Sher-e-Bangla Nagar শেরেবাংলা নগর | |
---|---|
![]() National Parliament Building is the most prominent landmark at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar | |
![]() Expandable map of vicinity of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana | |
Coordinates:23°46′12″N90°22′35″E / 23.76994°N 90.3763°E /23.76994; 90.3763 | |
Country | ![]() |
Division | Dhaka Division |
District | Dhaka District |
Established as a thana | 2009 |
Area | |
• Total | 4.45 km2 (1.72 sq mi) |
Elevation | 23 m (75 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 159,673 |
• Density | 26,204/km2 (67,870/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+6 (BST) |
Postal code | 1207 |
Area code | 02[3] |
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar (Bengali:শেরেবাংলা নগর;lit.City of the Lion of Bengal) is a neighborhood and athana ofDhaka, the capital ofBangladesh.[4] It is also known as the 'capitol within the capital' due to it being the home to theNational Parliament andGanabhaban. The area was named afterA. K. Fazlul Huq, a Bangladeshi statesman and political figure who was known as "Sher-e-Bangla" (Tiger of Bengal). Thethana was formed in 2009 from parts ofTejgaon,Kafrul andMohammadpur thanas.[5] Sher-e-Bangla Nagar is a commercial and central neighborhood in the city, home to offices of government and public institutions, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions and shops.
The history of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar can be traced back to before theindependence of Bangladesh. Designed byLouis I. Kahn, the complex inDhaka was designed to make a significant impact locally and internationally and to represent the strong presence of the central government of what was then Pakistan. 11 kilometres (7 mi) from the city center, the project originally consisted of the National Assembly building and three hostels (that is, temporary accommodations for officials and delegates coming fromWest Pakistan when parliament was in session). One hostel was for ministers, one for secretaries, and one for the delegates to the National Assembly. The assembly and hostels were grouped together and called the "Citadel of the Assembly."[citation needed]
An early version shows some civic functions, called by the architect the "Citadel of the Institutions," grouped opposite the assembly. None of its constituents was ever built and, in 1971, it was replaced by the National Secretariat of Bangladesh. After 1975, the nation became more stable, and the project was revived. The capítol complex was again seen as a symbol; this time of the new government's stability and accomplishments.[6]
According to2011 Census of Bangladesh, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana has a population of 137,573 with average household size of 4.6 members, and an average literacy rate of 78.2% vs national average of 51.8% literacy.[7]
The Ministry of Defense and Election Commission of Bangladesh are in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Furthermore,Asian Development Bank Bangladesh Resident Mission[8] is across from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).[9] Sher-e-Bangla Nagar houses the Department of Immigration and Passports, an attached department under the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.[10]TheNational Parliament is located here which is one of the country's prominent aesthetic architectural structures designed by American architectLouis I. Kahn. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and Sher-e-Bangla nagar Telephone Exchange Dhaka are here as well.Islamic Development Bank Bangladesh branch is right beside BCS Computer City. TheBangladesh–China Friendship Conference Center,[11] is one of the largest international convention centres in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh-China Friendship Center was built in 2002 at a cost of approximately ৳300 crore (US$56 million) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.[12]
TheSher-e-Bangla Agricultural University is located in Sher-e-Bangla.Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College is near the Ministry of Defense. Some well-known schools includingGonobhaban Government High School,Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Boys' High School,St. Joseph Higher Secondary School are also housed in Sher-e-Bangla.