Kamrangirchar (Bengali: কামরাঙ্গীরচর, lit. 'shoal of Kamrangi') is a thana (police precinct) in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. The thana is under the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation wards 55, 56, and 57.
Kamrangirchar Thana
কামরাঙ্গীরচর থানা | |
|---|---|
 Expandable map of vicinity of Kamrangirchar Thana | |
  Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Dhaka  Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Dhaka Division  Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Bangladesh | |
| Coordinates: 23°43′05″N 90°22′04″E / 23.71799°N 90.36780°E | |
| Country |  Bangladesh |
| Division | Dhaka Division |
| District | Dhaka District |
| Established as a thana | 1998 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.63 km2 (1.40 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 372,287 |
| • Density | 25,785/km2 (66,780/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
| Postal code | 1211[3] |
| Area code | 02[4] |
Kamrangirchar was a disconnected landmass until 1991. The thana was established in 1998 and incorporated into the city corporation in 2013. A long-term plan to transform the area into a business district is underway.
Geography
editKamrangirchar is bounded by Hazaribagh Thana and Lalbagh Thana on the north, Lalbagh Thana and Chawkbazar Thana on the east and Keraniganj Upazila on the south and west. Its total area is 3.63 km2 (1.40 sq mi).[5]
History
editThe exact origin of the name Kamrangirchar is uncertain. According to historian Nazir Hossain, the area was named after a beautiful woman named Kamrangi, who drowned while crossing the Buriganga.[6][7] He also suggests that British surveyors named the area after seeing Kamranga chilli peppers being cultivated there.[7] Another legend proposes that the name evolved from Kamaner Char (lit. 'shoal of the cannon'), referring to a Mughal-era cannon.[6]
Sources suggest that Kamrangirchar may have first been settled in the 17th century. In 1912, the government acquired the land from Bhawal Raja, who owned most of it. Until 1991, Kamrangirchar was an island in the Buriganga, completely disconnected from the main landmass of Dhaka, when it was first connected to Lalbagh through the construction of the 'Hakkul Ebad Iron Bridge'.[6]
In 1998, Kamrangirchar Thana was formed consisting parts of Lalbagh Thana.[5] In 2013, Kamrangirchar was brought under the jurisdiction of wards 55, 56, and 57 of Dhaka South City Corporation, following the dissolution of Sultanganj Union.[8][6][9]
In November 2021, mayor of Dhaka South Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh announced long-term plans to build a modern central business district in Kamrangirchar.[10] In March 2024, residents held a rally protesting the plan, which would require acquisition of 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) and eviction of almost two million people.[11]
Demographics
editAccording to 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Kamrangirchar Thana has a population of 93,601 with average household size of 4.3 members, and an average literacy rate of 57.6% vs national average of 51.8% literacy.[12]
The religious breakdown was Muslim 99.46% (93,095), Hindu 0.52% (491), Christian 0.01% (11), Buddhist 0.00% (4), and others 0.00% (00).
A 2006 survey of slums in Bangladesh found that the single largest concentration of slums in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area was in Kamrangirchar, and reported that of the approx. 300,000 people living there, 265,000 are slum dwellers.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Geographic coordinates of Dhaka, Bangladesh". DATEANDTIME.INFO. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 386. ISBN 978-9844752016.
- ^ "Bangladesh Postal Code". Dhaka: Bangladesh Postal Department under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Bangladesh Area Code". China: Chahaoba.com. 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b Molla, Md Tuhin (2012). "Kamrangirchar Thana". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Alim-uz-zaman, Kazi (30 May 2017). অনিন্দ্যসুন্দরী কামরাঙ্গী থেকে কামরাঙ্গীরচর [From the beautiful Kamrangi to Kamrangirchar]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b Hossain, Nazir (April 1995). Kiṃbadantira Ḍhākā কিংবদন্তির ঢাকা [Dhaka in Legends] (in Bengali) (3rd ed.). Dhaka: Three Star Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited. pp. 414–417. LCCN 95905768. OCLC 33970022.
- ^ সুলতানগঞ্জকে ৫৭ নম্বর ওয়ার্ডে অন্তর্ভুক্ত করে গেজেট [Gazette includes Sultanganj in ward number 57]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2 June 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ কামরাঙ্গীরচর এলাকা যেন তোরণ-পোস্টারপাড়া [Kamrangirchar a neighbourhood of posters]. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 3 February 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Kamrangirchar to get central business district". The Daily Star. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Kamrangirchar locals protest land acquisition for CBD project". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 12 March 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Dhaka" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Community Tables: Dhaka district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. 2011.
- ^ Slums of Urban Bangladesh : Mapping and Census, 2005 (PDF). Dhaka: Centre for Urban Studies, National Institute of Population Research and Training, MEASURE Evaluation. May 2006.