By Halim Mohammad (Dhaka Bureau)
From the Mughal-era Jahangirnagar to today’s sprawling megacity of over 20 million people, Dhaka- nestled along the banks of the Buriganga- has reinvented itself many times over its four-hundred-year history. Yet, beneath this epic transformation lies the gradual burial of the city’s roots, cultural heritage, and centuries-old architecture. Driven by uncontrolled population growth, unplanned urbanization, and administrative neglect, the natural rhythm of life and the collective cultural memory of this historic city are at risk of disappearing.
Viewed through the global lens of human rights, the right to a healthy urban life, and the preservation of heritage, local urban researchers, cultural activists, and citizens are raising urgent concerns about Dhaka’s rapid deterioration.
Cultural Shift and Geographical Expansion
Once, the narrow lanes of Old Dhaka- Shakharibazar, Banglabazar, Sutrapur, Wari, and Gandaria- served as the cradle of literary and political thought. The historic Beauty Boarding was the primary gathering place for freedom-loving intellectuals and cultural icons. However, as the city expanded, the cultural epicenter shifted away from Old Dhaka to cluster around Shahbagh, the Shilpakala Academy, and the Dhaka university areas.
Bijoy Poddar, the current manager of Beauty Boarding, expressed his grief over this shift: ‘We remain where we always were; we haven’t changed a thing. We are holding onto the past. The shift toward Shahbagh or Bangla Motor reflects a change in mindset, not a change in our commitment.’
Vanishing Archeological Heritage and History
One of Dhaka’s defining historical landmarks, the ‘Dhaka Gate’ (also known as the Mir Jumla Gate), once fortified the city against invaders. Researchers point out that interventions from the British colonial era through modern restorations have altered its original color and design, disconnecting it from its authentic history.
Azim Bakhsh, director of ‘Dhaka Center’- a private initiative dedicated to preserving artifacts- shared a telling instance: during the dismantling of the old iron bridge in Sutrapur, two historical cannons measuring 6 to 7 feet were unearthed. Though handed over to the police, their whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Through private collections of rare photographs, brick evolutions, and old artifacts, the center struggles to keep the city’s memory alive.
Urban researcher Hashem Sufi noted that during modern development efforts in 1907, the Curzon Hall area alone contained 250 to 350 brick structures, and the surrounding roads passed through historic royal tombs- all erased under the pressure of modern expansion.
A Suffocating Urban Environment
Organizations like ‘Kachi Kanchar Mela’ and ‘Mukul Fouj’ once played a vital role in the psychological and cultural development of children. Today, the loss of open fields, vanishing green spaces, and a tech-driven lifestyle have isolated the younger generation from that vibrant cultural foundation.
Cultural organizer Saifur Rahman Dulu observed that neighborhood-based theater and collective cultural tastes have undergone a drastic, fractured shift.
Reflecting on the daily strain of living in a crowded megacity, novelist Imdadul Haq Milan said: ‘Citizens suffer every day, stuck in traffic for hours unable to reach work or home on time. Dhaka has become a suffocating city where you can neither breathe freely nor see the sky. Yet, open space is essential for the flourish of art and culture.’
Civic Hopes and the Plea for Open Spaces
To alleviate the pressure on the capital, residents advocate for decentralizing public services across remote regions of Bangladesh. A reduction in population pressure would allow the city to breathe and enable proper restoration of its historical sites.
A city’s memory resides in its alleys, the crevices of old walls, and the echoes of progressive movements. As Dhaka advances into its megacity era, urban advocates and human rights observers stress that the four-century-old soul of the city must not be lost to development.
Halim Mohammad: Senior Journalist and Contributor, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
