Editing Dhaka (section)

==History==
{{main|History of Dhaka}}
{{For timeline}}
[[File:Map of Bengal, Behar, Orissa 1813.jpg|thumb|Dhaka was the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa]]

===Pre-Mughal===
The history of urban settlements in the area of modern-day Dhaka dates to the first millennium.<ref name="Britannica-Dhaka">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Dhaka |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka |access-date=4 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116092341/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160598/Dhaka |archive-date=16 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The region was part of the ancient district of [[Bikrampur]], which was ruled by the [[Sena dynasty]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dhaka City Corporation |date=5 September 2006 |title=Pre-Mughal Dhaka (before 1608) |url=http://www.dhakacity.org/his_pre_mughal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410184215/http://www.dhakacity.org/his_pre_mughal.html |archive-date=10 April 2008 |url-status=usurped |access-date=1 December 2015}}</ref> Under [[Islamic]] rule, it became part of the historic district of [[Sonargaon]], the regional administrative hub of the [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi]] and the [[Bengal Sultanate]]s.<ref name="archive.thedailystar.net">{{Cite news |title=From Jahangirnagar to Dhaka |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2008/august/jahangirnagar.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208123832/http://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2008/august/jahangirnagar.htm |archive-date=8 February 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |work=The Daily Star |department=Forum}}</ref> The [[Grand Trunk Road]] passed through the region, connecting it with [[North India]], Central Asia and the south-eastern port city of [[Chittagong]]. Before Dhaka, the capital of Bengal was [[Gaur, West Bengal|Gour]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daily Bangladesh |date=5 September 2006 |title=Gaur Nagar: The capital of early Bengal |url=https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/english/feature/28842|access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref> Even earlier capitals included [[Pandua, Malda|Pandua]], [[Bikrampur]] and [[Sonargaon]]. The latter was also the seat of [[Isa Khan]] and his son [[Musa Khan of Bengal|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 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.

===Early period of Mughal Bengal===
[[File:Lalbagh Kella (Lalbagh Fort) Dhaka Bangladesh 2011 54.JPG|thumb|upright|Ruins of [[Lalbagh Fort]]]]
[[File:Asiatic Society Heritage Museum.jpg|thumb|[[Nimtali arch]]]]
[[File:Renaldis muslin woman.jpg|thumb|Woman draped in muslin and holding a [[hookah]] in Dhaka in 1789]]
Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in 1610 with a jurisdiction covering modern-day Bangladesh and [[east India|eastern India]], including the modern-day [[Indian state]]s of [[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]]. This province was known as [[Bengal Subah]]. The city was founded during the reign of [[Jahangir|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2023 |title=Shah Jahan's Dhaka visit before he became the Mughal emperor |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/my-dhaka/news/shah-jahans-dhaka-visit-he-became-the-mughal-emperor-3413231 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908153928/https://www.thedailystar.net/my-dhaka/news/shah-jahans-dhaka-visit-he-became-the-mughal-emperor-3413231 |archive-date=8 September 2023 |access-date=8 September 2023}}</ref> 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 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.<ref>Historical Background for the Establishment of Naib-Nazimship (Deputy Governorship for the four Divisions of Subah Bangla), ''Asiatic Society of Bangladesh''</ref>

Bengal became the economic engine of the Mughal Empire. Dhaka played a key role in the [[proto-industrialisation|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]].<ref>Richard Maxwell Eaton (1996), The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760, page 202, University of California Press</ref> 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 [[Netherlands|Dutch]] imports from Asia, with many products being sold to Dutch ships in Bengali harbours and then transported to [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] in the [[Dutch East Indies]]. Bengal accounted for 50% of textiles and 80% of silks in Dutch textile imports from Asia.<ref>Om Prakash, "Empire, Mughal", in [[John J. McCusker]] (ed.), ''History of World Trade Since 1450'', vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 237–240, World History in Context. Retrieved 3 August 2017</ref> Silk was also exported to premodern [[Japan]].<ref>John F. Richards (1995), The Mughal Empire, page 202, Cambridge University Press</ref> The region had a large [[Shipbuilding in Bangladesh|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.<ref>Indrajit Ray (2011). Bengal Industries and the British Industrial Revolution (1757-1857). Routledge. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-136-82552-1.</ref> The Mughals decorated 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.<ref name="thedailystar3">{{Cite news |title=A discovery that may save Bara Katra |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/weekend-read/news/discovery-may-save-bara-katra-3132221 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001050745/https://www.thedailystar.net/weekend-read/news/discovery-may-save-bara-katra-3132221 |archive-date=1 October 2022 |access-date=1 October 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref>  According to inscriptions in the Bangladesh National Museum, the ownership of Bara Katra was entrusted to an Islamic ''[[waqf]]''.<ref name="thedailystar3" />  The Bara Katra also served as a residence for Mughal governors, including Prince [[Shah Shuja (Mughal prince)|Shah Shuja]] (the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan).<ref name="thedailystar3" /> Dhaka 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.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TwHFBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA60 |title=Megacities: Our Global Urban Future |publisher=Springer |year=2013 |isbn=978-90-481-3417-5 |editor-last=Kraas |editor-first=Frauke |page=60 |editor-last2=Aggarwal |editor-first2=Surinder |editor-last3=Coy |editor-first3=Martin |editor-last4=Mertins |editor-first4=Günter}}</ref> 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 the city took place under Governor [[Shaista Khan]]. The city then measured {{convert|19|by|13|km}}, with a population of nearly one million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2012 |title=State of Cities: Urban Governance in Dhaka |url=http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/bitstream/handle/10361/2055/SOC%20Report-%2005-07-12.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216192205/http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/bitstream/handle/10361/2055/SOC%20Report-%2005-07-12.pdf?sequence=1 |archive-date=16 February 2015 |access-date=16 February 2015 |website=BRAC University}}</ref> Dhaka became home to one of the richest elites in Mughal India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shay |first=Christopher |title=Travel – Saving Dhaka's heritage |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110815-saving-dhakas-heritage |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205130440/http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110815-saving-dhakas-heritage |archive-date=5 December 2014 |access-date=18 February 2015 |website=BBC}}</ref>
The construction of [[Lalbagh Fort]] was commenced in 1678 by [[Muhammad Azam Shah|Prince Azam Shah]], who was the governor of Bengal, a son of [[Emperor Aurangzeb]] and a future [[Mughal Emperor]] himself. The [[Lalbagh Fort]] 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 a potential future Mughal empress before her premature death.<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 June 2015 |title=Legends of Lalbagh |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/heritage/legends-lalbagh-95554 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024144002/https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/heritage/legends-lalbagh-95554 |archive-date=24 October 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> 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]].

===Naib Nizamat===
[[File:Court of the Naib Nazim of Dhaka.jpg|thumb|Court of the [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka]], the governor of Dhaka, Chittagong and Comilla under the Nawabs of Bengal]]
Under the Nawabs of Bengal, the [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka]] was in charge of the city. The [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka|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 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]].{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

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 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.<ref>Lloyd's Evening Post, 16–18 May 1764</ref> The military conflict caused a sharp decline in the urban population.<ref>Historical Background for the Establishment of Naib-Nazimship (Deputy Governorship for the four Divisions of Subah Bangla), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh</ref> Dhaka's fortunes received a boost with connections to the mercantile networks of the [[British Empire]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Srangio |first=Sebastian |date=1 October 2010 |title=Dhaka: Saving Old Dhaka's Landmarks |url=http://www.caravanmagazine.in/letters/dhaka-saving-old-dhaka's-landmarks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909110251/http://www.caravanmagazine.in/letters/dhaka-saving-old-dhaka%E2%80%99s-landmarks |archive-date=9 September 2015 |magazine=The Caravan}}</ref> With the dawn of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in [[United Kingdom|Britain]], Dhaka became a leading centre of the [[jute trade]], as Bengal accounted for the largest share of the world's [[jute]] production.<ref name="worldviewcities.org">{{Cite web |title=Worldview |url=http://www.worldviewcities.org/dhaka/unconcealed.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413054048/http://worldviewcities.org/dhaka/unconcealed.html |archive-date=13 April 2015 |access-date=14 August 2015}}</ref>
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 the imposition of a 75% tax on the export of cotton from Bengal,<ref>Taylor, James (1840). A Sketch of the Topography and Statistics of Dacca. Calcutta: G.H. Huttmann, Military Orphan Press. pp. 301–307.</ref> as well as the surge in imports of cheap, British-manufactured fabrics after the advent of the spinning mule and steam power.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} 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".<ref>Lalbagh Kella (Lalbagh Fort) Dhaka Bangladesh 2011 54.JPG</ref>

===Trade and migration===
[[File:19th century porcelain rice dish of Old Dhaka family.jpg|thumb|[[China (porcelain)]] belonging to a family of Old Dhaka in the 1800s.]]
Dhaka hosted factories of the English East India Company, the [[Dutch East India Company]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 February 2018 |title=The rise and fall of the Dutch in Dhaka |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/the-rise-and-fall-the-dutch-dhaka-1530046 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164533/https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/the-rise-and-fall-the-dutch-dhaka-1530046 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> and [[French Indies Company|French East India Company]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=French, the |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/French,_The |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164533/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/French,_The |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 January 2014 |title=Você fala Bangla? |url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2014/01/24/voce-fala-bangla |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164533/https://archive.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2014/01/24/voce-fala-bangla |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Portuguese influence in Bengal |url=https://dailyasianage.com/news/241706/portuguese-influence-in-bengal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164531/https://dailyasianage.com/news/241706/portuguese-influence-in-bengal |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Asian Age |location=Bangladesh}}</ref> Dhaka saw an influx of migrants during the Mughal Empire. An [[Armenian community of Dhaka|Armenian community]] from the [[Safavid Empire]] settled in Dhaka and was involved in the city's textile trade, paying a 3.5% tax.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ali |first1=Ansar |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |last2=Chaudhury |first2=Sushil |last3=Islam |first3=Sirajul |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |year=2012 |editor-last=Islam |editor-first=Sirajul |editor-link=Sirajul Islam |edition=Second |chapter=Armenians, The |access-date=28 September 2022 |editor-last2=Jamal |editor-first2=Ahmed A. |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Armenians,_The |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140831/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Armenians,_The |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Armenians were very active in the city's social life. They opened the [[Pogose School]]. [[Marwari people|Marwari]]s were the Hindu trading community. Dhaka also became home to [[History of Jews in Bangladesh|Jews]] and Greeks.<ref name="thejc">{{Cite news |title=The extraordinary story of the Bangladesh Jews |url=https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/features/the-extraordinary-story-of-the-bangladesh-jews-1.58433 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164532/https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/features/the-extraordinary-story-of-the-bangladesh-jews-1.58433 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Jewish Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 January 2021 |title=History of the Greek community in Dhaka |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/history-the-greek-community-dhaka-2025501 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164535/https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/history-the-greek-community-dhaka-2025501 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> The city has a [[Greek Memorial, Dhaka|Greek memorial]]. Several families of Dhaka's elite spoke [[Dhakaiya Urdu|Urdu]] and included Urdu poets. [[Persian people|Persians]] also settled in the city to serve as administrators and military commanders of the Mughal government in Bengal.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karim |first=Abdul |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |year=2012 |editor-last=Islam |editor-first=Sirajul |editor-link=Sirajul Islam |edition=Second |chapter=Iranians, The |access-date=28 September 2022 |editor-last2=Jamal |editor-first2=Ahmed A. |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Iranians,_The |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702011005/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Iranians,_The |archive-date=2 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 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".<ref name="himalmag1">{{Cite magazine |date=26 March 2019 |title=Out of place, out of time |url=https://www.himalmag.com/zafar-sobhan-dhaka-bangladesh/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164534/https://www.himalmag.com/zafar-sobhan-dhaka-bangladesh/ |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |magazine=Himal Southasian}}</ref> Railway stations, postal departments, civil service posts and river port stations were often staffed by [[Anglo-Indians]].<ref>Railways, steamer services, postal departments and lower civil services</ref>

The city's hinterland supplied rice, jute, [[gunny sack]]s, turmeric, ginger, leather hides, silk, rugs, [[saltpeter]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saltpetre |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Saltpetre |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024151133/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Saltpetre |archive-date=24 October 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> salt,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Salt Industry |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Salt_Industry |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024151131/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Salt_Industry |archive-date=24 October 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> sugar, [[indigo]], cotton, and iron.<ref name="bp-americans">{{Cite web |title=Americans, The |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Americans,_The |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024151135/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Americans,_The |archive-date=24 October 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> British opium policy in Bengal contributed to the [[Opium War]]s 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]].<ref name="bp-americans" /> The increase in international trade led to profits for many families in the city, allowing them to buy imported luxury goods.

===British Raj===
During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian mutiny of 1857]], the city witnessed revolts by the [[Bengal Army]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rare 1857 reports on Bengal uprisings |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Rare-1857-reports-on-Bengal-uprisings/articleshow/4637780.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105205019/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Rare-1857-reports-on-Bengal-uprisings/articleshow/4637780.cms |archive-date=5 January 2017 |access-date=14 August 2015 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[British Raj|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 [[Bahadur Shah Park|Victoria Park]]. Dhaka got its own version of the [[hansom cab]] as public transport in 1856.<ref name="transport">{{Cite news |date=24 September 2018 |title=From Elephants to Motor Cars |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/elephants-motor-cars-1637557 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609060318/https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/elephants-motor-cars-1637557 |archive-date=9 June 2020 |access-date=9 June 2020 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> The number of carriages increased from 60 in 1867 to 600 in 1889.<ref name=transport/>
[[File:Race-course-dhaka-1890 2.jpg|thumb|A horse racing [[Derby (horse race)|derby]] taking place in Dhaka in 1890.]]
[[File:Lord Curzon at Ramna.jpg|thumb|[[Lord Curzon]] (standing far left) with early automobiles in [[Shahbag]] in 1904]]
A modern civic water system was introduced in 1874.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dhaka WASA |url=http://dwasa.org.bd/index.php/home/history |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206090551/http://dwasa.org.bd/index.php/home/history/ |archive-date=6 February 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |publisher=Dwasa.org.bd}}</ref> In 1885, the Dhaka State Railway was opened with a 144&nbsp;km metre gauge (1000&nbsp;mm) rail line connecting [[Mymensingh]] and the [[Port of Narayanganj]] through Dhaka.<ref name="en.banglapedia.org">{{Cite web |title=Railway |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010143242/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Railway |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=11 February 2018}}</ref> The city later became a hub of the [[Eastern Bengal Railway|Eastern Bengal State Railway]].<ref name="en.banglapedia.org" /> The first [[film]] shown in Dhaka was screened on the Riverfront Crown Theatre on 17 April 1898.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web |title=Film, Feature |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Film,_Feature |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926202745/http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Film,_Feature |archive-date=26 September 2018 |access-date=11 February 2018}}</ref> The film show was organized by the Bedford Bioscope Company.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The electricity supply began in 1901.<ref name="tusher.kobiraj.com">{{Cite web |date=18 July 2013 |title=History of Electricity in Bangladesh &#124; Thcapriciousboy |url=http://www.tusher.kobiraj.com/history-electricity-bangladesh.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216195149/http://www.tusher.kobiraj.com/history-electricity-bangladesh.html |archive-date=16 February 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |publisher=Tusher.kobiraj.com}}</ref>

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 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".<ref name="himalmag1" />

Some of the early educational institutions established during the period of British rule include the [[Dhaka College]], the [[Sir Salimullah Medical College|Dhaka Medical School]], the [[Eden Mohila College|Eden College]], [[St Gregory's High School|St. Gregory's School]], the Mohsinia Madrasa, [[Jagannath University|Jagannath College]] and the [[Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology|Ahsanullah School of Engineering]]. [[Horse racing]] was a favourite pastime for elite residents in the city's Ramna Race Course beside the [[Dhaka Club]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramna Racecourse |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Ramna_Racecourse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001145756/https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Ramna_Racecourse |archive-date=1 October 2022 |access-date=1 October 2022 |website=Banglapedia}}</ref> The [[Viceroy of India]] would often dine and entertain with Bengali aristocrats in the city. [[Automobile]]s began appearing after the turn of the century. A 1937 [[Sunbeam-Talbot Ten]] was preserved in the Liberation War Museum. The Nawabs of Dhaka owned [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]]s. [[Austin Motor Company|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 [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|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 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 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 [[Charles Stuart Bayley|Sir Charles Stuart Bayley]] (1911–1912). Their legacy lives on in the names of three major thoroughfares in modern Dhaka, including Hare Road,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rahman Chowdhury |first=Abida |date=11 February 2014 |title=Dhaka through its streets |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/dhaka-through-its-streets-10591 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125945/https://www.thedailystar.net/dhaka-through-its-streets-10591 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]]}}</ref> [[Bailey Road, Dhaka|Bayley Road]], and Fuller Road.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 July 2018 |title=A Short, Winding and Legendary Dhaka Road |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/literature/short-winding-and-legendary-dhaka-road-1601140 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125942/https://www.thedailystar.net/literature/short-winding-and-legendary-dhaka-road-1601140 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]]}}</ref> The period saw the construction of stately buildings, including the High Court and Curzon Hall. The city was home to diverse groups of people, including [[Armenians in Dhaka|Armenians]], [[History of the Jews in Bangladesh|Jews]],<ref name="thejc" /> Anglo-Indians and Hindus. The Hindus included both [[Marwari people|Marwaris]] and [[Bengali Hindus]], with a plurality emerging by 1941 and engaged in professions like teaching, medicine, law, and business.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rahman |first=Mohammad Afzalur |date=2 December 2022 |title=Dhaka before and after Partition |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/dhaka-and-after-partition-3185521 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416162455/https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/dhaka-and-after-partition-3185521 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |access-date=16 April 2023 |work=The Daily Star |type=Opinion}}</ref>
[[File:Panorama of Dacca 19th century 1.jpg|thumb|center|800px|Panorama of the Dhaka waterfront in 1847]]
Dhaka was the seat of government for 4 administrative divisions, including the Assam Valley Division, [[Chittagong Division]], [[Dhaka 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 [[Barisal Division|Backergunge]] in Dacca Division; [[Comilla Division|Tippera]], Noakhali, Chittagong and the [[Hill Tracts]] in Chittagong Division; Rajshahi, Dinajpur, [[Jalpaiguri division|Jalpaiguri]], Rangpur, Bogra, Pabna and [[Malda division|Malda]] in Rajshahi Division; Sylhet, [[Barak Valley|Cachar]], the [[Khasi and Jaintia Hills]], the [[Nagaland|Naga Hills]] and the [[Mizoram|Lushai Hills]] in Surma Valley Division; and [[Goalpara district|Goalpara]], [[Undivided Kamrup district|Kamrup]], the [[Meghalaya|Garo Hills]], [[Darrang]], [[Nagaon district|Nowgong]], [[Sivasagar district|Sibsagar]] and [[Lakhimpur district|Lakhimpur]] in Assam Valley Division.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Eastern Bengal and Assam}}</ref> The province was bordered by [[Cooch Behar State]], [[Hill Tipperah]] and the [[Kingdom of Bhutan]].
[[File:Bengal gazetteer 1907-9.jpg|thumb|Dhaka was the capital of [[Eastern Bengal and Assam]] in the [[British Raj]] between 1905 and 1912]] [[File:DG 21 -08 HIGH COURT DHAKA IMG 3402.jpg|thumb|[[Old High Court Building, Dhaka]] ]]
On the political front, partition allowed Dhaka to project itself as the standard-bearer of Muslim communities in [[British Raj|British India]]; as opposed to the heavily Hindu-dominated city of Calcutta.<ref name="worldviewcities.org" /> In 1906, the [[All India Muslim League]] was founded in the city during a conference on liberal education hosted by the [[Khwaja Salimullah|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 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,<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 August 2017 |title=University of Dhaka and the partitioning of Bengal |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/dhaka-university-and-the-partitioning-bengal-1453546 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125945/https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/dhaka-university-and-the-partitioning-bengal-1453546 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> the British gave the city a newly formed university in the 1920s. The [[University of Dhaka]] was initially modelled on 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).<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 December 2014 |title=Was Dhaka University ever the "Oxford of the East"? |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/was-dhaka-university-ever-the-oxford-of-the-east-57343 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125941/https://www.thedailystar.net/was-dhaka-university-ever-the-oxford-of-the-east-57343 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref><ref name="newagebd1">{{Cite news |title='Oxford of the East' or the 'Mecca University'? |url=https://www.newagebd.net/article/156210/oxford-of-the-east-or-the-mecca-university |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125943/https://www.newagebd.net/article/156210/oxford-of-the-east-or-the-mecca-university |archive-date=29 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=New Age}}</ref> The university's faculty included scientist [[Satyendra Nath Bose]] (who is the namesake of the [[Higgs boson]]); linguist [[Muhammad Shahidullah]], [[Ahmad Fazlur Rahman|Sir A F Rahman]] (the first Bengali vice-chancellor of the university); and historian [[R. C. Majumdar]].<ref name="newagebd1" /> 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 education|liberal arts]], history, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Persian, Urdu, philosophy, economics, politics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and law.

The East Bengal Cinematograph Company produced the first full-length [[silent film|silent movies]] in Dhaka during the 1920s, including ''[[Sukumari]]'' and ''[[The Last Kiss (1931 film)|The Last Kiss]]''.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> DEVCO, a subsidiary of the Occtavian Steel Company, began widescale [[Electric power|power]] distribution in 1930.<ref name="tusher.kobiraj.com" /> The [[Tejgaon Airport]] was constructed during [[World War II]] as a base for [[Allies of World War II|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 the state under laws that eventually became known as the [[Vested Property Act (Bangladesh)|Vested Property Act]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Roy |first=Dipanwita |date=21 April 2007 |title=Vested Property Act: A story of deprivation and exploitation |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/law/2007/04/03/rights.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416164939/https://archive.thedailystar.net/law/2007/04/03/rights.htm |archive-date=16 April 2023 |access-date=16 April 2023 |magazine=Law & Our Rights |publisher=The Daily Star}}</ref>

===Metropolitan Dhaka===
[[File:Time-lapse of the urban growth of Dhaka, Bangladesh as seen from space (1972 to 2001).webm|thumb|NASA animation showing the urban growth of Dhaka from 1972 to 2001.]]
[[File:Motijheel, Dhaka, 1980s.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Dhaka's main CBD in the 1980s]]
[[File:Gulshan, Dhaka, 1980s.jpg|thumb|A suburban residential neighbourhood in the 1980s]]
The development of the "real city" began after the [[partition of India]].<ref name="himalmag1" /> After partition, Dhaka became known as the ''second capital'' of [[Pakistan]].<ref name="himalmag1" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 August 2018 |title=How politics and architecture blended in Dhaka |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/opinion/the-grudging-urbanist/how-politics-and-architecture-blended-dhaka-1623103 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164532/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/opinion/the-grudging-urbanist/how-politics-and-architecture-blended-dhaka-1623103 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Daily Star |type=Opinion}}</ref> This was formalized in 1962 when [[Ayub Khan (general)|Ayub Khan]] declared the city as the legislative capital under the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1962|1962 constitution]]. New neighbourhoods began to spring up in formerly barren and agrarian areas. These included [[Dhanmondi Thana|Dhanmondi]] (rice granary), Katabon (thorn forest), Kathalbagan (jackfruit garden), [[Kalabagan]] (banana garden), [[Segunbagicha]] (teak garden) and [[Gulshan Thana|Gulshan]] (flower garden).<ref name="himalmag1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=পুরান ঢাকার সাতসতেরো |url=https://www.sonalinews.com/feature/news/114285 |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=সোনালী নিউজ |language=en |archive-date=1 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501132638/https://www.sonalinews.com/feature/news/114285 |url-status=live }}</ref> Living standards rapidly improved from the pre-partition standards.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahmed |first=K. Anis |date=16 August 2017 |title=Opinion &#124; Why do Bangladeshis Seem Indifferent to Partition? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/opinion/bangladesh-bengali-muslims-partition.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829170711/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/opinion/bangladesh-bengali-muslims-partition.html |archive-date=29 August 2017 |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The economy began to industrialize. On the outskirts of the city, the [[Adamjee Jute Mills|world's largest jute mill]] was built. The mill produced jute goods which were in high demand during the [[Korean War]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Unthreading Partition: The politics of jute sharing between two Bengals |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/unthreading-partition-the-politics-jute-sharing-between-two-bengals-1778560 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106084737/https://www.thedailystar.net/in-focus/news/unthreading-partition-the-politics-jute-sharing-between-two-bengals-1778560 |archive-date=6 November 2022 |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> People began building duplex houses. In 1961, [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip]] witnessed the improved living standards of Dhaka's residents.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 2018 |title=Queen Elizabeth II in Bangladesh (1961) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_sS-WU9yWc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928164532/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_sS-WU9yWc&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The [[InterContinental Dhaka|Intercontinental hotel]], designed by [[William B. Tabler]], 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 [[RAJUK|Dhaka Improvement Trust]] was established in 1956 to coordinate the city's development. The first master plan for the city was drawn up in 1959.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Part II: Formulation of Urban and Transport Plan |url=http://open_jicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11996774_06.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212084236/http://open_jicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11996774_06.pdf |archive-date=12 February 2018 |access-date=11 February 2018}}</ref> 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]] 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 ''[[The Bangladesh Observer|Pakistan Observer]]'', ''[[The Daily Ittefaq|Ittefaq]],'' ''[[Forum (Bangladesh)|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 a movement for [[self-determination]]. On 7 March 1971, [[Awami League]] leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed a massive public gathering at the [[Suhrawardy Udyan|Ramna Race Course Maidan]] in Dhaka, in which he warned of an independence struggle.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sheikh Mujibur Rahman |url=http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/culture/people-of-bangladesh/sheikh-mujibur-rahman/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216193211/http://www.virtualbangladesh.com/culture/people-of-bangladesh/sheikh-mujibur-rahman/ |archive-date=16 February 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |publisher=Virtual Bangladesh}}</ref><ref name="Richards2003">{{Cite journal |last=Richards |first=John |date=July–September 2003 |title=Calcutta and Dhaka: A Tale of Two Cities |url=http://www.cdrb.org/journal/2003/3/3.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Asian Affairs |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=49–57 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216201250/http://www.cdrb.org/journal/2003/3/3.pdf |archive-date=16 February 2015 |access-date=1 March 2015}}</ref> Subsequently, East Pakistan came under a [[Non-cooperation movement (1971)|non-co-operation]] movement against the Pakistani state. On Pakistan's Republic Day (23 March 1971), [[Flag of Bangladesh|Bangladeshi flags]] were hoisted throughout Dhaka in a show of resistance.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thorpe |first=Edgar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I9OyQ9mEpxkC&pg=SL1-PA125 |title=The Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2012 |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2012 |isbn=978-81-317-6190-8 |page=A.125 |access-date=18 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118102206/https://books.google.com/books?id=I9OyQ9mEpxkC&pg=SL1-PA125&lpg=SL1-PA125&q=23+march+1971+republic+day+east+pakistan |archive-date=18 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 25 March 1971, the [[Pakistan Army]] launched military operations under [[Operation Searchlight]] against the population of East Pakistan.<ref name="books.google.com.bd">{{Cite book |last=Jahan |first=Rounaq |author-link=Rounaq Jahan |title=Centuries of Genocide: Essays and Eyewitness Accounts |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-415-87191-4 |editor-last=Totten |editor-first=Samuel |edition=4th |page=254 |chapter=Genocide in Bangladesh |access-date=18 February 2015 |editor-last2=Parsons |editor-first2=William Spencer |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XYp-z5aP4MC&pg=PA254}}</ref> Dhaka bore the brunt of the army's atrocities, witnessing a [[1971 Bangladesh genocide|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 [[mutiny|mutinies]] from the [[East Pakistan Rifles]] and the Bengali police.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nandi |first=Bibhuti Bhusan |title=Science, Technology, Imperialism, and War |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2007 |isbn=978-81-317-0851-4 |editor-last=Gupta |editor-first=Jyoti Bhusan Das |page=732 |chapter=Low-Intensity War |access-date=18 February 2015 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJuM4FylchwC&pg=PA732}}</ref> Large parts of the city were burnt and destroyed, including Hindu neighbourhoods.<ref name="books.google.com.bd" /> Much of the city's population was either displaced or forced to flee to the countryside.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 December 2014 |title=Fall of Dhaka: Memories of a bloody December – Pakistan |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1151151 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130124156/http://www.dawn.com/news/1151151 |archive-date=30 January 2015 |access-date=18 February 2015 |work=Dawn |location=Pakistan}}</ref> Dhaka was struck with numerous air raids by the [[Indian Air Force]] in [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|December]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Salik |first=Siddiq |author-link=Siddique Salik |title=Witness to Surrender |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1977 |isbn=0-19-577257-1 |page=195}}</ref> The Pakistan Eastern Command [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|surrendered]] to Lt. Gen. [[Jagjit Singh Aurora]] at the [[Ramna Race Course]] in Dhaka on 16 December 1971.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jacob |first=J. F. R. |author-link=J. F. R. Jacob |title=Surrender at Dacca: Birth of a Nation |publisher=Manohar |year=1997 |isbn=81-7304-189-X |pages=146–147}}</ref>

After independence, Dhaka's population grew from several hundred thousand to several million in five decades. Dhaka 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.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} 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 the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Dhaka saw the inauguration of the [[Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban|National Parliament House]] (which won the [[Aga Khan Award for Architecture]]), a new [[Dhaka Airport|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dhaka Declaration |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607131812/http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |archive-date=7 June 2016 |access-date=17 February 2015}}</ref> A mass uprising in 1990 led to the return of [[parliamentary democracy]]. Dhaka hosted a trilateral summit between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in 1998;<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Habib |first=Haroon |date=24 January 1998 |title=An economic initiative |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1502/15020520.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118102213/https://frontline.thehindu.com/magazine/issue/vol15-02/ |archive-date=18 January 2021 |access-date=11 February 2018 |magazine=Frontline}}</ref> the summit of the [[D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation]] in 1999 and conferences of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hossain |first=Shahadat |date=January 2008 |title=Rapid Urban Growth and Poverty in Dhaka City |url=http://www.bangladeshsociology.org/BEJS%205.1%20Rapid%20Urban%20Growth%20and%20Poverty%20final.pdf?q=dhaka |url-status=live |journal=Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology |volume=5 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818115752/http://www.bangladeshsociology.org/BEJS%205.1%20Rapid%20Urban%20Growth%20and%20Poverty%20final.pdf?q=dhaka |archive-date=18 August 2016 |access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref> Between 1990 and 2005, the city's population doubled from 6&nbsp;million to 12&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dhaka: fastest growing megacity in the world |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2010-09-08/dhaka-fastest-growing-megacity-world |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119194102/https://theworld.org/stories/2010-09-08/dhaka-fastest-growing-megacity-world |archive-date=19 January 2022 |access-date=19 January 2022 |website=The World from PRX |date=2 August 2016 |language=en}}</ref> There has been increased [[Foreign direct investment|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.<ref name="ReferenceB" /><ref name="voabangla.com" /><ref name="ReferenceC" /> But frequent [[hartal]]s by political parties have greatly hampered the city's economy.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.un-bd.org/Docs/Publication/Beyond%20Hartals.pdf |title=Beyond Hartals: Towards Democratic Dialogue in Bangladesh |date=March 2005 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh |isbn=984-32-1424-2 |access-date=4 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305063333/http://www.un-bd.org/Docs/Publication/Beyond%20Hartals.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="content.time.com">{{Cite magazine |last=Carbone |first=Nick |date=26 October 2011 |title=The 10 Fastest-Growing Cities of Tomorrow: 2. Dhaka, Bangladesh |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097720_2097718_2097713,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708134803/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097720_2097718_2097713,00.html |archive-date=8 July 2017 |access-date=19 January 2022 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="CBSN">{{Cite news |title=Dhaka, Bangladesh: Fastest Growing City in the World |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhaka-bangladesh-fastest-growing-city-in-the-world/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917105225/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhaka-bangladesh-fastest-growing-city-in-the-world/ |archive-date=17 September 2018 |access-date=22 February 2019 |work=CBS News}}</ref> Most of its population are rural migrants, including [[climate refugees]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Short City Profile on Dhaka City: Adaptation Issues for Climate Change?? |url=http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/fileadmin/sites/resilient-cities/files/docs/B4-Bonn2010-Hamidul.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411211112/http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/fileadmin/sites/resilient-cities/files/docs/B4-Bonn2010-Hamidul.pdf |archive-date=11 April 2019 |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref> [[Traffic congestion|Congestion]] 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.<ref name="TNR">{{Cite magazine |title=Welcome to the Traffic Capital of the World |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/118416/what-dhaka-bangladesh-traffic-capital-world-can-teach-us |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917143131/https://newrepublic.com/article/118416/what-dhaka-bangladesh-traffic-capital-world-can-teach-us |archive-date=17 September 2018 |access-date=22 February 2019 |magazine=The New Republic}}</ref> The first phase of [[Dhaka Metro Rail]] from [[Uttara (town)|Uttara]] to [[Agargaon]] was inaugurated by [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh|Prime Minister]] [[Sheikh Hasina]] on 28 December 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-28 |title=PM opens country's first metro rail |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/special-events/dhaka-metro-rail-opening/news/pm-opens-countrys-first-metro-rail-3207081 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230115043453/https://www.thedailystar.net/special-events/dhaka-metro-rail-opening/news/pm-opens-countrys-first-metro-rail-3207081 |archive-date=2023-01-15 |access-date=2023-01-15 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]]}}</ref> However, nearly one third of Dhaka's population lives in [[slum]]s, as of 2016.<ref name=":1" /> The city's main river, the [[Buriganga River]], has become one of the most polluted rivers in the country.<ref name="Majumder 2009" /><ref name="the Guardian 2015" />