Dhaka Gate

Dhaka Gate, Mir Jumla Gate or Ramna Gate, with time this gate was known with different names. There is a debate among historians & archaeologists about when & why this gate was built. Archaeologists believe that, it was built during the Mughal period. Mir Jumla, who was the Subedar (administrator in charge of provinces of the Mughal Empire) built Dhaka gate between the years 1660 and 1663 to mark the northern boundaries of the city, to protect people from Mug bandits.

Over the centuries, under different regimes this gate was transformed and named differently. In 1825, British Magistrate Charles Dawes rebuilt it and named it Ramna Gate. This gate was also damaged during the military rule in East Pakistan.

Because of the negligence of long time, Dhaka gate was gradually losing its beauty, at the same time it’s existence. Recently DSCC took an initiative to bring back the structure in new form. They have also placed Mir Jumla’s cannon over here which is originally known as Bibi Mariam cannon. This 64,815 pound heavy cannon was first installed in the Sowari Ghat area in front of Bara Katara.

In 1840, Magistrate Walters placed it in the Chawkbazar. In 1957, this cannon was shifted to Gulistan under the supervision of GA Madani, chairman of Dhaka Improvement Trust. The cannon was shifted to Osmani Udyan in 1983. Because of the insufficient security, some of the parts of the cannon was stolen at that time. Lastly, this cannon has been installed to the newly renovated Dhaka Gate.

Dhaka is the city of enriched history & heritage. Let’s keep our heritage alive making Dhaka a tourist friendly city.