Original Shaheed MinarShaheed Minar monument built in memory of the mother language martyrs, who were killed on 21 February 1952 during the language movement. A memorial to the martyrs was built immediately after the killings, on 23 February 1952. The planning, selection of the site and the construction work of the memorial were done on the initiative of the students of Dhaka Medical College. The small structure of the first memorial, on a base 101/2 feet high and 6 feet wide, was constructed at the spot where the shootings had taken place: the south-eastern corner of the present Shaheed Minar premises. Immediately after construction, a plate with the words ' Shahid Smrtistambha' (monument in the memory of the martyrs) was affixed to the monument.The memorial became a focal point for the city dwellers and became the symbol of protests. People thronged there in groups. The memorial was formally inaugurated by abul kalam shamsuddin, the then editor of the daily azad, on the morning of 26 February. Police cordoned the Medical College hostel that afternoon and demolished the monument. Although the monument was demolished, the Pakistani ruling coterie could not efface the memory of the martyrs. Innumerable small memorials on the same model were built all over the country, specially in the educational institutions. In 1953 the students and youth community of the country observed 21 February as 'Shaheed Dibas' (martyrs' day). A replica of the memorial in red paper was installed in 1953 in the yard of the Medical College Hostel at the spot where the first memorial had been built. It was covered with a black cloth. From that symbolic Shaheed Minar, students launched their prabhat pheri (mourning procession) on 21 February for the first time that year. The following year (1954) as well the students observed Shaheed Day in a similar manner. The United Front Government assumed power on 3 April 1954.
In the Session of 9 May the government announced that, according to their commitment in the 21-point programme, the Shaheed Minar would be built. 21 February was declared as Shaheed Day and also as a public holiday. However, the United Front Government could not execute its decision as it was ousted from power on 30 May the same year. The foundation stone of the Shaheed Minar was laid for the second time on 21 February 1956 by Abu Hossain Sarkar, the then Chief Minister of East Pakistan, along with Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani and Hasina Begum, mother of Abul Barkat, the language martyr. Simultaneously, 21 February was formally declared Shaheed Day and also a public holiday.In 1957, with an Awami League government in power in East Pakistan, the construction work of the Shaheed Minar commenced in the yard of the Medical College Hostel. hamidur rahman had designed a massive Shaheed Minar complex on a large tract of land. In the design there was a half-circular column as a symbol of the mother and her martyred sons standing on the dais in the main part of the monument. Many yellow and deep blue pieces of glass were to be imbedded in the column as symbols of eyes from which the rays of the sun would be reflected. Besides these, there was to be a railing adorned with the Bangla alphabet in front of the monument complex and also two footprints, one red and one black, symbolising the two opposing forces. The design also included a museum, a library and a series of mural paintings. At one end there was supposed to be an eye-shaped fountain with a high undulating platform.Based on this design, the construction work was started in November 1957. Hamidur Rahman, assisted by Novera Ahmed, supervised the construction. During this time the basement, platform and some of the columns were completed. The rails, footprints, some of the murals as well as three sculptures by Novera Ahmed were also finished. However, marital law was promulgated in 1958 and the construction was stopped. Despite this, people continued to visit the Shaheed Minar to place floral wreaths and hold meetings. A committee formed in 1962 under the order of Azam Khan, the then Governor of East Pakistan, and headed by the Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, suggested extensive changes in the original design of the Shaheed Minar. Accordingly, the design was changed and the construction of the Shaheed Minar was summarily completed. It was inaugurated on 21 February 1963 by Hasina Begum, the mother of Barkat. Though reduced and curtailed, the Shaheed Minar became the symbol of the spirit of the Language Movement in the mind of the people. During the war of liberation in 1971, the Pakistani army again demolished the Minar and placed a signboard there with the word 'Mosque' written on it. The mosque was not built, and in 1972, in an independent Bangladesh, initiatives were taken to construct the Shaheed Minar anew. This time also the construction was hastily completed according to the abridged design of 1963. In 1976 a new design was approved, but it was not implemented. Subsequently in 1983, the Shaheed Minar was expanded to its present dimensions.The Shaheed Minar, with all its architectural and sculptural imperfections, still stands as a symbol of the linguistic and nationalistic struggle of Bangladeshis.
Bangladesh is divided into six administrative divisions,each named after their respective divisional headquarters: Barisal,Chittagong, Dhaka , Khulna , Rajshahi, and Sylhet.Divisions are subdivided into districts (zila). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh, each further subdivided into upazila (subdistricts) or thana ("police stations"). The area within each police station, except for those in metropolitan areas, is divided into several unions, with each union consisting of multiple villages. In the metropolitan areas, police stations are divided into wards, which are further divided into mahallas. There are no elected officials at the divisional, district or upazila levels, and the administration is composed only of government officials. Direct elections are held for each union (or ward), electing a chairperson and a number of members. In 1997, a parliamentary act was passed to reserve three seats (out of twelve) in every union for female candidates.Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. Other major cities include Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Barisal.These metropolitan cities have mayoral elections, while other municipalities elect a chairperson. Mayors and chairpersons are elected for a span of five years.
The major religion practiced in Bangladesh is Islam (89.7%) and a sizable minority adheres to Hinduism (9.2%). About 96% of the Muslims are Sunni while over 3% are Shi'a and remainders are Ahmadis. Ethnic Biharis are predominantly Shia Muslims. Other religious groups include Buddhists (0.7%, mostly Theravada), Christians (0.3%, mostly of the Roman Catholic denomination), and Animists (0.1%). Among Muslim-majority countries, Bangladesh ranks fourth after Indonesia, Pakistan and India by the number of Muslims, with over 130 million. Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh, but other religion may also be practiced in harmony. Religion practiced in the region, is fairly moderate in terms of Islam in politics and fairly high in family matters mainly concerned with marriage etc.After gaining independence, the constitution had a secular nationalist ideology created by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the principle of secularism was subsequently replaced by a commitment to the Islamic way of life through a series of constitutional amendments and government proclamations between 1977 and 1988. The Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion but provides for the right to practice--subject to law, public order, and morality--the religion of one's choice. 
Nakshi katha
Jamuna Bridge 
The Dhaka municipality was founded on August 1, 1864 and upgraded to "corporation" status in 1978. The Dhaka City Corporation is a self-governing corporation which runs the affairs of the city. The incorporated area is divided into several wards, which have elected commissioners. The mayor of the city is elected by popular vote every five years, and the post is presently held by Sadeque Hossain Khoka.The Dhaka Education Board is responsible for administering all public schools and most private schools with the exception of English-medium schools and madrassahs. All madrassahs in Bangladesh are governed by a central board while English-medium schools are under separate educational and governance structures.Dhaka suffers from a chronically high crime rate and frequent incidences of political and religious violence. An undermanned and ill-equipped police force has caused governments to occasionally deploy the Bangladesh Army and paramilitary forces in major efforts to curb crime. Aside from Chittagong, Dhaka is the only city in the country with a water-borne sewage system, but this serves only 25% of the population while another 30% are served with septic tanks. Only two-thirds of households in Dhaka are served by the city water supply system. More than 9.7 million tonnes of solid wastes are produced in Dhaka city each year. While private and government efforts have succeeded in collecting garbage city-wide and using it as manure, most solid wastes are often dumped untreated in nearby low-lying areas and water bodies. Dhaka has one of the highest rates of death from infectious disease of any city in Asia.The city is divided into 10 parliamentary constituencies. The two main political parties are the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Ramna contains the Secretariat, which houses most of the government ministries. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the Dhaka High Court are located in the city. The Bangabhaban palace has served as the official residence of the Viceroy of India, the governor of East Pakistan and presently the President of Bangladesh. The Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, designed by renowned architect Louis Kahn,[26] houses the unicameral national parliament. The Baitul Mukarram, developed with a design resembling the Kaaba of Mecca, is the national mosque. Other historical monuments in the city include the Bara Katra palace, the Lalbagh Fort, the Hoseni Dalan and the Ahsan Manzil.
D.C.C Building
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, has a population of 11 million, making it the largest city in Bangladesh. With its colourful history, Dhaka is known as the 'City of Mosques' and for its famous fine Muslin cloth which has a great ethnic value.Under Mughal rule, in the early seventeenth century, the city was started to build. On July 16, 1608, Mugal Subedar or Governor Islam Khan declared it the capital of Bangla or Bengal or Bangala. The city was also known as Jahangir Nagar after the name of the Empire Jahangir, and was a centre of the world-wide muslin trade. The modern city, however, was developed chiefly under British rule in the 19th century, and soon became the second-largest city in Bengal after Calcutta (presently Kolkata). With the partition of India in 1947, Dhaka became the administrative capital of East Pakistan, and later, in 1972, the capital of an independent Bangladesh. During the intervening period, the city witnessed widespread turmoil; this included many impositions of martial law, the declaration of Bangladesh's independence, military suppression, devastation during war, and natural calamities.Modern Dhaka is the centre of political, cultural and economic life in Bangladesh. It has both the highest literacy rate - 62.3%,and the most diverse economy amongst Bangladeshi cities. Although its urban infrastructure is the most developed in the country, it is nonetheless a fighting metropolitan city with challenges such as pollution, congestion, and lack of adequate services due to the rising population. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen modernisation of transport, communications and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation. To fight rising traffic congestion and population rise in the capital city, the national government has implemented a policy for rapid urbanisation of surrounding areas and beyond by recent introduction of ten year tax on income holiday for new construction of all types of facilities and buildings outside Dhaka.
Bangladesh is located in the low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta. This delta is formed by the confluence of the Ganges (local name Padma or Pôdda), Brahmaputra (Jamuna or Jomuna), and Meghna rivers and their respective tributaries. The Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal. The alluvial soil deposited by these rivers has created some of the most fertile plains in the world. Bangladesh has 58 trans-boundary rivers, making water issues politically complicated to resolve - in most cases as the lower riparian state to India.[37] Most parts of Bangladesh are less than 12 metres (39 ft) above the sea level, and it is believed that about 50% of the land would be flooded if the sea level were to rise by a metre (3 ft).
Magpie Robin, a very common bird in Bangladesh - locally known as Doyel or Doel (Bengali), is designated as the National Bird of the country.
