Motijheel Thana

Etymology

The name Motijheel is a combination of two Bengali words, bn (), which means pearl; and bn (), meaning lake. Hence, the name Motijheel literally means "Lake of Pearls".

There are two theories regarding the origin of its name. One theory suggests that during Mughal rule, a pond existed within the estate of the Mughal official Mirza Mohammad Mukim, whose daughter is said to have thrown her jewellery into it, giving rise to the name Motijheel. Another theory attributes the name to a canal that once flowed nearby, influencing the area's name.

History

During the Bengal Sultanate, a Sufi preacher named Shah Jalal Dakhini lived in the area. His tomb is located within the Bangabhaban premises. Under Mughal rule, the area was known as the abode of Mirza Muhammad Mukim. The area was historically known as Dilkusha. It was the site of the Dilkusha, Dhaka Gardens, a property of the Nawab of Dhaka. Armenians also lived in the area. The area became home to an official residence of the governor of Bengal and the viceroy of India. It later became the seat of the Governor of East Pakistan. The president of Bangladesh resides at the Bangabhaban in Motijheel. The presidential palace is surrounded by the Bangabhaban Gardens (formerly the Nawab's Gardens, Dilkusha, Dhaka).

After the partition of India, Motijheel became the CBD of Dhaka during the 1950s and 1960s. The city's Notre Dame College was relocated to its present campus in Motijheel in 1954; and includes many prestigious alumni. The clocktower of the Dhaka Improvement Trust building was the tallest structure in East Pakistan. The Purbani Hotel opened in the 1960s. In the 1980s and early 1990s, several tall buildings were built in Motijheel. They are mainly the headquarters of Bangladeshi state-owned banks. For many years, the Bangladesh Bank Building located in Motijheel was the tallest building in Bangladesh. City Centre Dhaka of Motijheel is the current tallest building in Bangladesh and has been since 2012. In recent years, the emergence of a plethora of new CBDs in other parts of Dhaka has led to a neglect of Motijheel.

Geography

Motijheel forms part of downtown Dhaka. It is situated between Old Dhaka to its south and Ramna, Paltan and Segunbagicha to its north. Motijheel lies directly adjacent to Paltan and Segunbagicha. The Ramna area was the colonial part of Dhaka which developed in the early 20th century. Motijheel, which was once the property of the nawab of Dhaka, was a garden situated between Ramna and Old Dhaka. Motijheel Thana covers an area of 3.69 sqkm. It is bounded by thana of Rampura to the north, Khilgaon Thana to the north and east, Sutrapur Thana to the south, Sabujbagh Thana to the east, Ramna Model Thana to the northwest, and Paltan to the west.

Demographics

According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, Motijheel Thana had 22,441 households and a population of 83,588. 5.42% of the population were under 5 years of age. Motijheel had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 90.16%: 91.79% for males and 87.21% for females, and a sex ratio of 173.80 males for every 100 females.

According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Motijheel Thana has a population of 210,006 with an average household size of 4.5 members and an average literacy rate of 80.4% against the national average of 51.8%.

Economy

The following companies have their head offices located in Motijheel.

State owned companies

• Janata Bank
• Sonali Bank
• Agrani Bank
• Pubali Bank
• Rupali Bank
• Bangladesh Development Bank
• Bangladesh Krishi Bank
• Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation
• Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation
• Army Welfare Trust
• Jiban Bima Corporation
• Sadharan Bima Corporation

Private sector companies

• Dutch Bangla Bank
• Eastern Bank PLC. (Bangladesh)
• Mercantile Bank (Bangladesh)
• IFIC Bank
• Social Islami Bank Limited
• Fareast Islami Life Insurance Company Limited
• NCC Bank
• BASIC Bank Limited
• Islami Bank
• Southeast Bank
• Orion Group
• Beacon Pharmaceuticals
• MetLife

[[Chamber of commerce|Chambers of commerce]]

• Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka
• Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI)

Education

Notre Dame College, Dhaka and Notre Dame University Bangladesh are located in Motijheel Thana. The main branch of Ideal School & College and Motijheel Model School & College are also located in Motijheel. T & T High School and the Ideal Government Primary School are also in Motijheel. Other schools and colleges in the thana include Bangladesh Bank High School, Post Office High School, Motijheel Government Girls' High School, Motijheel Government Boys' High School, Shantibagh High School, Shahjahanpur Railway School, Miraj Abbas Degree College, and Abujar Ghifari College.

References

References

1. (November 2023). "National Report". [[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]].
2. "Geographic coordinates of Dhaka, Bangladesh".
3. (19 October 2024). "Bangladesh Postal Code". 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.
4. (18 October 2024). "Bangladesh Area Code". Chahaoba.
5. {{Cite Banglapedia
6. (15 February 2023). "Top Notch Commercial Hubs In Dhaka".
7. "At a Glance: Busiest Commercial Areas in Dhaka". United News of Bangladesh.
8. "Dutch-Bangla Bank".
9. "Main Branch".
10. "IFIC Bank PLC".
11. {{Cite Banglapedia
12. Haider, M. H.. (13 October 2024). "How did Motijheel get its name?".
13. (June 2024). "Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Dhaka". [[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]].
14. [[Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics]]. (2011). "Population & Housing Census". Bangladesh Government.
15. "Contact Us".
16. "Contact Us".
17. "DCCI :: Contact us".
18. "FBCCI".