When was dhaka declared as the capital of bangladesh

The name Dhaka is believed to have originated from Dhakeshwari in the same way as Athens got its name from Athena, the patron goddess of the Greek city. The ancient temple was ruined in the course of time until a Hindu agent of British East India Company reconstructed it around years back. The temple was further damaged by the Pakistan forces during the Liberation War of Bangladesh and was later renovated and declared as the national temple of the country. Dhaka came into prominence during the Mughal period when it held the position of the provincial capital of Bengal, and was destined to expand.

A significant growth in population and trade came following the development of townships, public works as the city was proclaimed the capital of Bengal under Mughal rule in Mughal Subahdar Islam Khan Chisti was the first administrator of the city.

There is widespread disagreement over the exact history of naming Dhaka. It is said that Ballal Sen, a king of the Sen Dynasty, found an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga in a nearby forest while traveling on the banks of the river Buriganga.

Since the idol of the goddess was found in Dhaka or a hidden state, the king named the temple Dhakeswari Temple. From the name of the temple, the name of the place became Dhaka over time. The story of playing this dhak became a popular legend and from that the name of the city became Dhaka. It may be mentioned here that for some time during the Mughal Empire, Dhaka was known as Jahangirnagar in honor of Emperor Jahangir.

Dhaka was a center of global muslin trade and traders from all parts of the world came here for trade. The best muslin cloth in the world was produced in Dhaka. Although the modern city of Dhaka developed during the British rule in the nineteenth century, the Nawabs ruled Dhaka at this time. Increasing air and water pollution emanating from traffic congestion and industrial waste are serious problems affecting public health and the quality of life in the city. 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. The Dhaka City Corporation is a self-governing corporation which runs the affairs of the city.

The incorporated area is divided into several wards, which have elected commissioners. The Dhaka Education Board is responsible for administering all public schools and most private schools with the exception of English-medium schools and madrassahs. All madrassahs in Bangladesh are governed by a central board while English-medium schools are under separate educational and governance structures.

The city is divided into 25 i. Ramna contains the Secretariat, which houses most of the government ministries. The Bangabhaban palace has served as the official residence of the Viceroy of India, the governor of East Pakistan and presently the President of Bangladesh. The Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, designed by renowned architect Louis Kahn, houses the unicameral national parliament.

The Baitul Mukarram, developed with a design resembling the Kaaba of Mecca, is the national mosque. To fight rising traffic congestion and population, the national government has recently implemented a policy for rapid urbanization of surrounding areas and beyond by the introduction of a ten year holiday on income tax for new construction of facilities and buildings outside Dhaka.

Only two-thirds of households in Dhaka are served by the city water supply system. More than 9. While private and government efforts have succeeded in collecting refuse city-wide and using it as manure, most solid wastes are often dumped untreated in nearby low-lying areas and water bodies.

The population of Dhaka areas under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka city corporation stands at approximately 7. The city, in combination with localities forming the wider metropolitan area, is home to an estimated The population is growing by an estimated 4. According to Far Eastern Economic Review, Dhaka will become a home of 25 million people by the year The decline in the manufacture and trade in muslin had a catastrophic effect upon the city.

However, the commerce in indigo in the s and s for a while and later the trade in jute in the s came to the rescue of the city's commercial fortune. By the s the city became an important centre of jute trade and jute manufactures. Later on, though the phenomenal increase of jute export was handled directly from Narayanganj, which was virtually a port of Dhaka, the entire trade in jute in East Bengal in the 19th and 20th centuries was controlled from Dhaka.

In short, it was the unprecedented growth in the production and trade in jute in East Bengal that not only made the region prosperous but also changed the fortune of the city of Dhaka from the late 19th century.

However, during the colonial period, competition from England was tremendous and the goods imported from Britain dominated the local market so that Dhaka remained a modest manufacturing centre of jute-goods, textiles, glass, chemicals and of various local arts and crafts, among which the conch-shell ornaments had an all-Bengal market. The picture changed considerably during the post-colonial period, with government patronage for increased trade and industrialisation and the pouring in of capital from various sources.

The import and export policies of the government also produced positive results. The government also set up industrial zones within the boundaries of the city, the Tejgaon area being the prime site. Dhaka quickly grew into an important centre of manufacture of textiles and silk goods; soap; jute-goods; leather-goods; glass; safety-matches; iron and steel-implements; engineering and automobile accessories; foundry products; bricks and tiles; ceramics and potteries; chemicals and pharmaceuticals; plastic goods; beverages, and canned fruits; paper; film etc.

The pace of industrialisation and growth of trade and commerce in the city increased dramatically in the post-liberation period. Although the war destroyed almost all the industrial plants and factories and also caused the withdrawal of capital by the West Pakistanis, the rehabilitation work started quickly.

The investment in industries and manufactures also increased steadily, with government and private financial institutions playing a vital role. One must also mention the increased linkage between Bangladesh and the world market after independence.

Today Dhaka and its environs are one of the largest industrial regions of the country, producing varieties of goods and manufactures, from traditional products like textiles, silver and gold ornaments to modern electronic goods - many of these under the joint venture system.

There are also industrial zones devoted exclusively to the manufacture of goods for export. These export promotion zones manufacture high-tech goods in particular.

The most important industrial activity for which Dhaka has created an important place for itself on the world market in recent years is the garment industry , producing textile and woolen goods on an order basis from foreign buyers. Dhaka is also now a major producer of leather goods. Dhaka has also become one of the most important commercial centres in the country.

There is brisk trade both in local and foreign products, ranging from high tech goods to cosmetics. The city is now dotted with several multi-storied modern shopping centres where varieties of goods are sold.

The modern shops are gradually replacing the old-fashioned shops and markets. Financial Institutions the city at present is also the headquarters of all financial institutions of the country. The bangladesh bank , the country's central bank, is situated in the Motijheel Commercial Area and it controls all the banking and financial transactions of the country. Dhaka's modern banking institutions date back to the 19th century. Prior to this banking was carried out in the indigenous manner and the House of jagat sheth , the Banker of the nawabs of Bengal had its branch in Dhaka and handled almost all the monetary transactions of the city.

Today Dhaka also houses the national and metropolitan chambers of commerce and other institutions of the business people and industrialists. Just as the Bangladesh Bank looks after the public aspect of finance so do the various Chambers of Commerce protect the private business interest. The Stock Market, a recent growth, has added to the commercial life of the city.

Population the most important development that has taken place in the city's recent history is the overwhelming growth of its population, chiefly through migration. In , at the time of the first census, Dhaka had a population of 69,; in , 79,; in , 1,25,; and in , 2,39, After the Partition of the increase in population showed a steady rise with the arrival of migrants from India and in the population jumped to 3,36, According to the census of , the city had a population of ,, a growth of some This growth rose dramatically after By , the population increased to 1,,; in it reached 3,,; and in , 6,, The unprecedented growth of the city and the lure of jobs and opportunities, real or imaginary, led enormous numbers of rural migrants from all over the country to come to Dhaka.

The legal and administrative boundaries of the city nowadays have however been extended to a great extent to include, for example, Narayanganj and Savar, so that the city's present population is more than twelve million. Within this boundary there are, however, many patches of rural areas as well as wastelands. This enormous growth in population has had its impact upon the city's housing and various service sectors as well as upon its social and economic life, especially upon its environment.

Large parts of the city have developed as slums where poor migrants live in shanties in inhuman conditions. Transport, Housing and Civic services The enormous growth of the city and the unprecedented increase of population, have made the old-time transports, housing and civic services totally inadequate and unsuitable.

In the nineteenth century most of the people traveled on foot from home to the workplace; the use of horses and of boats, at least through the Dulai Khal, was also in vogue. Such nineteenth-century transports like palki, ponies, elephants and hackney carriages however disappeared by the middle of the twentieth century with the rapid extension of the city, and have been replaced by a variety of vehicles including the ubiquitous rickshaws, buses and cars.

Towards the end of the s, privately owned luxurious buses and taxis have also been introduced, but no proper transport system that befits a big capital city has yet been introduced by the city authorities, resulting in a very unsatisfactory state. Though the total number of dwellings at present in the city falls short of the demand, resulting in overcrowding, the housing scenario of Dhaka has changed very impressively over the last two centuries.

The nineteenth century houses, mostly thatched huts erected in a line upon the edges of narrow streets and lanes have given place to brick-built houses upon spacious roads and planned areas.

Apart from some magnificent houses built privately by the wealthy citizens on privately owned land, the idea of having planned residential areas with two to four-storied buildings and housing colonies of similar height for people of limited income began to take root only from the late nineteenth century and has continued to dominate the housing scene ever since.

From the s the shortage of suitable land has led to the construction of high-rise houses with multiple stories both for offices and residences throughout the city. A group of very talented local engineers, architects and builders as well as foreign companies have appeared on the scene and are constructing such buildings and thus changing the city-scape of Dhaka.

In recent times Dhanmondi, Banani, Gulshan, Baridhara, Uttara, Shiddeshwari, Mirpur, Pallabi areas have been developed into beautiful residential areas with expensive and luxurious houses and apartment blocks. However, the house-building process is far from complete and though the city is full of high-rise buildings and luxurious residences as well as humble one-storied houses, nearly one-third of the population live in slums, in shanties and in the most inhuman conditions.

The civic services in the modern sense started in Dhaka in the nineteenth century with the establishment of the Dhaka Municipality in From then on restrictions on building houses were introduced; spacious roads were constructed; sweeping and cleaning of roads and privies were started; piped water-supply began; markets were controlled; a traffic system was introduced and an electricity supply system installed both with government funds and private charities.

The civic services and urban facilities have increased tremendously in the last thirty years or so. A network of roads connecting the various parts of the city as well as establishing links countrywide has been constructed.

The city has been supplied with gas from the s - a major aid that has helped the capital to develop into a modern place as well as freeing it from much pollution from the use of coal and wood. Water supply, mostly from underground extraction through a deep tube-well system, has been vastly increased but the method is dangerously associated with sub-soil erosion.

Recently Syedabad Water Purification and supply plant has been commissioned. It draws water from the Sitalakhya. Likewise, the supply of electricity, though greatly increased in the recent past has proved to be inadequate for a city with about twelve million inhabitants and large industrial activities.

The ever-increasing demand for domestic purposes, industries, business houses, hospitals and clinics, educational institutions and sporting venues has made the supply so inadequate that the city experiences quite frequently deliberate cuts in power supply. Telephones, telex, fax, mobile phones, e-mail and very recently the Internet have revolutionised the city's communication system and its link with the rest of the world.

Socio-cultural Activities Dhaka is a major South Asian capital city playing a significant role in the political, economic, social, cultural and sporting activities of the region. It has developed into one of the most important cultural centres of Asia, holding national and international art, music, cinema, theatre, dance and literary conferences and festivals. Western-influenced theatrical performances started in Dhaka from the middle of the nineteenth century and later the appearance of female performers on stage created a sensation among the conservative sections of Dhaka society.

Today theatre is one of the most popular entertainments in the city though the organisers, performers and audiences are mostly from the educated middle class. The hub of these activities is the Segun-Bagicha, Ramna and Shahbag area - an enclave which has been indeed very recently designed as the Dhaka Sangskrtik Balay or the Dhaka Cultural Enclave.

Very recently Dhaka's name has appeared on the international sporting scene, hosting international cricket, soccer, hockey, volleyball and other events. Particularly the rise of Dhaka as a venue of international cricket competitions has put the name of Bangladesh as the talking point among the millions of the world.

The Bangabandhu National Stadium has been especially selected for this purpose. The Book Fairs are other major international events. The month-long Book Fair held each year in February at the Bangla Academy premises is more than a fair, the entire gamut of Bangladesh's culture and love for the mother tongue Bangla comes to the forefront on this occasion.

Publishing and trade in books are nowadays a thriving industry in Dhaka, Banglabazaar area being the heart of the industry. The publication of Bangla books has recently received a great fillip with the declaration of 21 February as the 'International Mother Language Day' to commemorate the martyrs who laid down their lives in Dhaka for the sake of their mother language. It was on 21 February that students and citizens of Dhaka, while demonstrating for the recognition of Bangla as the state language of East Pakistan were brutally assaulted by the police and some of them were gunned down.

On the spot near the Medical College where the students were shot dead rose the monument commemorating the event and the Language Movement, the shaheed minar , which became a symbol of resistance for the Bangalis and which would now become the Worlds' symbol of the International Mother Language Day.

Dhaka today is one of the most important centres of entertainment in the country, with numerous cinemas, theatres and musical halls. The city is dotted with museums, libraries, art galleries, clubs and restaurants. Architecture Dhaka used to be known as the city of mosques because of the preponderance of beautiful mosques built in the Indo-Islamic style since the Mughal days.

The nineteenth century saw the construction of some magnificent buildings built in the Indo-British style. The ahsan manjil , the Mitford Hospital, the ruplal house , the Rose Garden and, of course, the Curzon Hall dominated the architectural scene of the city. In the Pakistan days building activities took a new turn when western, especially American influence, became marked. However, the influence became epitomised in the planning and development of the Second Capital in Sher-e-Banglanagar and the building of the jatiya sangsad bhaban or the Parliament Building designed by the American architect Louis Kahn.

The design received an international award for architectural excellence and now the building is the prime architectural specimen of modern Dhaka. A number of very beautifully designed private houses and apartment blocks amalgamating modern and Indo-Bangla styles have also come up in various parts of the city, especially in Dhanmondi, Eskaton, Karwan Bazar, Baridhara, Gulshan and Uttara.

Food and culinary fame Dhaka's fame for exotic food and culinary expertise has remained intact for the last few centuries. The traditional Mughal cuisine, the Pulao Rice, Biriani, Bakhar Khani and varieties of sweets have retained their fame and are much loved by the locals and foreigners. Recently, Dhaka's growing links with the rest of the world have led to the establishment of Chinese, Thai, Iranian, European restaurants and of course American style Fast Food shops. These are very popular.

The city also has a substantial number of western-style hotels which have given Dhaka a flavour of internationalism, the most important being the Pan Pacific Hotel Sonargaon, the Sheraton Hotel,' the Radisson and the Westin. Today Dhaka is a prosperous and growing city where tremendous commercial, industrial, financial, sporting and cultural activities take place. It is also politically very powerful, being the capital city and the administrative headquarters of the country. It has grown all around, covering an area of some square km and having a population of over twelve million A substantial number of the inhabitants are very rich.

It is also the home of the rising 'Bangladeshi' middle class. However, Dhaka has been caught up in a sudden spree of development and growth, without proper planning and no real control over the haphazard growth. The never ending migration of people from the countryside and district towns often without any jobs is creating tremendous pressure upon the city with its meager housing and other facilities. Thus the city is passing through a period of uncertainties.

If things are not taken proper care of, unforeseen developments might overwhelm the place, especially because of the lack of water supply, health hazards and political and social unrest. It commands connection by navigable waterways with the Padma, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna river-system that affords the convenience of water carriage to and from any principal place of Bangladesh.

Dhaka is also well placed for land communications being on the southern edge of an old alluvial terrace considerably above the highest level of the surrounding rivers in ordinary seasons of inundation. The northern part of the city is on a laterite terrace that broadens out northwards towards Mymensingh. The Buriganga, branching off from the Dhaleswari little below Savar, comes through the western and southern side of the city and curving rightward it again meets the Dhaleswari beyond Fatullah, thus forming the southern and western boundary of the city.

A number of other water channels mainly Dulai channel, Pandu river and Baloo river criss-crossed through and around the city.

Thus an important topographical constraint was created for the growth of the city. Dhaka stretches from the Buriganga bank in the south towards the north practically to the Tongi river and the stretch of high land is flanked on either side by low-lying marshes and old river beds.

The low-lying swamps have crept right into the hearts of the high areas, as in the case of the Mirpur to Cantonment depression from the west to the east as also the Baridhara-Khilkhet-Uttara depression from the east to the west. As a result the physical expansion of the city has not been easy and without difficulty. Topographical considerations dictated the growth of the city in its different phases of existence. Pre-Mughal phase Dhaka's pre-Muslim past is obscure.

The nearby capital city of Vikramapura was in the limelight from the 10th to 13th century AD. Some finds indicate human habitation of the area in the above period. After Muslim occupation of south-eastern Bengal late 13th and early 14th century the nearby city of Sonargaon rose into prominence. Dhaka's existence as a small town of some importance in the pre-Mughal period 14thth centuries is proved by two mosque inscriptions, remains and literary evidence, mainly from the pages of baharistan-i-ghaibi.

The area lying to the east, north-east and south-east of Babur Bazar on the left northern bank of the Buriganga formed the pre-Mughal town map The conglomeration of Hindu names of localities in this part of old Dhaka viz Laksmibazar, Banglabazar, Sutrapur, Jaluanagar, Banianagar, Goalnagar, Tantibazar, Shankharibazar, Sutarnagar, Kamarnagar, Patuatuli, Kumartuli etc indicate the predominance of the Hindu craftsmen and professionals of pre-Mughal Dhaka, which grew in the vicinity of Sonargaon, the capital, having some commercial importance.

Accessibility by riverways from the side of Sonargaon determined the location of pre-Mughal Dhaka; the Buriganga and the Dulai formed its southern and eastern boundary. However, it is difficult to determine its western limit. If the Naswallagali Mosque inscription AD is taken to bear testimony to the existence of a mosque in the area of its find western side of the present Central Jail and if it is thought that the Dhakeswari temple existed before Mughal occupation, which is quite' likely, then it would be fair to assume that the western limit extended beyond Baburbazar to a line in the Dhakeswari - Urdu Road axis.

The existence of the dargah of Shah Ali Baghdadi at Mirpur, who died in AD, proves the existence of a pre-Mughal locality in the area. It is quite likely that following the course of the Buriganga settlements grew on the southern, western and north-western parts of the city. Rayerbazar on the western part, on the river, might have grown as potters' locality, though the date of settlement cannot be ascertained. These, of course, were sporadic growths with the river bank determining the basis of settlements.

However, the concentration of the population was definitely in the area to the east of Baburbazar. Mughal phase the pre-Mughal Dhaka was turned into a thana military outpost during the military operations of Akbar.

But it rose to prominence only after the transfer of the capital of the Subah by Islam Khan Chisti in AD, when it was named Jahangirnagar. The fort on the site of present central jail and Chandnighat, on the river bank straight to the south of the fort which are the two areas referred to in the Baharaistan to have grown in his time.

The bazar occupying the area between the fort and Chadnighat present Chawk Bazar , originally known as Badshahi Bazar, as also Urdu Bazar market place of the camp to the west of the fort are likely to have grown at the same time. This canal practically demarcated the 'old Dhaka' with the 'new Dhaka' of Islam Khan map The area lying parallel to the riverbank from Babur bazar to Patuatuli was named Islampur.