighteenth century. They purchased textiles through agents and their own officials. When they found the business very profitable, they also made settlements in Dhaka. Available statistics show that in 1747

1764-416: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dhaka Dhaka ( / ˈ d ɑː k ə / DAH -kə or / ˈ d æ k ə / DAK -ə ; Bengali : ঢাকা , romanized :  Ḍhākā , pronounced [ˈɖʱaka] ), formerly known as Dacca , is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh . It is the ninth-largest and seventh-most densely populated city in

1862-542: Is as unique as the cotton, the famous "phuti karpas", scientifically known as Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta . Dhaka muslin was immensely popular and sold across the globe for millennia. Muslin from "India" is mentioned in the book Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , authored by an anonymous Egyptian merchant around 2,000 years ago, it was appreciated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and the fabled fabric

1960-403: Is built over a network of rivers. The city’s life is strongly intertwined with the rivers, as they are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. Except Old Dhaka , which is an old bazaar -style neighbourhood, the layout of the city follows a grid pattern with organic development influenced by traditional South Asian as well as Middle Eastern and Western patterns. Growth of the city

2058-411: Is centred around a few large roads, where road laws are rarely obeyed and street vendors and beggars are frequently encountered. For much of recent history, Dhaka was characterized by roadside markets and small shops that sold a wide variety of goods. Recent years have seen the widespread construction of shopping malls. Two of the largest shopping malls in the city and the wider South Asian region are

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2156-450: Is largely unplanned and is focused on the northern regions and around the city centre, where many of the more affluent neighbourhoods may be found. Most of the construction in the city consists of concrete high-rise buildings . Middle-class and upper-class housing, along with commercial and industrial areas, occupy most of the city. However, nearly one third of Dhaka's population lives in slums , as of 2016 (see below). Dhaka does not have

2254-474: Is one of the most prominent features of modern Dhaka. In 2014, it was reported that only 7% of the city was covered by roads. The first phase of Dhaka Metro Rail from Uttara to Agargaon was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 28 December 2022. However, nearly one third of Dhaka's population lives in slums , as of 2016. The city's main river, the Buriganga River , has become one of

2352-681: Is the namesake of the Higgs boson ); linguist Muhammad Shahidullah , Sir A F Rahman (the first Bengali vice-chancellor of the university); and historian R. C. Majumdar . The university was established in 1921 by the Imperial Legislative Council . It started with three faculties and 12 departments, covering the subjects of Sanskrit, Bengali, English, liberal arts , history, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Persian, Urdu, philosophy, economics, politics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and law. The East Bengal Cinematograph Company produced

2450-707: Is this history that is today still reflected in the faded grandeur of the old city, now crumbling due to decades of neglect. The narrow, winding, high-walled lanes and alleyways, the old high-ceilinged houses with verandas and balconies, the old neighbourhoods, the graveyards and gardens, the mosques, the grand old mansions – these are all still there if one goes looking". Railway stations, postal departments, civil service posts and river port stations were often staffed by Anglo-Indians . The city's hinterland supplied rice, jute, gunny sacks , turmeric, ginger, leather hides, silk, rugs, saltpeter , salt, sugar, indigo , cotton, and iron. British opium policy in Bengal contributed to

2548-929: The Dutch from Asia , for example. In the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese apothecary and diplomat Tomé Pires mentioned in his book Suma Oriental que trata do Mar Roxo até aos Chins (An Account of the East, from the Red Sea to China) that Bengal muslins were traded to Thailand and China . Bengali muslin was also traded throughout the Muslim world, from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. By 1580, some Portuguese traders settled at Dhaka and Sripur, from where they started exporting muslin, cotton and silk goods to Europe and Southeast Asia. During Ottoman rule from

2646-613: The Dutch East Indies . Bengal accounted for 50% of textiles and 80% of silks in Dutch textile imports from Asia. Silk was also exported to premodern Japan . The region had a large shipbuilding industry which supplied the Mughal Navy . The shipbuilding output of Bengal during the 16th and 17th centuries stood at 223,250 tons annually, compared to 23,061 tons produced by North America from 1769 to 1771. The Mughals decorated

2744-818: The East Pakistan Rifles and the Bengali police. Large parts of the city were burnt and destroyed, including Hindu neighbourhoods. Much of the city's population was either displaced or forced to flee to the countryside. Dhaka was struck with numerous air raids by the Indian Air Force in December . The Pakistan Eastern Command surrendered to Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. After independence, Dhaka's population grew from several hundred thousand to several million in five decades. Dhaka

2842-505: The Indian subcontinent sailing via the Red Sea . At the same time, Armenian merchants from Iran came to the Indian subcontinent travelling on land through Qandahar and Isfahan . They traded textile goods including muslin from Bengal to Aleppo of Syria . In an official inventory of Istanbul market dated from 1640, 20 types of muslins were found and the highest value found there

2940-614: The International Jute Study Group . Dhaka has a renowned culinary heritage. The city's culture is known for its rickshaws , Kacchi Biryani, art festivals , street food, and religious diversity. Dhaka's most prominent architectural landmark is the modernist Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban ; while it has a heritage of 2000 buildings from the Mughal and British periods. The city is associated with two Nobel laureates. Dhaka's annual Bengali New Year parade, its Jamdani sari, and its rickshaw art have been recognized by UNESCO as

3038-976: The Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara City . Under the Köppen climate classification , Dhaka has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ). The city has a distinct monsoonal season, with an annual average temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) and monthly means varying between 19 °C (66 °F) in January and 29 °C (84 °F) in May. Approximately 87% of the average annual rainfall of 2,123 millimetres (83.6 inches) occurs between May and October. There are many parks within Dhaka City, including Ramna Park , Suhrawardy Udyan , Shishu Park , National Botanical Garden , Baldha Garden , Chandrima Uddan , Gulshan Park and Dhaka Zoo . Almost 10% of

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3136-947: The Khasi and Jaintia Hills , the Naga Hills and the Lushai Hills in Surma Valley Division; and Goalpara , Kamrup , the Garo Hills , Darrang , Nowgong , Sibsagar and Lakhimpur in Assam Valley Division. The province was bordered by Cooch Behar State , Hill Tipperah and the Kingdom of Bhutan . On the political front, partition allowed Dhaka to project itself as the standard-bearer of Muslim communities in British India ; as opposed to

3234-625: The Naib Nazim of Dhaka was in charge of the city. The Naib Nazim was the deputy governor of Bengal. He also dealt with the upkeep of the Mughal Navy. The Naib Nazim was in charge of the Dhaka Division, which included Dhaka, Comilla , and Chittagong. Dhaka Division was one of the four divisions under the Nawabs of Bengal. The Nawabs of Bengal allowed European trading companies to establish factories across Bengal. The region then became

3332-549: The Opium Wars with China . American traders collected artwork, handicrafts, terracotta, sculptures, religious and literary texts, manuscripts, and military weapons from Bengal. Some objects from the region are on display in the Peabody Essex Museum . The increase in international trade led to profits for many families in the city, allowing them to buy imported luxury goods. During the Indian mutiny of 1857 ,

3430-641: The hansom cab as public transport in 1856. The number of carriages increased from 60 in 1867 to 600 in 1889. A modern civic water system was introduced in 1874. In 1885, the Dhaka State Railway was opened with a 144 km metre gauge (1000 mm) rail line connecting Mymensingh and the Port of Narayanganj through Dhaka. The city later became a hub of the Eastern Bengal State Railway . The first film shown in Dhaka

3528-764: The Assam Valley Division, Chittagong Division, Dacca Division, Rajshahi Division, and the Surma Valley Division. There were a total of 30 districts in Eastern Bengal and Assam, including Dacca, Mymensingh, Faridpur and Backergunge in Dacca Division; Tippera , Noakhali, Chittagong and the Hill Tracts in Chittagong Division; Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri , Rangpur, Bogra, Pabna and Malda in Rajshahi Division; Sylhet, Cachar ,

3626-641: The Bengali muslin industry could afford. At the same time, tariffs and other protectionist policies instituted by European nations led to a collapse in foreign demand for muslin, further weakening the industry. By the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution in Britain meant that the Bengali muslin trade could no longer compete against British-made textiles in Indian markets, and eventually collapsed. The Great Bengal famine of 1770 , which killed

3724-839: The English East India Company, the Dutch East India Company , and French East India Company . The property of the Ahsan Manzil was initially bought by the French for their factory and later sold to the Dhaka Nawab Family. The Portuguese were reportedly responsible for introducing cheese . Dhaka saw an influx of migrants during the Mughal Empire. An Armenian community from the Safavid Empire settled in Dhaka and

3822-514: The Liberation War Museum. The Nawabs of Dhaka owned Rolls-Royces . Austin cars were widely used. Beauty Boarding was a popular inn and restaurant. Dhaka's fortunes changed in the early 20th century. British neglect of Dhaka's urban development was overturned with the first partition of Bengal in 1905, which restored Dhaka's status as a regional capital. The city became the seat of government for Eastern Bengal and Assam , with

3920-592: The Mohsinia Madrasa, Jagannath College and the Ahsanullah School of Engineering . Horse racing was a favourite pastime for elite residents in the city's Ramna Race Course beside the Dhaka Club . The Viceroy of India would often dine and entertain with Bengali aristocrats in the city. Automobiles began appearing after the turn of the century. A 1937 Sunbeam-Talbot Ten was preserved in

4018-593: The Mughal Emperor in Delhi. The Naib Nazim continued to function until 1793 when all his powers were transferred to the East India Company. The city formally passed to the control of the East India Company in 1793. British military raids damaged a lot of the city's infrastructure. The military conflict caused a sharp decline in the urban population. Dhaka's fortunes received a boost with connections to

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4116-587: The Mughal era, the most important center of cotton production was Bengal, particularly around its capital city of Dhaka, leading to muslin being called "daka" in distant markets such as Central Asia . Bengal also exported cotton and silk textiles to markets such as Indonesia and Japan and after the arrival of the Portuguese in late 15th century, a small amount of Indian textiles started to travel directly to Europe. Bengal produced more than 50% of textiles of Indian subcontinent and around 40% of silks imported by

4214-472: The Mughal government in Bengal. The legacy of cosmopolitan trading communities lives on in the names of neighbourhoods in Old Dhaka, including Farashganj (French Bazaar), Armanitola (Armenian Quarter) and Postogola (Portuguese Quarter). According to those who lived in the historic city, "Dhaka was a courtly, genteel town – the very last flowering, in their telling, of Mughal etiquette and sensibility. It

4312-465: The Mughal need to consolidate control in eastern Bengal. The Mughals also planned to extend their empire beyond into Assam and Arakan . Dhaka and Chittagong became the eastern frontiers of the Mughal Empire. Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in 1610 with a jurisdiction covering modern-day Bangladesh and eastern India , including the modern-day Indian states of West Bengal , Bihar and Orissa . This province

4410-578: The ancient district of Bikrampur , which was ruled by the Sena dynasty . Under Islamic rule, it became part of the historic district of Sonargaon , the regional administrative hub of the Delhi and the Bengal Sultanates . The Grand Trunk Road passed through the region, connecting it with North India , Central Asia and the southeastern port city of Chittagong. Before Dhaka, the capital of Bengal

4508-521: The board. Dhaka Board was dissolved in September 1947 by a government order. Its name was changed to East Bengal Secondary Education Board in 1955 and it was live till 1961. Scope of this new board was limited to secondary level education of then the East province of Pakistan and control of intermediate education was shifted to the University of Dhaka . Responsibility of intermediate education

4606-510: The city is connected to a sewer system , whereas 80% is not connected. As a result, the rivers in Dhaka have severe pathogen pollution, as indicated by the fecal coliform count that is several hundred times higher than the recommended national and international standards of less than 200 cfu per litre for bathing and swimming. Chemical surveys in the rivers near Dhaka show extremely high organic pollution loading, high ammonia , and very low dissolved oxygen levels, which are close to zero in

4704-406: The city saw the introduction of electricity , railways , cinemas , Western-style universities and colleges and a modern water supply . It became an important administrative and educational centre in the British Raj, as the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam province after 1905. In 1947, after the end of British rule, the city became the administrative capital of East Pakistan . It was declared

4802-418: The city took place under Governor Shaista Khan. The city then measured 19 by 13 kilometres (11.8 by 8.1 mi), with a population of nearly one million. Dhaka became home to one of the richest elites in Mughal India. The construction of Lalbagh Fort was commenced in 1678 by Prince Azam Shah , who was the governor of Bengal, a son of Emperor Aurangzeb and a future Mughal Emperor himself. The Lalbagh Fort

4900-458: The city with well-laid-out gardens. Caravanserai included the Bara Katra and Choto Katra . The architect of the palatial Bara Katra was Abul Qashim Al Hussaini Attabatayi Assemani. According to inscriptions in the Bangladesh National Museum, the ownership of Bara Katra was entrusted to an Islamic waqf . The Bara Katra also served as a residence for Mughal governors, including Prince Shah Shuja (the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan). Dhaka

4998-456: The city witnessed revolts by the Bengal Army . Direct rule by the British crown was established following the successful quelling of the mutiny. It bestowed privileges on the Dhaka Nawab Family, which dominated the city's political and social elite. The Dhaka Cantonment was established as a base for the British Indian Army . The British developed the modern city around Ramna , Shahbag Garden, and Victoria Park . Dhaka got its own version of

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5096-426: The city's area consists of water: There are 676 ponds and 43 canals. The Buriganga River flows past the southwest outskirts of Dhaka. Its average depth is 7.6 metres (25 ft) and its maximum depth is 18 metres (58 ft). It ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country. The city is surrounded by six interconnected river systems—the Buriganga and Dhaleshwari in the southwest, Turag and Tongi Khal in

5194-438: The city's economy. The hartal rate has declined since 2014. In some years, the city experienced a widespread flash flood during the monsoon. Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. It is predicted to be one of the world's largest cities by 2025, along with Tokyo , Mexico City , Shanghai , Beijing and New York City . Most of its population are rural migrants, including climate refugees . Congestion

5292-421: The city's population doubled from 6 million to 12 million. There has been increased foreign investment in the city, particularly in the financial and textile manufacturing sectors. Between 2008 and 2011, the government of Bangladesh organized three years of celebrations to mark 400 years since Dhaka's founding as an early modern city. But frequent hartals by political parties have greatly hampered

5390-426: The construction of stately buildings, including the High Court and Curzon Hall. The city was home to diverse groups of people, including Armenians , Jews , Anglo-Indians and Hindus. The Hindus included both Marwaris and Bengali Hindus , with a plurality emerging by 1941 and engaged in professions like teaching, medicine, law, and business. Dhaka was the seat of government for 4 administrative divisions, including

5488-442: The court of Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BC, and is supposed to be the fabric worn by the figurines of the 2nd century BC found at Chandraketugarh . The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea written between 40 and 70 AD mentions Arab and Greek merchants trading between India and the Red Sea port of Aduli (in present-day Eritrea), Egypt and Ethiopia . The Charyapada of the 10th century, written on palm leaves, contain

5586-405: The decline of muslin trade in Bengal. In 1811, Bengal was still a major exporter of cotton cloth to the Americas and the Indian Ocean . However, Bengali exports declined over the course of the early 19th century, as British imports to Bengal increased, from 25% in 1811 to 93% in 1840. The Dhaka muslin begins with plants grown along the banks of the Meghna River and its tributaries, which form

5684-464: The dry season. In addition to the organic and pathogen pollution load from the 1.2 million m of untreated sewage, the rivers receive about 60,000 m of industrial effluent every day from nine major industrial clusters (as of 2021). There are an estimated 500–700 wet processing and dyeing textile factories releasing a range of chemicals including salts, dyes and bleaches, and 155 tanneries discharging heavy metals , including chromium . Four of

5782-420: The ethnolinguistic region. The partition was annulled by an announcement from King George V during the Delhi Durbar in 1911. The British decided to reunite Bengal while the capital of India was shifted to New Delhi from Calcutta. As a "splendid compensation" for the annulment of partition, the British gave the city a newly formed university in the 1920s. The University of Dhaka was initially modelled on

5880-478: The first full-length silent movies in Dhaka during the 1920s, including Sukumari and The Last Kiss . DEVCO, a subsidiary of the Occtavian Steel Company, began widescale power distribution in 1930. The Tejgaon Airport was constructed during World War II as a base for Allied Forces . The Dhaka Medical College was established in 1946. At the time of the partition of India, many rich Hindu families relocated to West Bengal. Their properties were seized by

5978-402: The heavily Hindu-dominated city of Calcutta. In 1906, the All India Muslim League was founded in the city during a conference on liberal education hosted by the Nawab of Dhaka and the Aga Khan III . The Muslim population in Dhaka and eastern Bengal generally favoured partition in the hopes of getting better jobs and educational opportunities. Many Bengalis, however, opposed the bifurcation of

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6076-456: The immense Ganges Delta . The famous "phuti karpas" ( Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta ) with their maple-like leaves pushed produce a single light-yellow flower twice a year, which give way to a snowy floret of cotton fibers. Unlike the long, slender strands produced by the Central American gossypium hirsutum , which makes up 90% of the world’s cotton today, gossypium arboreum produced threads that are stumpy and easily frayed. Craftspeople tamed

6174-433: The imposition of a 75% tax on the export of cotton from Bengal, as well as the surge in imports of cheap, British-manufactured fabrics after the advent of the spinning mule and steam power. The rapid growth of the colonial capital Calcutta contributed to the decline in Dhaka's population and economy in the early 1800s. In 1824, an Anglican bishop described Dhaka as a "city of magnificent ruins". Dhaka hosted factories of

6272-433: The intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The city has produced many writers and poets in several languages, especially in Bengali and English. The origins of the name Dhaka are uncertain. It may derive from the dhak tree, which was once common in the area, or from Dhakeshwari , the 'patron Hindu goddess' of the region. Another popular theory states that Dhaka refers to a membranophone instrument, dhak which

6370-437: The land, which is flat and close to sea level. This leaves Dhaka susceptible to flooding during the monsoon seasons owing to heavy rainfall and cyclones . Due to its location on the lowland plain of the Ganges Delta, the city is fringed by extensive mangroves and tidal flat ecosystems. Dhaka District is bounded by the districts of Gazipur , Tangail , Munshiganj , Rajbari , Narayanganj , and Manikganj . The city of Dhaka

6468-437: The landscape) gardens. Once upon a time, this was the new city; and even though it is today far from the ritziest part of town, the streets here are still wider and the trees more abundant and the greenery more evident than in any other part". Some of the early educational institutions established during the period of British rule include the Dhaka College , the Dhaka Medical School , the Eden College , St. Gregory's School ,

6566-443: The late 1970s. In the 1980s, Dhaka saw the inauguration of the National Parliament House (which won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture ), a new international airport and the Bangladesh National Museum . Bangladesh pioneered the formation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and hosted its first summit in Dhaka in 1985. A mass uprising in 1990 led to the return of parliamentary democracy . Dhaka hosted

6664-491: The legislative capital of Pakistan in 1962. In 1971, following the Liberation War , it became the capital of independent Bangladesh. In 2008, Dhaka celebrated 400 years as a municipal city. A gamma+ global city , Dhaka is the centre of political, economic and cultural life in Bangladesh. It is the seat of the Government of Bangladesh , many Bangladeshi companies , and leading Bangladeshi educational, scientific, research, and cultural organizations. Since its establishment as

6762-431: The material from Deccan and South India. They introduced muslin into Europe, and eventually it became very popular. A Chinese voyager, Ma Huan , wrote about five or six varieties of fine cloths after visiting Bengal in the early fifteenth century; he mentions that Bengal muslin was highly priced in China at that time. Under Mughal rule , Bengal was a center of the worldwide muslin, silk and pearl trades. During

6860-453: The mercantile networks of the British Empire . With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Britain , Dhaka became a leading centre of the jute trade , as Bengal accounted for the largest share of the world's jute production. But the British neglected Dhaka's industrial and urban development until the late 19th century. Income from the pre-colonial, proto-industrialized textile industry dried up. Bengali weavers went out of business after

6958-412: The most polluted rivers in the country. Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh at 23°42′N 90°22′E  /  23.700°N 90.367°E  / 23.700; 90.367 , on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River . The city lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta and covers a total area of 270 square kilometres (100 sq mi). Tropical vegetation and moist soils characterize

7056-550: The north, and Balu and Sitalakhya in the east—which support trade, transport, and stormwater drainage. However, the current state of the water quality of the river network is very poor, due to the discharge of untreated wastewater from households and industries. There are several lakes within the city, such as Crescent Lake, Dhanmondi Lake, Baridhara - Gulshan Lake , Banani lake , Uttara Lake, Hatirjheel-Begunbari Lake, 300 Feet Road Prionty lake, Ramna lake. Increasing air and water pollution affects public health and

7154-490: The pre-partition standards. The economy began to industrialize. On the outskirts of the city, the world's largest jute mill was built. The mill produced jute goods which were in high demand during the Korean War . People began building duplex houses. In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip witnessed the improved living standards of Dhaka's residents. The Intercontinental hotel , designed by William B. Tabler ,

7252-405: The quality of life in the city. The air pollution is caused for example by vehicle traffic and congestion. Also, due to the unregulated manufacturing of bricks and other causes, Dhaka has very high levels of fine particulate matter ( PM2.5 ) air pollution. Water pollution is caused by the discharge of municipal wastewater from households and industry without treatment. As of 2011 only 20% of

7350-470: The residential style of the University of Oxford . It became known as the Oxford of the East because of its residential character. Like Oxford, students in Dhaka were affiliated with their halls of residence instead of their academic departments (this system was dropped after 1947 and students are now affiliated with academic departments). The university's faculty included scientist Satyendra Nath Bose (who

7448-644: The rivers surrounding Dhaka—Buriganaga, Sitalakhya, Balu and Turag—are so polluted that they have been declared as ecologically critical areas in 2009 by the Department of Environment. This makes them unsuitable for any human use. Nevertheless, people living in low-income and slum areas still have a lot of direct contact with river water, exposing them to health risks. They use river water for dish washing, laundry, cleaning fish and vegetables, and personal washing, washing and dyeing denim , washing fish baskets or plastic sheets, collecting plastic waste and fishing. As

7546-543: The sixteenth century onwards, large quantities of muslin was exported to the Middle East. Muslin turbans were favoured by the Ottomans . In the sixteenth century, Portuguese started trading textiles from the Indian subcontinent through the Persian Gulf including high quality of muslins. In the seventeenth century, the Portuguese trade declined. In the early seventeenth century, English and Dutch merchants arrived at

7644-453: The sons of Mughal emperors. The pre-colonial city's glory peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was home to merchants from across Eurasia . The Port of Dhaka was a major trading post for both riverine and seaborne trade. The Mughals decorated the city with well-laid gardens, tombs, mosques, palaces, and forts. The city was once called the Venice of the East . Under British rule ,

7742-719: The state under laws that eventually became known as the Vested Property Act . The development of the "real city" began after the partition of India . After partition, Dhaka became known as the second capital of Pakistan . This was formalized in 1962 when Ayub Khan declared the city as the legislative capital under the 1962 constitution . New neighbourhoods began to spring up in formerly barren and agrarian areas. These included Dhanmondi (rice granary), Katabon (thorn forest), Kathalbagan (jackfruit grove), Kalabagan (banana grove), Segunbagicha (teak grove) and Gulshan (flower garden). Living standards rapidly improved from

7840-406: The summer retreat of the administration. Lieutenant Governors were in charge of the province. They resided in Dhaka. The Lt Governors included Sir Bampfylde Fuller (1905-1906), Sir Lancelot Hare (1906-1911), and Sir Charles Stuart Bayley (1911-1912). Their legacy lives on in the names of three major thoroughfares in modern Dhaka, including Hare Road, Bayley Road , and Fuller Road. The period saw

7938-525: The threads with a series of ingenious techniques developed over millennia. The fibers of the "phuti karpas" were not suitable for making the cheap cotton cloth using industrial machinery so it nearly vanished. Muslin sarees were woven in Bangladesh by a group of researchers under a government grant project in 2020. As of 9 March 2022 the thread count has reached 731. The exceptional muslin has secured recognition of Geographical Indication (GI) as

8036-559: The trade of Dhaka cotton goods (primarily Muslin), including local trade valued twenty-eight and a half lakh rupees. During the second half of 18th century, Bengal gradually came under the control of the British East India Company (EIC), particularly after Robert Clive 's victory at the 1757 Battle of Plassey . Coming under Company rule meant that British-made goods produced with Indian cotton started to be sold in Bengal, which were sold at cheaper prices than

8134-521: The wages of labourers and other people working in agriculture suddenly rose. From 1782 to 1787, the Industrial Revolution began in Britain, and fine cotton was produced locally. During the period of Company rule, the muslin industry declined due to various EIC policies, which supported imports of industrially manufactured textiles from Britain. A duty of 75 percent was imposed on export of cotton from Bengal. These measures ultimately led to

8232-559: The world with a density of 23,234 people per square kilometer within a total area of approximately 300 square kilometers. Dhaka is a megacity , and has a population of 10.2 million residents as of 2024, and a population of over 23.9 million residents in Dhaka Metropolitan Area . It is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. Dhaka is the most important cultural, economic, and scientific hub of Eastern South Asia , as well as

8330-468: Was Gour . Even earlier capitals included Pandua , Bikrampur and Sonargaon. The latter was also the seat of Isa Khan and his son Musa Khan , who both headed a confederation of twelve chieftains that resisted Mughal expansion in eastern Bengal during the late 16th century. Due to a change in the course of the Ganges, the strategic importance of Gour was lost. Dhaka was viewed with strategic importance due to

8428-487: Was declared the national capital by the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh in 1972. The post-independence period witnessed rapid growth as Dhaka attracted migrant workers from across rural Bangladesh . 60% of population growth has been due to rural migration. The city endured socialist unrest in the early 1970s, followed by a few years of martial law . The stock exchange and free market were restored in

8526-672: Was established in 1956 to coordinate the city's development. The first master plan for the city was drawn up in 1959. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization established a medical research centre (now called ICDDR,B ) in the city in 1960. The early period of political turbulence was seen between 1947 and 1952, particularly the Bengali Language Movement . From the mid-1960s, the Awami League's 6-point autonomy demands began giving rise to pro-independence aspirations across East Pakistan . In 1969, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

8624-445: Was given to the board from the university in 1961 and board was named Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, East Pakistan and after liberation, it was named Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka with the scope of operation within Dhaka division . 23°43′24″N 90°23′36″E  /  23.723303°N 90.393244°E  / 23.723303; 90.393244 This article about education in Bangladesh

8722-575: Was home to an array of Mughal bureaucrats and military officials, as well as members of the imperial family. The city was guarded by Mughal artillery like the Bibi Mariam Cannon (Lady Mary Cannon). Islam Khan I was the first Mughal governor to reside in the city. Khan named it "Jahangirnagar" ( The City of Jahangir ) in honour of the Emperor Jahangir. The name was dropped soon after the English conquered. The main expansion of

8820-440: Was intended to be the viceregal residence of Mughal governors in eastern India. Before the fort's construction could be completed, the prince was recalled by Emperor Aurangzeb. The fort's construction was halted by Shaista Khan after the death of his daughter Pari Bibi , who is buried in a tomb in the centre of the unfinished fort. Pari Bibi, whose name means Fairy Lady , was legendary for her beauty, engaged to Prince Azam Shah, and

8918-553: Was involved in the city's textile trade, paying a 3.5% tax. The Armenians were very active in the city's social life. They opened the Pogose School . Marwaris were the Hindu trading community. Dhaka also became home to Jews and Greeks. The city has a Greek memorial . Several families of Dhaka's elite spoke Urdu and included Urdu poets. Persians also settled in the city to serve as administrators and military commanders of

9016-457: Was known as Bengal Subah . The city was founded during the reign of Emperor Jahangir . Emperor Shah Jahan visited Dhaka in 1624 and stayed in the city for a week, four years before he became emperor in 1628. Dhaka became one of the richest and greatest cities in the world during the early period of Bengal Subah (1610-1717). The prosperity of Dhaka reached its peak during the administration of governor Shaista Khan (1644-1677 and 1680–1688). Rice

9114-558: Was opened in 1966. Estonian-American architect Louis I. Kahn was enlisted to design the Dhaka Assembly, which was originally intended to be the federal parliament of Pakistan and later became independent Bangladesh's parliament. The East Pakistan Helicopter Service connected the city to regional towns. The Dhaka Stock Exchange was opened on 28 April 1954. The first local airline Orient Airways began flights between Dhaka and Karachi on 6 June 1954. The Dhaka Improvement Trust

9212-534: Was played by order of Subahdar Islam Khan I during the inauguration of the Bengal capital in 1610. Some references also say it was derived from a Prakrit dialect called Dhaka Bhasa; or Dhakka, used in the Rajtarangini for a watch station; or it is the same as Davaka, mentioned in the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta as an eastern frontier kingdom. According to Rajatarangini written by

9310-574: Was released from prison amid a mass upsurge which led to the resignation of Ayub Khan in 1970. The city had an influential press with prominent newspapers like the Pakistan Observer , Ittefaq , Forum , and the Weekly Holiday . During the political and constitutional crisis in 1971, the military junta led by Yahya Khan refused to transfer power to the newly elected National Assembly, causing mass riots, civil disobedience, and

9408-775: Was screened on the Riverfront Crown Theatre on 17 April 1898. The film show was organized by the Bedford Bioscope Company. The electricity supply began in 1901. This period is described as being "the colonial-era part of Dhaka, developed by the British during the early 20th century. Similar to colonial boroughs the length and breadth of the Subcontinent, this development was typified by stately government buildings, spacious tree-lined avenues, and sturdy white-washed bungalows set amidst always overgrown (the British never did manage to fully tame

9506-459: Was the pinnacle of European fashion in the 18th and 19th century. Production ceased sometime in the late 19th century, as the Bengali muslin industry could no longer compete against cheaper British-made textiles. Bengal has manufactured textiles for many centuries, as recorded in ancient hand-written and printed documents. Muslin finds mention in Megasthenes ’ writings, a Greek envoy to

9604-860: Was then sold at eight maunds per rupee. Thomas Bowrey, an English merchant sailor who visited the city between 1669 and 1670, wrote that the city was 40 miles in circuit. He estimated the city to be more populated than London with 900,000 people. Bengal became the economic engine of the Mughal Empire. Dhaka played a key role in the proto-industrialization of Bengal. It was the centre of the muslin trade in Bengal , leading to muslin being called "daka" in distant markets as far away as Central Asia . Mughal India depended on Bengali products like rice, silk and cotton textiles. European East India Companies from Britain, Holland, France, and Denmark also depended on Bengali products. Bengal accounted for 40% of Dutch imports from Asia, with many products being sold to Dutch ships in Bengali harbours and then transported to Batavia in

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