Dhaka

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Bayt ul-Mukarram mosque and shopping mall, Dhaka, Bangladesh.—Frederic Ohringer—Nancy Palmer Agency/EB Inc.

City (pop., 2001 prelim.: city, 5,644,235; metro. area, 10,403,597), capital of Bangladesh. It can be traced to the 1st millennium AD, but it did not rise to prominence until the 17th century, when it served as the Mughal capital of Bengal province. It came under British control in 1765 and was the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam province (1905–12). The capital of East Bengal province in 1947 and of East Pakistan in 1956, it suffered heavy damage during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Together with its port, Dhaka is the country's leading industrial centre. Its historic buildings include temples, churches, and more than 700 mosques, some of which date to the 15th century.

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