Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. With around 36.6 million people, it is one of the most crowded cities in the world. The city is very important for culture, business, and science in Eastern South Asia. It lies near several rivers and is known for its rich history.

Dhaka has been a place where people lived for over a thousand years. In the old days, it was a busy trading city during the time of the Mughal Empire. Many beautiful gardens, tombs, mosques, and palaces were built there. Under British rule, new things like electricity, railways, and schools were added.

Today, Dhaka is a very busy city and the heart of Bangladesh. It is where the government works, many companies are based, and important schools and cultural groups are found. The city is famous for its special food, colorful rickshaws, and many festivals. Dhaka has grown a lot and is now one of the most important places in the country.

Etymology

The name Dhaka might come from the dhak tree, which used to grow a lot in the area, or from Dhakeshwari, the important goddess of the region. Some people think it refers to a musical instrument called dhak, which was played when the capital of Bengal was started in 1610 by Islam Khan I.

Other ideas say the name comes from an old language called Prakrit, or from a word meaning a "watch station". Some believe Dhaka was once called Dhakka, which means "watchtower". Important old cities like Bikrampur and Sonargaon were close by, so Dhaka may have been used as a lookout point for safety.

History

Main article: History of Dhaka

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Dhaka.

The history of settlements in the area of modern-day Dhaka goes back many years. The region was once part of an old area called Bikrampur, ruled by the Sena dynasty. Later, it became part of Sonargaon, an important center under Islamic rule and the leaders of the Delhi and Bengal Sultanates. The Grand Trunk Road passed through here, linking it to North India, Central Asia, and the port city of Chittagong. Before Dhaka, the capital of Bengal was Gour, with earlier capitals like Pandua, Bikrampur, and Sonargaon. Dhaka grew important as the Mughal Empire wanted to control eastern Bengal and expand further.

Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal province covering parts of modern Bangladesh and eastern India, including West Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Founded during the time of Emperor Jahangir, the city grew rich and famous. Shah Jahan visited in 1624. Under governor Shaista Khan, Dhaka was very prosperous, with many goods traded and ships built. The city had beautiful gardens and buildings, and was home to many important people.

Dhaka was named "Jahangirnagar" by the first Mughal governor Islam Khan I in honor of Emperor Jahangir. The city's growth continued under Shaista Khan. Construction began on Lalbagh Fort but was stopped after the death of Pari Bibi, the governor's daughter. Later, Dhaka's status as a capital was lost when the capital moved to Murshidabad.

Under the Nawabs of Bengal, Dhaka was managed by the Naib Nazim, a deputy governor. European trading companies were allowed to set up businesses, leading to competition. The British took control in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey. British rule brought changes, including new roads, railways, and schools. Dhaka became important again in 1905 when it was made the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam, but this was reversed in 1911.

After the partition of India in 1947, Dhaka became a capital of Pakistan. New neighborhoods grew, and the city improved. In 1971, Dhaka was central to the struggle for Bangladesh's independence. After independence, Dhaka grew quickly as people moved there from rural areas. Today, Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and one of the world's largest and most crowded cities.

Geography

See also: Geography of Bangladesh

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River. The city is part of the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta and covers an area of 270 square kilometres. The land is flat and close to sea level, with tropical vegetation and moist soils. During the monsoon seasons, heavy rainfall and cyclones can cause flooding.

Dhaka’s city layout mostly follows a grid pattern, with many concrete high-rise buildings. While Old Dhaka keeps its old market-style neighborhood, newer parts of the city have grown quickly, especially in the northern areas. Many people live in crowded areas called slums.

Dhaka has a tropical climate with a warm monsoonal season. The average temperature is around 26 °C, with the warmest months in May and coolest in January. The city also faces air and water pollution, which affects people’s health and the environment.

Cityscape

Climate

Main article: Climate of Dhaka

Parks and greenery

Dhaka has many parks, such as Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Shishu Park, and Dhaka Zoo, offering green spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Rivers and lakes

The city has many water areas, including ponds and canals. The Buriganga River flows nearby, along with other rivers like the Dhaleshwari, Turag, and Balu. There are also several lakes, such as Dhanmondi Lake and Hatirjheel-Begunbari Lake.

Environmental pollution

See also: Environmental issues in Bangladesh

Government

Capital city

Dhaka is the capital of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Important buildings like the Bangabhaban, where the President of Bangladesh works, and the National Parliament House are located here. The Prime Minister's Office and many government offices are also in Dhaka. The city has courts, ministries, and military offices too.

Dhaka has many foreign embassies and international groups, with most located in the Gulshan and Baridhara areas. The Agargaon area has offices for groups like the United Nations.

Civic administration

History

Dhaka became a city in 1864 and became a larger city area in 1978. In 1983, it got its own city government. In 2011, the city was split into two parts to better serve its people.

Municipal government

The two parts of Dhaka are led by mayors who are chosen by voters for five years. The city is divided into areas called wards, each with its own leader. There are 130 wards and 725 smaller neighborhoods.

• RAJUK helps plan the city's growth.
• DMP keeps the peace in the city. It was started in 1976 and has many police stations.

Administrative agencies

Dhaka has many government groups that help run the city, but they don’t always work together well. This makes city planning and care difficult.

Economy

See also: Economy of Dhaka

Dhaka plays a big role in Bangladesh's economy. It makes up almost half of the country's economic activity. The city is very important for connecting Bangladesh to the world economy. Major industrial areas include Tejgaon, Shyampur, and Hazaribagh. Dhaka has many shops, malls, and workers, including rickshaw drivers and small business owners.

Big companies and banks have their main offices in Dhaka. The city is growing quickly with new tall buildings. Many people work in jobs like finance, banking, and making things. However, Dhaka also faces challenges like heavy traffic and not enough roads.

CBDs

The Dhaka metropolitan area has several important business areas called central business districts (CBDs). In the southern part of the city, near the river, Old Dhaka has many small businesses and factories. Motijheel is the largest CBD in Bangladesh and home to the country's main bank and other big banks. In the northern part, areas like Gulshan, Banani, and Uttara have become important business centers with many international companies. The Purbachal New Town Project is planned to be a future business area.

The following is a list of the main CBDs in Dhaka.

[Motijheel](/wiki/Motijheel_Thana)

• Kawran Bazar

• Paltan

• Dhanmondi

• Gulshan

• Banani/DOHS

• Uttara

• Mirpur/DOHS

[Bashundhara Residential Area](/wiki/Bashundhara_Residential_Area)

• Panthapath
• Maghbazar
• Mohakhali/DOHS
• Gulistan
• Jatrabari

Industrial areas

• Tejgaon I/A
• Old Dhaka

Trade associations

Major trade groups in the city include:

• Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI)
• Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI)
• Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI)
• Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
• Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA)
• Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB)
• Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB)

Stock market

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) is an important place for buying and selling parts of big companies. Some of the largest companies listed on the DSE include:

• Grameenphone
• BEXIMCO
• BSRM
• Titas Gas
• Summit Group
• The City Bank
• BRAC Bank
• IDLC Finance Limited
• Square Pharmaceuticals
• Eastern Bank Limited
• Orion Group

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Bangladesh

Population

Dhaka is a very large city with over 22 million people as of 2022. The number of people living there is growing fast, about 3.3% each year. Many people move to Dhaka from villages in search of better lives. This quick growth makes it hard for the city to keep up with things like clean water, electricity, and trash pickup.

Slums

See also: Squatting in Bangladesh

About 30% of people in Dhaka live in crowded neighborhoods called slums. These areas often lack clean water and proper bathrooms. Many new arrivals from villages end up living in these neighborhoods. The biggest slum is in Kamrangirchar, where around 600,000 people live in tight spaces.

Ethnicity

People in Dhaka come from all parts of Bangladesh. Some long-time residents have their own special way of speaking and culture. There are also people whose families moved from other places long ago, and some groups from faraway lands live there too.

Language

Language in Dhaka (2011)

1. Bengali (98.0%)
2. Urdu (1.00%)
3. Others (1.00%)

Most people in Dhaka speak Bengali, which is the main language of the country. Some also speak English, especially for work. A few speak Urdu, which is another language used in the city.

Literacy

More people in Dhaka are learning to read and write. In 2001, about 69% could read, and by 2011, that number went up to 74.6%.

Religion

Islam is practiced by most people in Dhaka. There are also communities that follow Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism.

Infrastructure

Transport

Main article: Transport in Dhaka

In 2023, motorcycles made up half of all vehicles in Dhaka, while only six percent were cars. One popular way to get around is the three-wheeled cycle rickshaw, which was used in over half of all trips back in 2011. Traffic in Dhaka is very heavy, costing the local economy about US$6.5 billion each year in 2020. Cars there usually move at less than 7 kilometres per hour.

Road

The city connects to other parts of the country through highways and railways. Five major national highways start from Dhaka, linking it to places like Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati and Shillong in India. The Dhaka Elevated Expressway helps connect different parts of the city, with another one, the Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway, set to open in 2026.

Rickshaws

Cycle rickshaws and CNG auto-rickshaws are the main ways people travel in the city, with over 1.5 million rickshaws on the roads each day. However, only about 220,000 of them are officially licensed.

Ride sharing

Since 2016, services like Uber and Pathao have become popular, offering both cars and motorcycles for hire. These services have reduced the use of CNG auto-rickshaws, though Uber now also uses some of them.

Bus

Buses used to carry about 1.9 million passengers each day in 2007. Most are run by private companies, with some red ones operated by the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC). Three big bus stations are in areas like Mohakhali. Plans are to move these stations outside the city. A new Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit system is set to open in December 2024, which should make trips to the satellite town of Gazipur much faster.

Waterways

The Sadarghat River Port on the Buriganga River is used for moving goods and people. Water bus services run on the Buriganga River and lakes like Hatirjheel, with routes connecting places such as Tejgaon to Gulshan and Rampura.

Rail

Kamalapur railway station is the city's biggest and busiest station. It was finished in 1969. The Bangladesh Railway runs trains to places like Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Rangpur. The Maitree Express and the Mitali Express go to West Bengal in India.

Dhaka Metro Rail started operating in December 2022. It's part of a big plan to improve transport in the city over the next 20 years. The first part of Line 6 opened to the public.

The city plans to add more lines to its metro network. Before this, Dhaka was one of the largest cities without a metro system. There are also ideas for a subway and an orbital railway system.

Air

See also: Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is the country's biggest and busiest airport. It's about 15 kilometres north of the city center. In 2023, it handled over 11 million passengers. The airport is a hub for many Bangladeshi airlines. Flights go to places like Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and other cities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. A new terminal is set to open in October 2024, which will help the airport handle even more passengers.

Water supply and sanitation

See also: Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh and Water management in Dhaka

Managing water in Dhaka is hard because of problems like flooding, poor water quality, using too much groundwater, not enough sanitation, dirty river water, and fast growth without planning.

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA) is in charge of providing clean water and handling waste water. Most of the city's water comes from underground sources, since the rivers and lakes are too polluted to use safely. Even though some water comes from treatment plants, the underground water level is dropping quickly.

Sewage treatment plants

The system for handling sewage isn't good enough, and much of it ends up in rivers. Dhaka has two main sewage treatment plants. The Pagla plant can only treat a small amount of the city's waste. The Dasherkandi plant, which opened in 2023, is bigger but still doesn't connect to enough places. The government and Dhaka WASA are working on a big plan to build more treatment plants over the next 20 years.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Dhaka

Dhaka is a big place for Bengali literature. It has been important for Bengali Muslim writing for over 100 years. The city also has a history of Urdu and Persian literature. Books like Dark Diamond by Shazia Omar are set in old Dhaka, and The Soldier in the Attic by Akhteruzzaman Elias shows life in Old Dhaka during important times. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam is set during a big time for Bangladesh and talks about places like the Dhaka Club, Dhaka University, and Dhanmondi.

For hundreds of years, the area around Dhaka has made beautiful cotton fabrics. Muslin cloth was very famous and made here. Weavers in Dhaka were supported by leaders from Bengal and Delhi, and they made clothes for important people. Dhaka became a key place for selling cotton in the 1600s. Merchants from all over came to buy the special fabrics. UNESCO says that Jamdani muslin is very important culturally. They say it helps people feel connected to their history and pride in their skills.

Dhaka has many special celebrations. People come together to honor heroes on days like Language Martyrs' Day, Independence Day, and Victory Day. The Bengali New Year, called Pohela Baishakh, is celebrated in places like Shahbag and Ramna Park. Other fun times include Pahela Falgun, a spring celebration where people wear pretty yellow clothes, and Nabanna, a harvest party with food and dancing. There are also festivals like the Ekushey Book Fair and the Shakrain Festival, where people fly kites.

Music is very popular in Dhaka, with groups like Warfaze and Shironamhin and singers such as Ayub Bachchu. Traditional songs by poets like Kazi Nazrul Islam and Rabindranath Tagore are also loved. Bailey Road is famous for its theaters.

Dhaka has many places for art and learning, such as the Bengal Foundation, Chhayanaut, and Shilpakala Academy.

Rickshaws, the colorful three-wheeled bikes people ride, are a symbol of Dhaka. They are painted with beautiful designs and pictures.

Dhaka is also known for its food. It has many tasty dishes like biryani, a special rice meal, and different kinds of kebabs. You can find foods from many places around the world in Dhaka, including Italian, Chinese, and Thai foods.

Dhaka has many different styles of buildings, from old Mughal designs to modern skyscrapers. Some famous places include the Binat Bibi Mosque and the huge national parliament building.

Dhaka is also a big center for news and books. It has many newspapers and TV stations, and many bookshops where people can find all kinds of stories.

Education and research

See also: Education in Bangladesh

Dhaka has the most schools, colleges, and universities in Bangladesh. The schools are organized into five levels: primary (grades 1 to 5), junior (grades 6 to 8), secondary (grades 9 to 10), higher secondary (grades 11 to 12), and tertiary (university level). Each level ends with an exam. Primary school ends with the Primary School Completion exam, junior school ends with the Junior School Certificate exam, and secondary school ends with the Secondary School Certificate exam. Those who pass can then go on to higher secondary school, which ends with the Higher Secondary School Certificate exam. Most lessons are in Bengali, but English is also taught and used a lot.

Dhaka has 52 universities. Dhaka College is the oldest college in the city, founded in 1841. The University of Dhaka is the oldest public university in the country, started in 1921. It has many students and teachers, with many departments for studying different subjects. Other important universities include Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), and Dhaka Medical College.

Two famous people, Amartya Sen and Muhammad Yunus, are linked to Dhaka.

Learned societies and think tanks

• Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
• Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka
• Bangla Academy
• Bangladesh Academy of Sciences
• Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
• Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies
• Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies
• Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs
• Bangladesh Institute of Peace & Security Studies
• Centre for Policy Dialogue
• Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific
• International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
• International Jute Study Group
• Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
• Yunus Centre

Sports

Cricket and football are very popular sports in Dhaka and all over Bangladesh. Many schools, colleges, and private groups have teams that play in city and national competitions. Dhaka has its own cricket team called the Dhaka Metropolis cricket team that plays in the National Cricket League. There is also a special cricket league called the Dhaka Premier League and a team in the Bangladesh Premier League named the Dhaka Capitals.

Dhaka has a long history with cricket. It hosted the first official Test cricket match for the Pakistan cricket team in 1954. The city has also hosted big events like the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the South Asian Games three times, more than any other city.

In football, the biggest rivalry is between Dhaka Mohammedan and Dhaka Abahani, known as the Dhaka Derby. They compete in the Bangladesh Football League. The National Stadium in Dhaka is where the national football team plays its home games and has hosted important tournaments like the SAFF Championship.

Dhaka has many sports venues, including stadiums for football, cricket, and hockey, as well as colleges and universities that take part in sports competitions. The city also has two places for golf: the Army Golf Club and the Kurmitola Golf Club.

Twin towns – sister cities

Dhaka has many sister cities around the world. Some of these cities are Kolkata in India, New York City in the United States, Guangzhou in China, Bucharest in Romania, Lima in Peru, and São Paulo in Brazil. These partnerships help cities learn from each other and work together.