History of Dhaka Timeline

(1610 - Present)

Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, has a history spanning over four centuries. Founded in the early 1600s as a Mughal administrative center and famed for its muslin trade, Dhaka served as a capital under the Mughals, declined during British colonial rule, became the intellectual heart of the Bengali nationalist movement, witnessed the 1971 Liberation War, and grew into one of the world's largest and most densely populated megacities. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early History

Dhaka emerges as a trading center in the Bengal region

1000

The area around present-day Dhaka developed as a modest trading and riverine settlement along the Buriganga River, benefiting from its location at the junction of trade routes in the Bengal delta.

Image source: History of Dhaka

Sen dynasty rule over the Dhaka region

1100 - 1204

Hindu Sen kings controlled the region around Dhaka, establishing administrative centers and temples before Muslim conquests transformed Bengal's political landscape.

Image source: Sena dynasty

Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji conquers Bengal

1204

Turkic general Bakhtiyar Khalji defeated the Sen dynasty, bringing the Dhaka region under Muslim rule and beginning centuries of Islamic governance in Bengal.

Image source: Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji

Sultanate of Bengal established with capital at Sonargaon nearby

1338

Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah founded an independent sultanate in eastern Bengal with its capital at Sonargaon near modern Dhaka, making the area a hub of commerce and administration.

Image source: Sonargaon

Ibn Battuta visits Sonargaon

1346

The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta passed through Sonargaon during his journeys, describing it as a flourishing port and center of trade on the routes to Southeast Asia.

Image source: Ibn Battuta

Mughal Era

Mughal conquest of Bengal begins under Akbar

1576

The Mughal Empire defeated the last independent Sultan of Bengal at the Battle of Rajmahal, initiating the gradual extension of Mughal authority into the Dhaka region.

Image source: Bengal Subah

Islam Khan Chishti makes Dhaka capital of Bengal Subah

1610

Subahdar Islam Khan Chishti transferred the provincial capital from Rajmahal to Dhaka, renaming it Jahangirnagar after Emperor Jahangir and launching its rise as a great city.

Image source: Islam Khan I

Shaista Khan's governorship marks Dhaka's golden age

1663 - 1688

Under Subahdar Shaista Khan, Dhaka flourished as a wealthy metropolis with a population approaching one million, famed for its muslin trade, mosques, and grand architecture.

Image source: Shaista Khan

Lalbagh Fort construction begins

1678

Prince Muhammad Azam Shah started building Lalbagh Fort, an unfinished Mughal fort complex that remains one of Dhaka's most famous landmarks.

Image source: Lalbagh Fort

Sat Gambuj Mosque built

1680

The Seven Dome Mosque was constructed during the late Mughal period, reflecting Dhaka's rich tradition of mosque architecture and religious life.

Image source: Sat Gambuj Mosque

Capital shifted back to Murshidabad, declining Dhaka

1717

Murshid Quli Khan moved the Bengal capital to Murshidabad, triggering a long decline in Dhaka's political importance and population through the eighteenth century.

Image source: Murshidabad

Colonial Period

East India Company gains Diwani rights over Bengal

1765

After the Battle of Buxar, the Mughal emperor granted the East India Company revenue collection rights over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, bringing Dhaka under Company control.

Image source: Diwani

Dhaka becomes seat of East India Company administration

1793

The Company established a factory and administrative presence in Dhaka as colonial institutions gradually replaced Mughal structures in the decaying city.

Image source: Dhaka

Collapse of Dhaka's muslin industry

1800 - 1830

Dhaka's legendary fine cotton muslin, once prized worldwide, collapsed under competition from British machine-made textiles, devastating the city's weavers and economy.

Image source: Muslin

Dhaka Municipality established

1864

The British created the Dhaka Municipal Committee, introducing modern civic administration, sanitation, and urban planning to the city.

Image source: Dhaka South City Corporation

First railway line reaches Dhaka from Narayanganj

1885

A railway line connecting Dhaka to the port of Narayanganj opened, reviving the city's commercial links and spurring economic growth.

Image source: Eastern Bengal Railway

Partition of Bengal makes Dhaka capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam

Oct 16, 1905

The British partitioned Bengal, creating a new province with Dhaka as its capital, which triggered a wave of building, investment, and renewed prominence for the city.

Image source: Partition of Bengal (1905)

Curzon Hall constructed

1906

Lord Curzon laid the foundation for Curzon Hall, an Indo-Saracenic building intended for a university that later became part of the University of Dhaka.

Image source: Curzon Hall

Annulment of Bengal partition ends Dhaka's provincial capital status

Dec 12, 1911

British authorities annulled the 1905 partition following nationalist protests, returning Bengal's unity but stripping Dhaka of its capital role and slowing its growth.

Image source: Partition of Bengal (1905)

Annulment of Bengal partition ends Dhaka's provincial capital status

University of Dhaka founded

Jul 1, 1921

Established by the Dacca University Act, the University of Dhaka became the premier institution of higher learning in East Bengal and later a cradle of Bengali nationalism.

Image source: University of Dhaka

Pakistan Period

All India Muslim League session held in Dhaka

Mar 1940

The Muslim League's session in Dhaka endorsed the Lahore Resolution calling for independent states for Muslims of India, energizing support for Pakistan in Bengal.

Image source: Lahore Resolution

Partition of India makes Dhaka capital of East Bengal

Aug 14, 1947

With Indian independence and partition, Dhaka became the capital of East Bengal in the new Dominion of Pakistan, transforming it into a major administrative city.

Image source: Partition of India

Language Movement protests begin in Dhaka

1952

Students in Dhaka protested against Urdu being imposed as the sole state language; police fired on demonstrators on Feb 21, 1952, a date now commemorated as International Mother Language Day.

Image source: Bengali language movement

Six Point Movement launched in Lahore with Bengali leadership

1966

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka-based politics put forward six demands for autonomy for East Pakistan, galvanizing Bengali nationalist sentiment against West Pakistani dominance.

Image source: Six point movement

Cyclone Bhola devastates East Pakistan

Nov 12, 1970

A catastrophic cyclone killed up to half a million people in East Pakistan; the perceived inadequate government response deepened resentment ahead of the December elections.

Image source: 1970 Bhola cyclone

Awami League wins landslide in Pakistani general election

Dec 7, 1970

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League swept East Pakistan's seats, winning an absolute majority nationally, but the transfer of power was stalled, provoking mass unrest in Dhaka.

Image source: 1970 Pakistani general election

Operation Searchlight launches Bangladesh Liberation War

Mar 25, 1971

The Pakistani army launched a brutal crackdown on Dhaka's civilians, intellectuals, and students, killing thousands and igniting the nine-month war for Bangladeshi independence.

Image source: Operation Searchlight

Provisional Government of Bangladesh declares independence

Apr 17, 1971

Bangladeshi leaders formally proclaimed independence at Baidyanathtala (Mujibnagar), organizing resistance while Dhaka remained occupied by Pakistani forces.

Image source: Provisional Government of Bangladesh

Pakistani forces surrender in Dhaka, ending the Liberation War

Dec 16, 1971

General A. A. K. Niazi surrendered to joint Bangladeshi-Indian forces at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka, marking Victory Day and the birth of independent Bangladesh.

Image source: Pakistani Instrument of Surrender

Bangladesh Era

Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka

Aug 15, 1975

Founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were killed in a military coup at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka, plunging the nation into years of instability.

Image source: Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban completed as national parliament complex

1982

Louis Kahn's monumental National Assembly Building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar was completed, becoming an architectural icon of Dhaka and the seat of Bangladesh's parliament.

Image source: Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban

Dhaka hosts first SAARC summit hosted by Bangladesh

Dec 1985

Dhaka hosted the founding summit that established SAARC, positioning the city as a regional diplomatic center and birthplace of South Asian cooperation efforts.

Image source: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Anti-autocracy movement topples Hussain Muhammad Ershad

Dec 6, 1990

Mass street protests centered in Dhaka forced military ruler H. M. Ershad to resign, restoring parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh.

Image source: 1990 Bangladesh mass uprising

Dhaka elevated to megacity as population surpasses ten million

2000

Rapid migration and economic growth made Dhaka one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, bringing both prosperity and severe challenges of congestion, flooding, and housing shortages.

Rana Plaza collapse near Dhaka kills over 1,100 garment workers

Apr 24, 2013

An eight-story building housing garment factories collapsed in Savar, on Dhaka's outskirts, killing more than 1,100 people and prompting global scrutiny of Bangladesh's garment industry.

Image source: Rana Plaza collapse

Dhaka Metro Rail MRT Line 6 opens

Dec 28, 2022

Bangladesh's first metro rail line began operations in Dhaka, connecting Uttara to Motijheel and offering relief to one of the world's most congested cities.

Image source: Dhaka Metro Rail

Key Facts

Dhaka was established as the capital of Mughal Bengal in 1610 by Subahdar Islam Khan I, who renamed it Jahangirnagar after Emperor Jahangir.
In the 17th century, Dhaka was world-famous for its fine cotton muslin fabric, which was exported across Europe and Asia.
The city's population and importance declined significantly when the British moved the Bengal capital to Calcutta in 1704, though it briefly regained prominence as the capital of East Bengal and Assam from 1905 to 1911.
On March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic speech at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka, inspiring the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan.
Since independence in 1971, Dhaka has grown explosively, becoming one of the most densely populated cities in the world with over 20 million residents in its metropolitan area.

Source

This History of Dhaka timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free