Dhaka Commonwealth Walkway

Bangladesh / Asia

Bangladesh The People’s Republic of Bangladesh in South Asia emerged from the Liberation War in 1971.  It is the largest and most eastern part of Bengal.  It shares land borders with India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal.    Following the end of British rule, the region became a part of Pakistan, as the province of East Bengal in 1947, when the borders of modern Bangladesh were established.  It became East Pakistan, part of the Dominion of Pakistan in 1956.  Bengali nationalism led to the rise of a pro-democracy movement and eventually the Liberation War, which led to the establishment of Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent nation. Dhaka Dhaka (also spelt Dacca) is the capital city of Bangladesh.  It is located just north of the Buriganga River, a channel of the Dhaleswari River, in the south-central part of the country. Dhaka has a population of over 5 million 330,000 and is thus one of the largest cities in South Asia.     Dhaka is said to derive its name from the dhak tree, once common in the area, or to Dhakeshwari (‘The Hidden Goddess), whose shrine is to be found in the western part of the city.  The city has a history dating back to the first millennium but only rose to prominence in the 17th century as the capital of the Muslim Mughal dynasty of Bengal province (1608–39 & 1660–1704).  It became a focal centre for English, French, Armenian, Portuguese, and Dutch sea traders. The provincial capital moved to Murshidabad in 1704, and Dhaka went into decline due to a lessening of interest in the muslin industry.  Dhaka passed into British control in 1765 and was constituted as a municipality in 1864, but continued to lose prominence until it was designated the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam province between 1905 and 1912.  During the early 20th century Dhaka was prominent as a commercial centre and seat of learning.  Dhaka was gravely damaged in the Liberation War in 1971 but emerged as the capital of Bangladesh. Since then Dhaka has become one of the most industrialised regions of Bangladesh.  The population, area, and social and economic diversity have grown tremendously.  The city is known for its jute processing, chemical manufacturing and for jamdani (fine-quality muslin), embroidery, silk, and jewellery, textiles, leather goods, ceramics, and electronics products.  In the late 20th century a strong export-oriented garment industry emerged. Fun-fact  Dhaka has more than 80,000 rickshaw pullers, making it the rickshaw pullers capital of the world.  According to estimates, rickshaws can run Bangladesh for about a month with approximately $4.8 billion.  This makes for easy travelling or commuting easy for locals and visitors.

7.5 miles / 12 kilometres

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