Dhaka became the capital of Bangladesh when the country won its independence
from West Pakistan in 1971. A historic city, it was for 100 years from 1575
the capital of Bengal under the Mogul emperors until the rise of Calcutta.
Again, under British rule it was the capital of East Bengal in the early
years of the 20th Century.
Several buildings in the city date from the 16th/17th Centuries, including
the Lal Bagh Fort and various mosques. More impressive modern buildings date
from the British period, including the supreme court and older parts of the
university, but the most spectacular developments have taken place since Dhaka
became the capital of Bangladesh. The new parliament buildings and the very
large railway station are ultra-modern concepts.
Keen to provide education to the best standards the City's University of Dacca
was joined in 1961 by the University of Science and Technology.
Because Bangladesh effectively comprises the huge drainage basin of the Ganges,
Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers flowing down from the Himalayas, the country
is a floodplain where a river can rise six metres in one rainstorm. Additionally
the Bay of Bengal is notorious for its cyclones, so the people are faced with
tyrannical weather from land and sea.
Despite the outward signs of civic grandeur Dhaka is beset by poverty and
the hazards of flooding. The bicycle rickshaw is the most popular form of transport,
not least because of its reliability when streets are inundated.
Infants are not provided with a seat. If your baby is more than 6 months old, you may book a seat for him/her listing him/her as a “child”. More information is available at carriage of infants.
