Kamrangirchar Thana কামরাঙ্গীরচর থানা | |
|---|---|
 Expandable map of vicinity of Kamrangirchar Thana | |
  Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Dhaka Show map of Dhaka Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Dhaka Division Show map of Dhaka division Kamrangirchar Thana Location of Kamrangirchar Thana within Bangladesh Show map of Bangladesh | |
| Coordinates:23°43′05″N90°22′04″E / 23.71799°N 90.36780°E /23.71799; 90.36780 | |
| 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 (Bengali:কামরাঙ্গীরচর,lit. 'shoal of Kamrangi') is athana (police precinct) inOld Dhaka, Bangladesh. The thana is under the jurisdiction ofDhaka South City Corporation wards 55, 56, and 57.
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 abusiness district is underway.
Kamrangirchar is bounded byHazaribagh Thana andLalbagh Thana on the north,Lalbagh Thana andChawkbazar Thana on the east andKeraniganj Upazila on the south and west. Its total area is 3.63 km2 (1.40 sq mi).[5]
The 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 theBuriganga.[6][7] He also suggests that British surveyors named the area after seeing Kamrangachilli peppers being cultivated there.[7] Another legend proposes that the name evolved fromKamaner Char (lit. 'shoal of the cannon'), referring to a Mughal-eracannon.[6]
Sources suggest that Kamrangirchar may have first been settled in the 17th century. In 1912, the government acquired the land fromBhawal 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 toLalbagh 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 ofDhaka South City Corporation, following the dissolution of Sultanganj Union.[8][6][9]
In November 2021, mayor of Dhaka SouthSheikh 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]
According to2011 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 wasMuslim 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 ofslums in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area was in Kamrangirchar, and reported that of theapprox. 300,000 people living there, 265,000 are slum dwellers.[14]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
