Dhaka

Dhaka, capital city of Bangladesh, in Dhaka Division, central Bangladesh. It is located on an arm of the Dhaleswari River in the populous and flood-prone Ganges-Brahmaputra delta and is a major commercial, cultural, and manufacturing centre served by the nearby port of Nārāyanganj. Conditions in the region are ideal for the cultivation of jute and rice. Jute products, such as rope, baskets, and carpets are very important to the economy, as are textiles and food-processing. Other industries include chemicals,rubber, and jewellery.

The city's old section, a maze of crowded bazaars and narrow streets, is in marked contrast to Ramna Maidan, a modern well-planned area to the north where most of the government buildings and educational institutions are located. More than 700 mosques in the city attest to the importance of Islam as the dominant religion. Other landmarks include Lal Bagh Fort and the tomb of Pari Bibi (the wife of a governor of Bengal), both built in the late 17th century, and the large Parliament building (dedicated 1982), designed by the American architect Louis Isadore Kahn. The University of Dhaka (1921), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (1962), and Jahangirnagar University (1970) are all located here.

An ancient community of uncertain origins, Dhaka rose to importance in the 17th century when it was the Mughal capital of Bengal Province from 1608 to 1639 and again from 1660 to 1704. During that period it became known for the manufacture of fine muslin. The city declined after the capital was moved to Murshidabad in 1704, and it came under British control in 1765. With the partition of British India in 1947, Dhaka became the capital of the Pakistani province of East Bengal, and in 1956 it was made the capital of East Pakistan. The city suffered considerable damage during the 1971 war for secession from Pakistan before becoming the capital of newly independent Bangladesh in late 1971. The city’s name was formerly spelt as Dacca. Population 5,378,023 (2006 estimate).