Some old Sketches and Pics of Dhaka City

Husainy Dalan & Muharram Procession: Above is the sketch of Main Imambara of Shia Muslim community erected by Syed Mir Murad during the Governorship of Shah Shuja. The original building may have been a small structure, expanded to its present form in later times. From the first to the tenth day of Muharram, the Husainy Dalan becomes the chief attraction of the city. Mourners, including Sunni Muslims, assemble there, listen to sermons and join in passion plays crying 'Ya Husain, Ya Husain'. On the ashura (tenth day), a great procession parades through the main streets of the city to a place in the western part of the city symbolically called ‘Karbala’. (pic: City Corp museum)

Artist's impression of gathering near Eid-gah, Dhanmondi

Demonstration by 'Gora Paltan' (British troops) at Dhaka in early 19th century

Armenian Church, built in 1781.

Dhakeswari Mandir - this original features changed due to repeated renovation

Mansion of JP Wise, an influential Zaminder and Indigo-planter, facing the Buriganga river. Presently it is the center of Bulbul Lalit Kala Kendra. Wiseghat of Dhaka has been named after him. There were two other British dignitaries known by the name ‘Wise’ - Dr. T. Wise, the Principal of Dhaka College and Dr. James Wise, Civil Surgeon of Dhaka.

Mitford Hospital: First native hospital of Dhaka built in 1803 from public fund with capacity for 40 patients. Robert Mitford, first British Collector of Dhaka, a bachelor himself, made a will to donate his property for development of this hospital. With further money added from Govt. the hospital was built in 1858 at the present site to accomodate about 100 beds. Construction of hospital was done by M/S Barn & Co.

Chawkbazar: Picture of 1908. An area about 200 yds square was the main business center of Dhaka, established by the Mughals, adjacent to the main fort (present site of Dhaka central jail). Murshid Quli Khan named it Badshahi Bazar.

Citizens waiting at Islampur road to welcome Sir Fuller, Lt. Governor of the province of East Bengal and Assam. (Pic: Fritz Kapp, 1905)

View of Lalbagh Qilla (Fort) early 20th century. Prince Azam, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, Governor of Bengal, originally started its construction in 1678 and named it Qilla Aurangabad. It remained incomplete. The barracks in the foreground built during British rule are quarters for Lalbagh police line.

Two sketches of Dhaka river front, late 19th century

Old huge tool with sharp edge made of special steel are used by the ‘Shankharis’ (Artisan working with conch shell) of 'Shankhari Bazar', for cutting Conch Shell (above pic) to make bangles etc.

Fishing in Basia pond

Combatting Cyclone Sidr

Living under the sky at Joypura, Mongla

Decomposed body of a Royal Bengal Tiger salvaged from sea near the Sundarbans

Remains of school building in Mirzaganj, Patuakhali

Mosque in ruin

Vacant look of loosing all in Patharghata

New efforts to build up, Dublarchar

Queue for drinking water in Southkhali, Bagerhat

Drinking water from a ditch at Pamarchar

Devastated Morelganj

Living on road in makeshift houses in Shoronkhola

People of Char Sakhina

Collapsed bridge at Kolapara, and waiting for air drop, Patuakhali

No where to go - Bhola

Starting a new life




Volunteers collecting donation for cyclone victims


Volunteers in Dhaka streets for collection

Appeal in Shahbagh

Bangladesh Defense Forces working round the clock for relief and rehabilitation

US Naval force joins with resources

US helicopter drops supplies

US and Bangladesh Army work together

Large contingent of Pakistan Army Medical team in Barisal

Bangladesh Army and US marine carry drinking water and food to affected areas

Checking damaged crops
(all pics taken from national dailies)

Hurricane 'Sidr' and Bangladesh

Pirojpur	Body lifted up by 15' tidal surge

Capsized launch in Passur river, Khulna

Mongla scene

Twisted power tower

Uprooted tree near P.G.Hospital, Dhaka

Computers of a demolished school building at Bagerhat

Collecting what is left of the belongings

The Sundarbans

Men and cows swept by tidal surge

Drowned cows, Bagerhat

Dublarchar

Struggling for survival

Waiting for help

In absence of mechanical equipments, service of elephant called for in Barisal district



Waiting for burial, Morelganj, Bagerhat
(pics: from National dailies)

Hurricane ‘Sidr’, with wind speed of over 220 km an hour caused havoc across Bangladesh shoreline at the Khulna-Barisal coast in the evening of Thursday 15th Nov 2007, cutting off all communications and utility services across the country, demolishing houses and crops. The cyclone caused the country's power system to collapse completely for a day, triggering a knock-on effect on piped water supplies, telecommunication and filling station operations. Lack of power disrupted television broadcast, phone lines, cell phones and Internet network.

Media reports say, over 3000 persons are found dead till today, death toll may be as high as 10,000 as said Chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and hundreds of trees still lying on the roads and fields give a picture of massive damage. It will take weeks to assess the actual death toll, financial loss and days to reach relief to people who are forced to live overnight under the open sky. Red Crescent deployed around 42,000 volunteers in the coastal areas.

The cyclone left its mark of devastation on 133 upazilas, 962 unions, affecting 31.44 lakh population, about 8.87 lakh families killing 2.42 lakh livestock and completely destroyed crops on 23,122 acre land, including 6 lakh metric tons of rice crops. According to the estimate, 2.73 lakh houses were totally flattened. The fierce cyclone totally damaged 58 km roads, partially damaging 1363 km.

3 ancient Mosques of Old Dhaka

Churihatta Masjid:
Churihatta (bangles bazaar), the area west of Chawkbazar was once famous for making colourful bangles throughout the subcontinent. The industry survived there till the middle of ‘50s. A historical mosque was built there during the period of Mughal Subahder Shah Shuja, second son of Emperor Shahjahan. It is said that for construction of this Mosque, Shah Shuja assigned the job to a Hindu official of Mughal court. Instead of building a mosque he built a temple-like structure and kept many deities inside. Once the matter became known Shah Shuja asked him remove the deities to clean the mosque. The mosque 20’ x 13’ in size had façade similar to a temple. The stone inscription of the Mosque, written in Arabic, was placed on the outside wall. Much later, during repair and expansion of the mosque, a stone with figure of Hindu God Basudev inscribed on it was found below the ground. The then British Magistrate JP.Rankin brought it to place near Collectorate building. The area is now too overcrowded and congested.

Saat Rauja:
During the period of Nawab Nushrat Jung, the west portion (Muhalla) of the old fort (now Dhaka central Jail) was known as 'Purab Darwaja' (east gate). There lived a saint named Shah Martuza popularly known as 'Shah Taj'. He wore only a loin cloth (lenguthi), but when Nawab Nushrat Jung came to visit him he would wrap himself with a ‘chaddar’. The people revered him. After his death, a mausoleum was built on his grave there and the area is known as ‘Saat Rouja’.

Babubazar Ghat Mosque:
The person behind this well built 3-domed mosque of 19th century was a wealthy Zaminder Amiruddin. It is said he came from Comilla and bought zamindary in Tripura. People knew him by the name Amiruddin Daroga, probably because he worked earlier in the police department and became wealthy and rich. The mosque he constructed is located adjacent to Buriganga second bridge, east of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital. It is better known as Ghat Masjid.

Making of a Bridge on Banani-Gulshan lake

Gulshan 2 - skyline


Earth dam and pile mast

Gulshan 2

Banani-Gulshan lake towards south

After a brief spell of autumn rain, rainbow decors Gulshan sky

Twilight



Silhouette- Gulshan Banani lake

Construction of the most needed 4- lane concrete bridge connecting Banani road No.11 and Gulshan road No. 41 is moving fast to ease the heavy traffic load of Banani-Gulshan (Kamal Ataturk and Gulshan Ave) area. (courtesy: Engr.Anwar ahmed)

City streets - Nov 07

Near old airport

Ramna

Curtain - island renovation in front of Sheraton hotel

Eastern Housing, Eskaton

Gulshan-2 market

Long queue for bus, Gulshan 2

Bus stand, Shahbagh

Hazardous crossing - vehicles defy red light at road intersection

Banglamotor

'Papon' (pop-corn) seller at Panthapath - Tk 10.00 per packet

'Kothbel' (wood apple) near PG hospital - driver for making hole to pour condiment inside

Karwanbazar

Near Balaka, New Market

Upside down van rides man

Black goat's last journey - for meat market at Karwanbazar

Road - free for all

Incinerators, Bangladesh Bank, Motijheel C/A

Moghbazar slum - black piece placed on line to crush under wheels of incoming train

3 crows

Water Works at Chandnighat, Dhaka

Water Works, Chandnighat 1890


Believed to be the remnants of Shahjada Azimusshan's palace at Posta (extinct during company period)

Masonry wells in river for drawing water to treatment plant at Chandnighat

Pre-settling tank

Purifier tank on right - Chawkbazar Masjid Minaret visible at distance


Reservoir water before passing to chlorination treatment


East view

West view - Lalbagh Shahi Masjid minaret visible at far end

Narrow alley near plant

Dhaka city dwellers remember with gratitude the name of Nawab Khawaja Abdul Ghani for his role in the creation of Water Works at Chandnighat to supply potable water in the city, most notable among his many philanthropic works. The work was started in 1874 with his contribution of over Tk. 2,00,000 and Lord Northbrook laid the foundation stone. In 1878, it became possible to supply drinking water in the town processed through hygienic filtration. Before this, people used water for consumption from river, canals and kutcha wells (paatkua) filled with filth and contaminated germs. Out-break of various diseases in epidemic year after year was common.

The plant established in 19th century now lies hidden amid unplanned jungle of buildings in old Dhaka between Lalbagh Fort and Chawkbazar. The road (water works road) passes through part of Posta, Rahmatganj, Kanshar-hatta, Chandnighat and Churi-hatta. The open space east of Water Works plant beside the riverbank where “Chandni”, the Royal boat of Mughal Subahder Islam Khan moored, is now a slum. Water of Buriganga river for the plant is drawn near this point.

This plant, with its subsequent improvement, supplies 39 million litres of filtered water daily which meets 1.8% of the total water supply of Dhaka. Tanneries and industrial units of Rayerbazar and Hazaribagh everyday pour millions of liters of untreated, highly toxic liquid wastes into the river. Buriganga water around Dhaka has become poisonous and looks pitch black with intolerable stench. It is hardly possible to treat polluted river water to make it fit for human consumption any more. Fortunately, 82% of potable water of Dhaka is drawn from underground source by over 400 production wells, but this source is drying up fast with the falling of underwater table.

Dhaka Bus and Social Negotiation: 01 Nov 2007

Dhaka city view - October 2007

River Buriganga

Mill barrack Godowns, Sutrapur - police/army barracks of British Raj

Biswa Sahittya Kendra Library on wheels, near Sitalakkhya river

View of old Dhaka from City Corp. building

Old dhaka buildings


Century old buildings, Shankharibazar

Babupura police station, near Patuatuli

Od dhaka building near Becharam Dewry

Dhaka rickshaw art

Katabon-Shahbagh road

Maghbazar intersection

View of old High Court gate, now entry to Masjid and Chistia Mazar

British Council building in the University area

Banani road

Airport road

Tongi Gazipur road

Karwanbazar rail crossing

TSC centre, Aparajeo Bangla, Dhaka University

Police Head office building on left

Dhaka north west view from City Corp. building, High court dome at centre

City Corp. building lawn, view from top

US Embassy building, Baridhara

3 pearls on the road

Lake Peelkhana

Children's park, Ramna

Kazi Nazrul Islam Ave.


Karwanbazar

Shahbagh

Apollo Hospital gate, International school, Baridhara

View of Kanthalbagan area

Twilight - central Dhaka

BATA signal intersection at night