- published: 09 Apr 2010
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Dhaka Division (Bengali: ঢাকা বিভাগ, Ḑhaka Bibhag) is an administrative division within Bangladesh. The capital and largest city is Dhaka. The division covers an area of 20,593.74 km², and has a population of 36,054,418 at the 2011 Census.
Dhaka Division is bounded by Mymensingh Division to the north, Barisal Division to the south, Chittagong Division on the south-east, Sylhet Division to the east, Rangpur Division to the north-west, and Rajshahi and Khulna Divisions to the west.
Dhaka Division, formerly Dacca Division of East Pakistan province, consists of two city corporations, 13 districts, 93 upazilas and 1,239 union parishads.
Census figures for 1991, 2001 and 2011 are from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Population Census Wing. The 2011 Census figures are based on preliminary results.
Dhaka (Bengali: ঢাকা, pronounced: [ˈd̪ʱaka]; English /dɑːkə/, /dækə/; formerly spelled as Dacca) is the capital of Bangladesh. It is the principal city of Dhaka District and Dhaka Division. Dhaka is one of world's most populated cities, with a population of about 7 million people. The Greater Dhaka Area covers a population of 17 million people. The historic quarter of Dhaka stands on the east bank of the Buriganga River. It is located in the central part of the Bengal delta. Bengali Muslims make up the majority of the population, followed by Bengali Hindu, Bengali Buddhist, Bengali Christian and Bahai Faith communities.
The city's name was Jahangir Nagar (City of Jahangir) in the 17th century. It was the Mughal capital of Bengal for 75 years; and flourished in trade and culture as a cosmopolitan commercial capital and the hub of the worldwide muslin and silk trade. The city hosted two major caravansaries of the subcontinent: the Bara Katra and Choto Katra, located on the riverfront of the Buriganga. The Mughals decorated the city with well-laid out gardens, tombs, mosques, palaces and forts. Dhaka became known as the City of Mosques in Bengal. It was also described as the Venice of the East. The old city was home to various Eurasian merchant groups. At the height of its medieval glory, Dhaka was regarded as one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world. It was central to the economy of Mughal Bengal, which generated 50% of Mughal GDP.