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| − | |+ style="font-size: large;" | Shahbag Thana <br/>
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| − | {{#if: {{{map|<noinclude>-</noinclude>}}} |
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| − | {{!}} colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background: white;" {{!}} [[Image:ShahbagCoreMap.svg|220px]]<br />''Map of the neighbourhood''
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| − | {{!}}-
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| − | ! colspan="2" style="background: #ccccff;" | '''Administration'''
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Wards'''
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| − | | 51, 52, 53
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Parliamentary Seat'''
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| − | | Dhaka-10 ([[Ramna]]-[[Tejgaon]])
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Municipality'''
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| − | | [[Dhaka]]
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Coordinates'''
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| − | | 23°44'18" N, 90°23'45" E
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| − | |-
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| − | | width="45%" | '''[[Rapid Action Battalion|RAB]] Area'''
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| − | | RAB 3
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| − | ! colspan="2" style="background: #ccccff;" | '''Information'''
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| − | | colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background: white;" | [[Image:Old and New Dhaka.svg|180px]]<br />''Location of Shahbag in Dhaka''
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Established'''
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| − | | 2004*
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Area'''
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| − | | 17.4 km²*
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Population'''
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| − | | 112,000*
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| − | |-
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| − | | width="45%" | '''HQ'''
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| − | | Shahbag Intersection
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| − | |-
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Neighbouring Thanas'''
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| − | | [[Lalbag]], [[Dhanmondi]], [[Ramna]], [[Kotwali]], [[Paltan]], [[New Market, Dhaka|New Market]]*
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| − | | width="45%" | '''Website'''
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| − | | [http://www.dmp.gov.bd/static/view_map.php?thana_name=Shahbagh&map_img=file~31.jpg DMP page on Shahbag]
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| − | {{!}}colspan="2" style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; font-size: smaller;line-height:150%;"{{!}} * Dhaka Metropolitan Police data
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| − | {{!}}-
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| − | '''Shahbag''' (also '''Shahbaugh''', {{lang-bn|শাহবাগ}} ''Shabag''; {{IPA2|ˈʃabag}}) is a major neighborhood in [[Dhaka]], the capital of [[Bangladesh]]. A major [[public transport]] hub, Shabag serves as a junction between two contrasting sections of the city, [[History of Dhaka|Old Dhaka]] and New Dhaka, which lie respectively to the north and south. Old Dhaka served as the provincial capital and a center of the flourishing [[muslin]] industry. Shahbag developed in the seventeenth century during [[Mughal Empire|Mughal rule]] in [[Bengal]]. The neighborhood was originally named ''Bagh-e-[[Badshah]]i'' ([[Persian language|Persian]]: ''Garden of the Master Kings''). Later the name shortened to ''[[Shah]]'' (Persian:شاه, king) ''[[Persian Gardens|Bagh]]'' (Persian: باغ, garden). In the mid-nineteenth century, new building construction in and around Shahbag ushered in the development of New Dhaka as a provincial center of the [[British Raj]] and ended a century of decline.
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| − | The nation's leading educational and public institutions, the [[University of Dhaka]], the oldest and largest public university in Bangladesh, and the [[Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology]], the country's largest public university for technological studies have made Shahbag their home. Shahbag also hosts many [[street market]]s and [[bazaars]], following the emergence of Bangladesh as an [[History of Bangladesh|independent country]]. The Shahbag area has become a popular venue for celebrating [[Public holidays in Bangladesh|festivals]], such as the [[Bengali New Year]] and [[Basant|Basanta Utsab]].
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| − |
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| − | Shahbag's numerous ponds, gardens, and palaces have inspired the work of multitude writers, singers, and poets. The ''Thana'' area, centering around Dhaka University, has seen the debut of major political movements in the nation's history. The [[All India Muslim Education Conference]] in 1905, which gave rise to the [[All India Muslim League]] and led, in 1947, to the [[partition of India]] and the creation of [[Pakistan]] began there. The [[Bengali Language Movement]] started there in 1952 and led to the recognition of [[Bengali language|Bengali]] as an official language of Pakistan. The [[Six point movement]] of 1966 led to the nation's independence. It was at Thana on March 7, 1971, that [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] delivered a historic speech calling for the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Thana has since become a central staging ground for protests by students and other groups.
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| − |
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| − | == History ==
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| − | Although urban settlements in the Dhaka area date back to the seventh century C.E.,<ref>Jatindramohan Rai quotes ''Rajtarangini'' by Kalhan in ''Dhakar Itihas'', 1913</ref> monuments constructed after 1610, when the Mughals turned Dhaka into a provincial capital and established the gardens of Shahbag, provide the earliest evidence of [[urbanization|urban construction]] in the ''Shahbag'' area. Among those monuments are: the ''Dhaka Gate'', located near the [[Bangla Academy]] in Shahbag, and erected by [[Mir Jumla]], the Mughal [[subadar]] of Bengal from 1660 to 1663;<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Juberee
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| − | | first = Abdullah
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| − | | title = Dhaka Gate at DU stands unnoticed
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| − | | publisher = New Age
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| − | | date = 2006-03-11
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| − | | url = http://www.newagebd.com/2006/mar/11/met.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09}}</ref> the ''Mariam Saleha Mosque'', a three-domed [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]]-style mosque in ''Nilkhet-Babupara'', constructed in 1706;<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Mariam Saleha Mosque
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| − | | publisher = [[Banglapedia]]
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| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/M_0155.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> the ''Musa Khan Mosque'' on the western side of Dhaka University, likely constructed in the late seventeenth century;<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Musa Khan Mosque
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| − | | publisher = Banglapedia
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| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/M_0413.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> and the ''Khwaja Shahbaz's Mosque-Tomb'',<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Khwaja Shahbaz's Mosque-Tomb
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| − | | publisher = Banglapedia
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| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/K_0256.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> located behind the [[Dhaka High Court]] and built in 1679 by Khwaja Shahbaz, a merchant-prince of Dhaka during the vice-royalty of Prince [[Azam Shah|Muhammad Azam]], the son of Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]].<ref>{{cite book
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| − | | last = Syed Aulad
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| − | | first = Hasan
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| − | | title = Notes on the Antiquities of Dacca
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| − | | publisher =
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| − | | date = 1912
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| − | | location = Dhaka
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| − | | pages = 40–41
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| − | | id = }}</ref>
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| − |
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| − | [[Image:Tomb Of Hazi Shahabaz.A.M.R..jpg|thumb|right|Mosque/Tomb of Khwaja Shahbaz]]
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| − | With the decline of Mughal power in Bengal, the Shahbag gardens—''the Gardens of the Kings''—fell into neglect. In 1704, when the provincial capital moved to [[Murshidabad]], they became the property of the Naib Nazims—the Deputy-Governors of the sub-province of [[East Bengal]]—and the representatives of the Nawabs of Murshidabad. Although the British established power in Dacca in 1757, the upkeep of Shahbag gardens resumed only in the early nineteenth century under the patronage of an [[British East India Company|East India Company]] judge, Griffith Cook,<ref>{{cite book
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| − | | last = Ahmed
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| − | | first = Sharif Uddin
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| − | | title = Dacca
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| − | | publisher =
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| − | | date = 1986
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| − | | location = London
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| − | | pages = 131
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| − | | id = }}</ref> and a leader of the [[Armenian community of Dhaka]], P. Aratun.<ref name=taesh>{{cite book
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| − | | last = Rahman Ali Taesh
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| − | | first = Munshi
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| − | | coauthors = (trans. AMM Sharfuddin)
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| − | | title = Tawarikhey Dhaka
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| − | | publisher =
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| − | | date = 1985
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| − | | location =
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| − | | pages = 158–159
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| − | | id = }}</ref> In 1830, the Ramna area, which included Shahbag, incorporated into Dhaka city consequent to the deliberations of the ''Dacca Committee'' (for the development of Dacca town) founded by [[district collector]] Henry Walters.<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Dhaka under the East India Company
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| − | | publisher = Dhaka City Corporation
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| − | | date =
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| − | | url = http://www.dhakacity.org/his_under_company.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> A decade later, Nawab [[Khwaja Alimullah]], founder of the [[Dhaka Nawab Family]] and father of [[Khwaja Abdul Ghani|Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani]], purchased the Shahbag ''[[zamindar]]i'' (estate) from the East India Company. Upon his death, in 1868, the estate passed to his grandson [[Khwaja Ahsanullah|Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah]]. In the early twentieth century, Ahsanullah's son, [[Khwaja Salimullah|Sir Nawab Khwaja Salimullah]], reclaimed some of the lost splendor of the gardens by dividing them into two smaller gardens—the present-day ''Shahbag'' and ''Paribag'' (or, "garden of fairies")—the latter named after Paribanu, one of Ahsanullah's daughters.<ref name = "paribag"/>
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| − |
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| − | [[Image:Ramna-racecourse-dacca1875.jpg|thumb|left|Elephants being ridden through Ramna Gate, Race Course, 1875]]
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| − | With the [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|partition of Bengal]] in 1905, and with [[Dhaka|Dacca]] becoming the capital of the new province of [[East Bengal]], European-style houses were rapidly built in the area, especially along the newly-constructed Fuller Road (named after Sir Bampfylde Fuller, the first [[Lieutenant Governor]] of East Bengal). Around that time, the first zoo in the Dhaka area opened in Shahbag.<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Ramna Race course
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| − | | publisher = Banglapedia
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| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/R_0104.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref><ref name = "shahbag"/>
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| − |
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| − | After the creation of the new nation of Pakistan in 1947, when Dhaka became the capital of [[East Pakistan]], many new buildings were built in the Shahbag area, including, in 1960, the office of [[Bangladesh Betar]],<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Bangladesh Betar
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| − | | publisher = Bangladesh Ministry of Information
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| − | | date =
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| − | | url = http://www.moi.gov.bd/bater.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> (then ''Pakistan Radio''), the national radio station, the (now-defunct) Dacca race-course, as well as the second electric power-plant in [[East Bengal]]. On March 7, 1971, [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] chose the Ramna Racecourse near Shahbag to deliver his speech calling for an independent Bangladesh. During the ensuing [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], many foreign journalists, including the [[The Associated Press|Associated Press]] bureau chief in Pakistan, Arnold Zeitlin, and [[Washington Post]] reporter, David Greenway stayed at Hotel Intercontinental (now [[Sheraton Hotels and Resorts|Hotel Sheraton]]) at the Shahbag Intersection. The hotel, which had been declared a ''neutral zone'',<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Hasan
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| − | | first = Khalid
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| − | | title = PostCard USA: Arnold Zeitlin’s Pakistan
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| − | | publisher = Observer Magazine
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| − | | date = 2006-11-12
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| − | | url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C06%5C11%5Cstory_11-6-2006_pg3_3
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-12}}</ref> nonetheless came under fire from both combatants in the war—the [[Mukti Bahini]] and Pakistani army.<ref name= "intercon" >{{cite news
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| − | | last = Khan
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| − | | first = Md. Asadullah
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| − | | title = My Experience on the First Victory Day
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| − | | publisher = Observer Magazine
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| − | | date = 2004-12-16
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| − | | url = http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/magazine/page3.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-12}}</ref> At the conclusion of the war, the Hotel Intercontinental was at first chosen as the venue for the surrender ceremony of the West Pakistan army;<ref name= "intercon" >{{cite news
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| − | | last = Khan
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| − | | first = Md. Asadullah
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| − | | title = My Experience on the First Victory Day
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| − | | publisher = Observer Magazine
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| − | | date = 2004-12-16
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| − | | url = http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/magazine/page3.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-12}}</ref> the final surrender ceremony later took place in the nearby [[Ramna Park]] (now Suhrawardy Uddan).
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| − |
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| − | == Urban layout ==
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| − | {{seealso|Dhaka}}
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| − | {| align="right" style="margin: 0 0.5em 0.5em 1em; width: 240px; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 85%;"
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| − | ! style="font-size:140%; background: #ccccff;"| '''Landmarks'''
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[BSMMU]] | [[BIRDEM]]
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[Sheraton Hotels and Resorts|Hotel Sheraton]] | [[Art Institute Dhaka|Institute of Fine Arts]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[Bangladesh National Museum]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[Central Public Library (Dhaka)|Central Public Library]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[University of Dhaka|University Mosque and Cemetery]] | [[Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka|IBA, DU]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>[[Dhaka Club]] | [[Shishu Park]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | style="text-align: center;"|<small>Tennis Federation | Police Control Room
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| − | |}
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| − | With an area of {{convert|4.2|km2|sqmi|1}} and an estimated 2006 population of 112,000<ref>{{cite press release
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| − | | title =Shahbag Thana
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| − | | publisher =Dhaka Metropolitan Police
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| − | | date =2006-06-30
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| − | | language =Bengali
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| − | | url =
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| − | | accessdate = 2008-09-09 }}</ref> Shabag lies within the monsoon climate zone at an elevation of 1.5 to 13 meters (5 to 43 ft) above mean sea level.<ref>{{cite paper
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| − | | author =S.A.T.M. Aminul Hoque
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| − | | title =Dhaka
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| − | | publisher =Disaster Management Committee, Dhaka City Corporation
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| − | | url =http://www.ehs.unu.edu/file.php?id=121
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| − | | format = PDF
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| − | | accessdate =2007-04-17 }}</ref> Like rest of Dhaka city it has an annual average temperature of {{convert|25|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} and monthly means varying between {{convert|18|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} in January and {{convert|29|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}} in August. Nearly eighty percent of the annual average rainfall of {{convert|1854|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} occurs between May and September.<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Dhaka
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| − | | publisher = Bangla 2000
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| − | | url = http://www.bangla2000.com/Bangladesh/Cities/dhaka.shtm
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref>
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| − |
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| − | The Shahbag neighborhood covers a large approximately rectangular area, extending on the east from [[Ramna]] Park to the [[Supreme Court of Bangladesh]]; on the west as far as Sonargaon Road; on the south as far as Fuller Road and from the [[University of Dhaka]]<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Fun Facts
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| − | | publisher = [[University of Dhaka]]
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| − | | url = http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/2005/
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-09-28 }}</ref> to the [[Suhrawardy Udyan]] (formerly, Ramna Racecourse); and on the north as far as Minto Road, Hotel Sheraton and the Diabetic Hospital.
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| − |
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| − | Shahbag serves as home to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Control Room as well as a Dhaka Electric Supply Authority substation. The mausoleums of three leaders—Bengali statesman [[A.K. Fazlul Huq]] (1873—1962), former Prime Minister of Pakistan, [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] (1892—1963), and former Prime Minister and Governor-General of Pakistan, [[Khwaja Nazimuddin]] (1894—1964)—are all located in Shahbag. The major academic bodies around Shahbag Intersection and in Shahbag ''Thana'' area include: [[University of Dhaka|Dhaka University]], [[Dhaka Medical College]], [[BUET]], Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy, [[Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University]] ([[BSMMU]]<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Homepage
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| − | | publisher = BSMMU
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| − | | url = http://www.bsmmu.org/
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-09-28 }}</ref>), the only public medical university in the country, [[Art Institute Dhaka|Institute of Fine Arts]] (formerly, Dhaka Art College), [[Institute of Cost & Management Accountants]], [[Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka|IBA]], [[Institute of Modern Languages]], Udayan School, University Laboratory School, and the Engineering University School. Other public and educational institutions in the area include the [[Bangladesh National Museum]], the [[Central Public Library (Dhaka)|Central Public Library]], and the [[Shishu Academy]], the National Academy for Children.
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| − |
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| − | The Shahbag Intersection, the nerve center of the neighborhood, is the location of many Dhaka landmarks. Well-known ones include Hotel Sheraton<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Homepage
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| − | | publisher = [[Sheraton|Dhaka Sheraton]]
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| − | | url = http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=200
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-09-28 }}</ref> (formerly Hotel Intercontinental, the second five-star hotel in Dhaka); the [[Dhaka Club]], the oldest and largest club in Dhaka, established in 1911; the National Tennis Complex; [[Shishu Park]], the oldest children's entertainment park in Dhaka, notable for admitting underprivileged children ''gratis'' on weekends; ''Sakura'', the first [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] in Dhaka; and ''Peacock'', the first Dhaka bar with outdoor seating. The Shahbag Intersection constitutes one of the major [[public transportation]] hubs in Dhaka, along with Farmgate, [[Gulistan]], [[Mohakhali]], and Moghbazar.
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| − | [[Image:DSC03652.JPG|right|thumb|Double deckers at Shahbag, one of the busiest bus-ports in the city]]
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| − | The ''thana'' also contains a hospitals complex, a major destination for Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment. The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (DAB<ref>{{cite web
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| − | | title = Homepage
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| − | | publisher = [[BIRDEM|Diabetic Association of Bangladesh]]
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| − | | url = http://www.dab-bd.org/
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-09-28 }}</ref>), [[BIRDEM]] (Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders) and the BIRDEM Hospital are located at the Shahbag Intersection. Flanking BIRDEM hospital is the Ibrahim Memorial Cardiac Hospital, named after Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, the founder of DAB and BIRDEM. Other facilities in the area include BSMMU Hospital (at the Intersection) and the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at the southern end of Shahbag.
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| − |
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| − | Located at the juncture of two major bus routes – [[Gulistan]] to [[Mirpur]] and [[Motijheel]] to [[Uttara]] – Shahbag Intersection serves as a public transport hubs in Dhaka, where the population commutes exclusively by the city bus services.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Parveen
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| − | | first = Shahnaz
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| − | | title = Commuting in Dhaka city and its changing phases
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| − | | publisher = Daily Star
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| − | | date = 2003-07-01
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| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/lifestyle/2003/07/03/centre.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref> The Intersection also has one of the few taxi stands in Dhaka. The [[thoroughfare]]s of Shahbag has been made free of cycle-[[rickshaw]]s, the traditional transport of Dhaka.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Rahman
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| − | | first = Sultana
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| − | | title = DUTP gets more time
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| − | | publisher = Daily Star
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| − | | date = 2004-06-23
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| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/06/23/d406232505119.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-17}}</ref>
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| − |
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| − | ==Historic mansions==
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| − | [[Image:Water-tower-shahbagh1904.jpg|thumb|Water tower in Shahbagh gardens, 1904]]
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| − | Also located in Shahbag are several mansions built by [[Dhaka Nawab Family]] in the nineteenth century. Those mansions not only figured prominently in the history of Dhaka, but also gained mention in the histories of both [[Bengal]] and [[British India]].
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| − |
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| − | A well-known Nawab family mansion is the '''Ishrat Manzil'''. Originally, a dance-hall for the performances of ''[[Tawaif|Baijees]]'', or dancing women, (including, among the famous ones, Piyari Bai, Heera Bai, Wamu Bai and Abedi Bai), the mansion became the venue for the [[All India Muslim Education Conference|All-India Muslim Education Society Conference]] in 1906, attended by 4,000 participants. In 1912, Society convened there again under the leadership of [[Khwaja Salimullah|Nawab Salimullah]], and met with [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Lord Hardinge]], the [[Viceroy of India]]. The ''Ishrat Manzil'', subsequently rebuilt as Hotel Shahbag (designed by British architects Edward Hicks and Ronald McConnel), became the first major international hotel in Dhaka. In 1965, the Institute of Post-graduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR) acquired the building. Later, in 1998, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) moved in.<ref name = "shahbag"/>
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| − | [[Image:Shahbagh-garden1904.jpg|thumb|The Jalsaghar in early twentieth century]]
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| − |
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| − | Another Nawab mansion is the '''Jalsaghar'''. Built as a skating rink and a ballroom for the Nawabs, it was later converted into an eatery and meeting place for students and faculty of Dhaka University and renamed ''Modhur Canteen''. In the late 1960s, ''Modhur Canteen'' became a focal point for planning student protests against the West Pakistan regime. Flanked on one side by the Arts Faculty of Dhaka University and on the other by the [[Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka|IBA]] (Institute of Business Administration), the ''Modhur Canteen'' remains a powerful political symbol.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Khan
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| − | | first = Mubin S
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| − | | title = Glory days
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| − | | publisher = New Age
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| − | | date = 2005-11-04
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| − | | url = http://www.newagebd.com/2005/nov/04/eidspecial05/non-fiction04.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-11}}</ref>
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| − |
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| − | '''Nishat Manjil''', built as the princely stable and clubhouse for the Nawabs, served as a venue of receptions for the statesmen of the day, including [[Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava|Lord Dufferin]] (Viceroy of India), [[Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael|Lord Carmichael]] ([[Governor of Bengal]]), Sir Steuart Bayley (Lt. Governor of Bengal), Sir [[Charles Elliott]] (Lt. Governor of Bengal), and John Woodburn (Lt. Governor of Bengal).
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| − |
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| − | Khwaja Salimullah built the Nawab's '''Paribag House''' in the memory of his sister, Pari Banu. Later, with the downturn in the family's fortunes, his son, Nawab Khwaja Habibullah, lived here for many years. The ''hammam'' (bath) and the ''hawakhana'' (green house) were regarded as marvels of design in early twentieth century.<ref name="paribag">{{cite web
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| − | | title = Paribagh
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| − | | publisher = Banglapedia
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| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0093.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-05 }}</ref>
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| − |
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| − | '''Sujatpur Palace''', the oldest Nawab mansion in the area, later became the residence for the Governor of East Bengal during the Pakistani Regime, and subsequently the [[Bangla Academy]], the Supreme Bengali Language Authority in Bangladesh. The TSC (Teacher Student Center) of Dhaka University took over some of the palace grounds<ref>{{cite web
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| − | |url=http://www.bangladeshlive.net/1100749.html
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| − | |accessdate=2007-04-14
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| − | |title=The Place Where Bangladesh Is Alive
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| − | |publisher=www.bangladeshlive.net
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| − | }}</ref>, becoming a major cultural and political meeting place in 1970s.
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| − |
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| − | == Culture ==
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| − | [[Image:Sri Anandamoyi Ma.jpg|thumb|[[Sri Anandamoyi Ma]], early twentieth century Hindu religious figure]]
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| − |
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| − | Teachers and students make up most the population of Shahbag, and the activities of its academic institutions dominated its civic life. Its commercial life, too, reflects its occupants' intellectual and cultural pursuits. Among its best known markets is the country's largest second-hand, rare, and antiquarian book-market,<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Staff Reporter
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| − | | first =
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| − | | title = Hawkewrs on Gausia, Nilkhet footpath
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| − | | publisher = New Age
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| − | | date = 2006-01-21
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| − | | url = http://www.newagebd.com/2006/jan/21/met.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref> comprising of ''Nilkhet-Babupura'' Hawkers Market, a [[street market]], and ''Aziz'' Supermarket, an indoor [[bazaar]].<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Staff Reporter
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| − | | first =
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| − | | title = A Favourite Haunt of Book Lovers
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| − | | publisher = Daily Independent
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| − | | date = 2006-09-30
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| − | | url = http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/sep/30/30092005wk.htm#A7
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref> Shahbag is also home to the largest flower market (a street side open air [[bazaar]]) in the country, located at Shahbag Intersection,<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Parveen
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| − | | first = Shahnaz
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| − | | title = Shop talk: Beli, Rajanigandha and more
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| − | | publisher = Daily Star
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| − | | date = 2006-04-12
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| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/lifestyle/2005/04/02/page01.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref> as well as the largest [[pet]] market in the country, the ''Katabon'' Market.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Khan
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| − | | first = Marchel
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| − | | title = Endangered species being sold
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| − | | publisher = Weekly Holiday
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| − | | date = 2002-06-28
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| − | | url = http://www.weeklyholiday.net/280602/heri.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref> In addition, Elephant Road features a large shoe market and, ''Nilkhet-Babupura'', a large market for bedding accessories.
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| − |
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| − | Shahbag's numerous ponds, palaces and gardens have inspired the work of artists, including poet [[Buddhadeva Bose]], singer [[Protiva Bose]], writer-chronicler [[Hakim Habibur Rahman]], and two [[Urdu]] poets of nineteenth century Dhaka, Obaidullah Suhrawardy and Abdul Gafoor Nassakh.<ref>{{cite book
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| − | | last =Taifoor
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| − | | first =Syed Muhammed
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| − | | title =Glimpses of Old Dhaka
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| − | | publisher =SM Perwez
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| − | | date =1952
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| − | | location =Dacca
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| − | | pages = 257-58
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| − | | id = ASIN B0007K0SFK}}</ref>
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| − | Shahbag stood at the center of the cultural and political activities associated with the [[Language movement]] of 1952, resulting in the founding of the [[Bangla Academy]], a national academy for promoting the [[Bengali language]]. [[Zainul Abedin]] founded the first formal art school in Dhaka—the [[Art Institute Dhaka|Dhaka Art College]] (now Institute of Fine Arts)—in Shahbag in 1948. Later, [[Mazharul Islam]], the pioneer of modern architecture in Bangladesh, designed the Art College as one of his early projects. In the 1970s, [[Jiraz Art Gallery]] opened as the first commercial art wing in the Shahbag area. Other cultural landmarks in the area include
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| − | the [[Bangladesh National Museum]],<ref>{{cite web
| |
| − | | title = Homepage
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| − | | publisher = [[Bangladesh National Museum]]
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| − | | url = http://www.bangladeshmuseum.org/
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-09-28 }}</ref> the National Public Library, and the Dhaka University Mosque and Cemetery, containing the graves of [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]], the national poet, of painters Zainul Abedin and [[Quamrul Hassan]], and of the teachers killed by Pakistani forces during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971.
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| − |
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| − | The Shahbag area has a rich religious history. In the late 1920s, [[Sri Anandamoyi Ma]], the noted [[Hindu]] ascetic, also known as the ''Mother of Shahbag'', built her [[ashram]] near [[Ramna Kali Mandir]], or the Temple of [[Kali]], at Ramna. Her presence in Dhaka owed directly to Shahbag, for her husband, Ramani Mohan Chakrabarti, had accepted the position of caretaker of Shahbag gardens a few years earlier. In 1971, the Pakistani Army destroyed the Temple of Kali in the Liberation War of Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | first = SD
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| − | | last = Khan
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| − | | title = The Race Course Maidan that once was
| |
| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2005/11/01/retrospect.htm
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| − | | publisher = The Daily Star, Bangladesh
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| − | | date = 2005-11-01
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-13
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| − | }}</ref> A well-known local [[Muslim]] saint of the early twentieth century was Syed Abdur Rahim, supervisor of the dairy farm established by [[Khwaja Salimullah]], the Nawab of Dhaka, at Paribag. Known as the ''Shah Shahib of Paribag'', Abdur Rahim had his ''[[khanqah]]'' (Persian: خانگاه, spiritual retreat) here; his tomb lies at the same location today.<ref>{{cite book
| |
| − | |last=Duttagupta
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| − | |first=Amulyakumar
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| − | |title=Shree Shree Ma Anandamayi Prosonge (vol 1)
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| − | |year=1938
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| − | |language=Bengali
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| − | |pages=2–3|
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| − | location=Dhaka}}</ref> [[Katabon Mosque]], an important center for Muslim missionaries in Bangladesh, is located in Shahbag as well. In addition, the only [[Sikh]] [[Gurdwara]] in Dhaka stands next to the Institute of Modern Languages in Shahbag.<ref>{{cite news
| |
| − | | title = SGPC to repair Bangladesh gurdwaras
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| − | | publisher = The Tribune India
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| − | | date = 2005-09-25
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| − | | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050925/punjab1.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref>
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| − | [[Image:Pohela boishakh 2.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Rally on [[Pohela Baishakh]]]]
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| − | Since 1875, the Shahbag gardens have hosted a famous [[fair]] celebrating the [[New Year's Day|Gregorian New Year]] and containing exhibits of agricultural and industrial items, as well as those of animals and birds. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the gardens were the private property of the Nawab of Dhaka, and, although a portion of the gardens had been donated to Dhaka University in 1918, ordinary citizens could enter the main gardens only during the fair. In 1921, at the request of the Nawab's daughter, Paribanu, the organizers of the fair set aside one day during which only women were admitted to the fair, a tradition that has continued down to the present. Today, the fair features dance recitals by girls, ''[[Jatra (Bangladesh)|Jatra]]'' (a native form of folk theater), ''putul naach'' (puppet shows), magic shows and [[Bioscope show]]s.<ref name="shahbag">{{cite web
| |
| − | | title = Shahbag
| |
| − | | publisher = Banglapedia
| |
| − | | url = http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0261.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-04-05 }}</ref> Historically, Shahbag served also the main venue in Dhaka for other recreational sports like ''[[Boli Khela]]'' (wrestling) and [[horse racing]].
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| − |
| |
| − | The ''[[Basant|Basanta Utsab]]'' (Festival of Spring) takes place every February 14—the first day of spring, according to the reformed [[Bengali calendar#The Revised Bengali Calendar|Bangladeshi Calendar]]. Originating in Shahbag in the late 1960s, ''Basanta Utsab'' has now become a major festival in Dhaka.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Cultural Correspondent
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| − | | title = Basanta Utsab observed in city
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| − | | publisher = Weekly Holiday
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| − | | date = 2003-03-07
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| − | | url = http://www.weeklyholiday.net/070303/cul.html
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-04-11}}</ref> Face painting, wearing yellow clothes (signifying Spring), music, and local fairs are typical of the many activities associated with the festival, which often also includes themes associated with [[Valentine's Day]]. Shahbag is also the focal point of the [[Pohela Baishakh]] (the Bengali New Year) festival in Dhaka, celebrated every April 14 following the [[Bengali calendar#The Revised Bengali Calendar|revised Bengali Calendar]], and now the biggest carnival in Dhaka.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Deepita
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| − | | first = Novera
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| − | | title = Preparation on in full swing
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| − | | publisher = Daily Star
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| − | | date = 2006-04-10
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| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/04/10/d604102501118.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-17}}</ref> From 1965 to 1971 the citizens of Dhaka observed the festival as a day of protest against the Pakistani regime.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Shanto
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| − | | first = Aminul Haque
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| − | | title = Celebration of Pahela Baishakh
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| − | | publisher = Bangladesh Independent
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| − | | date = 2006-04-14
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| − | | url = http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/apr/14/14042006mg.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-17}}</ref> Other local traditions associated with the festival include the ''Boishakhi Rally'' and the ''Boishakhi Mela'' begun by the Institute of Fine Arts and the Bangla Academy respectively. In addition, Chayanaut Music School began the tradition of singing at dawn under the Ramna Batamul (Ramna [[Banyan]] tree).
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| − |
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| − | Books and movies figure prominently in the cultural life of Shahbag. The biggest book fair in Bangladesh is held every February on the premises of the Bangla Academy in Shahbag. The only internationally recognized film festival<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bangladeshonline.com/shortfest/forum.htm |title=7th International Short and Independent Film Festival, Dhaka 2001 | publisher = Bangladesh Online |date = December 2001 | accessdate=2007-04-13}}</ref> in Bangladesh—the ''Short and Independent Film Festival, Bangladesh''—takes place every year at the National Public Library premises. The organizers of the film festival, the [[Bangladesh Short Film Forum]], have their offices in Aziz Market.
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| − |
| |
| − | In 2001, a suicide bomber killed ten people and injured fifty others during the Pohela Baishakh festivals. The [[Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami]], an Islamic militant group, allegedly carried out the terrorist act.<ref>{{cite news
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| − | | last = Court Correspondent
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| − | | title = Mufti Hannan placed on fresh remand
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| − | | publisher = Daily Star
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| − | | date = 2006-10-07
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| − | | url = http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/07/d61007012214.htm
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| − | | accessdate = 2006-11-17}}</ref>
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| − |
| |
| − | ==See Also==
| |
| − | * [[Dhaka]]
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| − | * [[Bangladesh War of Independence]]
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| − | * [[A.K. Fazlul Huq]]
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| − | * [[Bangladesh]]
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| − | * [[Partition of Bengal (1905)]]
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| − |
| |
| − | == Notes ==
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| − | {{reflist|2}}
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| − |
| |
| − | ==References==
| |
| − | <div class="references-small">
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Ahmed| first =Sharif Uddin| title =Dacca: A Study in Urban History and Development| publisher =Riverdale Co Pub| date =1986| location =London|id = ISBN 0913215147}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|last=Ahmed|first=Sharif Uddin|title=Dhaka: Itihasa o Nagarjiban: 1840–1921| publisher =Ekāḍemika Presa eṇḍa Pābaliśārsa|date =2001| location =Ḍhākā|id = ISBN 9789840801626}}
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| − | *Old files and documents preserved at Ahsan Manzil Museum and Nawab State's Office
| |
| − | *Ahsanullah, Nawab, Personal Diary (Urdu) preserved at Ahsan Manzil.
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| − | *{{cite book|last=Dani|first=Ahmad Hasan|year=1962|location =Dhaka|publisher =Crescent Book Centre|title=Dacca: A Record of its Changing Fortunes (revised ed)|id = OCLC 5168488}}
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| − | *{{cite book| last =Geddes| first =Patrick|title =Report on Town Planning-Dacca| publisher =Bengal Secretariat Book Depot| date =1911| location =Calcutta|id = OCLC 30658945}}
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| − | *{{cite book|last=Haider|first=Azimusshan|year=1966|title=A City and its Civic Body|publisher=Dacca Municipality|location=Dhaka|id = OCLC 77584510}}
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| − | *{{cite book|last=Haider|first=Azimusshan|year=1967|title=Dacca: History and Romance in Place Names|publisher=Dacca Municipality|location=Dhaka|id= OCLC 474494}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Hardinge of Penshurst| first =Lord Charles| title =My Indian Years: 1910–1916| publisher =John Murray| date =1948| location =London| id = [[ASIN]] B0007IW7V0}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Hasan|first =Sayid Aulad|title =Notes on the Antiquities of Dacca| publisher =University Press Limited| date =1912| location =Dacca|id = [[ASIN]] B0000CQXW3}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|last=Islam|first=Nazrul|title=Dhaka: From city to megacity (Perspectives on people, places, planning, and development issues): Bangladesh urban studies series No. 1|publisher=Urban Studies Programme, Department of Geography, University of Dhaka|year=1996|id = ISBN 984 510 004 X}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Mamoon| first =Muntasir| title =Dhaka: Smrti Bismrtir Nagari| publisher =Ananya Publishers| date =2004| location =Dhaka| id = ISBN 9844121043}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|last=Maniruzzaman|first=KM|title=Dhaka City: A sketch of its development|id=[[ASIN]] B000720FH0}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Rabbani| first =Golam| title =Dhaka: from Mughal Outpost to Metropolis| publisher =University Press Limited| date =1997| location =Dhaka| id = ISBN 9840513745}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book| last =Taifoor| first =Syed Muhammed| title =Glimpses of Old Dhaka| publisher =SM Perwez| date =1952| location =Dacca| id = [[ASIN]] B0007K0SFK}}
| |
| − | *{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=James|title=A Sketch of the Topography and Statistics of Dacca|location=Calcutta|year=1840|publisher=G. H. Huttman, Military Orphan Press| id = OCLC 250332935}}
| |
| − | *{{cite web| title = Dhaka City under the Mughals| publisher = Dhaka City Corporation| url = http://www.dhakacity.org/his_under_mughal.html| accessdate = April 5, 2007}}
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| − | *{{cite news |first= Mubin S.|last=Khan |title=Eight days that shook the campus |url=http://www.weeklyholiday.net/020802/last.html |work=Weekly Holiday, Bangladesh|date= August 2, 2002|accessdate= Septeber 9, 2008}}
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| − | </div>
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| − |
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | <!--{{sisterlinks|Shahbag}}—>
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| − | * [http://www.anandamayi.org/ Anandamoyi Ma Website]. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
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| − | * [http://www.banglapedia.net/HT/S_0261.HTM Shahbag at Banglapedia]. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
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| − | * [http://www3.flickr.com/photos/tags/shahbag/ Flickr pictures of Shahbag]. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
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| − | {{coor title dm|23|44.3|N|90|23.75|E|region:BN_type:city}}
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| − |
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| − | <!--{{featured article}}—>
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| − | [[Category:History]]
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| − | [[Category:History of Asia]]
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| − | [[Category:Geography]]
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| − | {{credits|234085466}}
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