Bailey Road, Dhaka

Last updated

Bailey Road
Natok Sarani
Residence of officials and ministers, Dhaka (2).jpg
Residence of officials and ministers
Native nameবেইলি রোড (Bengali)
Maintained by Dhaka South City Corporation
Location Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Postal code1217
West endHare Road, opposite to Ramna Park
Major
junctions
Shantinagar
East endBir Uttam Shamsul Alam Road
Other
Known forEducational institutions, government offices and hostels, shopping and eateries

Bailey Road is a well-known thoroughfare and an upscale area in Ramna, Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It is a classic road in Dhaka which runs through Shiddheswari, connecting Hare Road with Shantinagar junction. It is regarded as one of the busiest areas of the city, constructed during the colonial era, now serving both as a residential area for civil servants, high court judges as well as government offices and shopping malls and food courts. The Bailey Road is considered as two distinct roads, one after another, they are the new Bailey Road and the Bailey Road. The new Bailey Road is well recognised for its famous theatres, numerous boutiques, shops, schools, fast foods, restaurants and various hangout places. The old Bailey Road is reputable because of the officers club, Foreign Service academy and homes of ministers, officers and government officials. Bailey Road was featured in a song of the same name by Ayub Bachchu, lead singer of the popular rock band LRB. Bailey Road was officially renamed Natok Soroni (Theater Street), in recognition of the road's contributions to performing arts in the capital. [1]

Contents

History

Ramna was a forest-like area during British rule. Initially, Charles Dos, the magistrate of Dhaka was responsible for its development. He transformed that area into a race course and garden, which the high class and rich people of that time used to visit. In 1840 developed into a small town. Gradually people started building houses on the north side of Ramna. In 1859 surveyor general divided Ramna into two different parts, they are the Ramna plains and the race course. The government tried to modify the Ramna plains and turn it into the new capital city. He wanted to achieve this by building roads through 100 acres of greenland. Beside the roads were several great buildings made for the residence of higher officials such as the governor, justice, council members, secretaries and division heads. Coming back from the scenes of Mughal Empire, even today Ramna has remained as one of the most notable and sophisticated areas. Bailey Road which lies between Ramna is also one of the most prominent and prestigious roads in Dhaka. [2]

Bailey Road was named in honour of Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal from 1879 to 1882. However, in recognition of Bailey Road's importance to the theatre community of Dhaka, on 26 August 2005 the Mayor of Dhaka, Sadek Hosen Khoka, announced that the name of the road would change to Natok Soroni, meaning "Theater Road", in a ceremony that was attended by theater personalities including Sayed Ahmed, Liakat Ali Lucky, M Hamid, Ramendu Majumdar and Mamunur Rashid. [3]

Theater Street

Bailey Road has been centre of theatre practices as well as theatre performers. The stage productions of Dhaka's major drama companies are usually performed in Bailey Road. Over the years, its theatres have played host to some of the country's best actors and actresses. The two major theatres on the road that regularly host local and international theatre performances are:

Guide House Auditorium

Guide House Auditorium Guide House Auditorium.jpg
Guide House Auditorium

The Guide House was established in 1964 as the headquarters of the East Pakistan Branch of the Pakistan Girl Guides Association. The auditorium was built in 1982 to create a funding stream for what was by then the Bangladesh Girl Guides Association. In 2003–04 the auditorium underwent a structural upgrade with advice from eminent theatre personalities M Hamid, Jamaluddin and Nasiruddin Yusuf. [4]

Mahila Samity auditorium

Mahila Samiti Auditorium Bangladesh Mahila Samity, Dhaka.jpg
Mahila Samiti Auditorium

Mahila Samity auditorium is a centre for stage productions, located in the building of the Bangladesh Mahila Samiti. [5] Closed for renovations in 2011, it reopened in 2016. [6] [7]

Shopping and eateries

The street is also popular among Dhaka's residents for its quality bookshops, clothing boutiques (i.e. the Jamdani sari stores), and fast food shops.

Eateries

Bailey Road played an important role in popularising fast food culture in Dhaka in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Fast food shops such as Swiss and Euro Hut featured burgers, fries, fried chicken, etc. in their menus – at the time a novelty in Bangladesh. These eateries gained great popularity among urban youth, triggering later waves of fast-food retail across the entire city. The area now features fast food shops Palki, Bailey Garden Restaurant, Bamboo Castle, Oasis, New Dahlia's, Chicken King, La Vista, Hot Cake, Euro Hut, Golpea Burger, Golden Food, Boomers, Sausage, Bamboo Castle, Al-Baik, Sub zero, Euro-Hut, KFC, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It also features Pitha Ghar, a place for indigenous Bengali sweetmeat (known as Pitha) such as Prominent, Rosh, Capital confectionery, Chom Chom Sweetmeat and Swiss Bakery, one of the oldest confectioneries in Dhaka. Eateries in Bailey Road overall offer both desi and continental foods.

Shopping centres and Boutiques

Bailey Road is a prominent place for shopping. Traditional and local sarees and dresses are sold there. Major boutiques on Bailey Road include the handloom sari shops, like Tangali Sari Kutir and Jamdani Sari Kutir. Sarees such as jamdani, katan, muslin, cotton, and tangali are vastly sold each day. Bailey Road is that there are several shopping malls such as Bailey Star. Also, it has numerous brand stores like Celebration, Pride, Fit Elegance, Lubnan, Richman, Rex, Ecstasy, Moods, Shada Kalo, and many more. In 2006, Khaleda Zia, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, made gift of silk Jamdani saris from the former to Gursharan Kaur, wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Sonia Gandhi, chief of ruling Indian National Congress. [8]

Tangail sharee kutir Tangail sharee kutir at Bailey Road.jpg
Tangail sharee kutir
Numerous shops Shops, Bailey Road.jpg
Numerous shops
Numerous sharee and dress shops Yo 063.jpg
Numerous sharee and dress shops

Education

Bailey Road is within reaching distance of many academic institutions. Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Siddeshwari Girls' High School and Shiddheswari Girls' College are situated on this road.

Officers' Club

Officers' Club Officers' Club, Dhaka.jpg
Officers' Club

Officers' Club was established in 1967 on 4.5 acres (18,000 m2) of land in a picturesque setting at Ramna (Bailey Road), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its membership is open only to government officers and the officers of semi-government or autonomous bodies. The land with a colonial building was once given to the club by the PWD (Public Works Dept.). The government also provided funds to construct an auditorium, covered badminton complex, swimming pool tennis courts, etc. The club has now about 2,000 members and is run by an executive committee headed by the cabinet secretary of the government. Its members are elected through a secret ballot every two years. The club has a library, a newly built 2-storey auditorium, three tennis courts, and facilities to play badminton, table tennis, billiards, cards, chess etc.

Foreign Service Academy

Foreign Service Academy Foreign Service Academy, Dhaka.jpg
Foreign Service Academy

Foreign Service Academy is a training institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadres. Formerly known as the Foreign Affairs Training Institute, it was merged with Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy in 1987. The Academy was inaugurated on 1 January 1997, and temporarily housed at the State guest house 'Sugandha'. [9]

Residence of officials and ministers

Many government officials, officers and ministers reside in Bailey Road. The ancient homes called 'lal bari' are placed there, where the ministers live.

Residence of officials and ministers Yo 095.jpg
Residence of officials and ministers
Residence of officials and ministers Residence of officials and ministers, Dhaka (2).jpg
Residence of officials and ministers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhaka</span> Capital and largest city of Bangladesh

Dhaka, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is the ninth-largest and seventh-most densely populated city in the world. Dhaka is a megacity, and has a population of 10.2 million residents as of 2022, and a population of over 22.4 million residents in Dhaka Metropolitan Area. It is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. Dhaka is the most important cultural, economic, and scientific hub of Eastern South Asia, as well as a major Muslim-majority city. Dhaka ranks third in South Asia and 39th in the world in terms of GDP. Lying on the Ganges Delta, it is bounded by the Buriganga, Turag, Dhaleshwari and Shitalakshya rivers. Dhaka is also the largest Bengali-speaking city in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziaur Rahman</span> Declarer of Independence of Bangladesh and President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981

Ziaur Rahman was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination. He was the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and served as its chairman until his assassination. He previously served as the third chief of army staff from 1975 to 1978 with a minor break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khaleda Zia</span> Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006

Begum Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and second female prime minister in the Muslim world, after Benazir Bhutto. She is the widow of one of the former presidents of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. She is the chairperson and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1984, which was founded by her husband in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Bangladesh</span>

The culture of Bangladesh is intertwined with the culture of the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It has evolved over the centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh. The Bengal Renaissance of the 18th early 19th centuries, noted Bengali writers, saints, authors, scientists, researchers, thinkers, music composers, painters, film-makers have played a significant role in the development of Bengali culture. The culture of Bangladesh is deeply intertwined with the culture of the Bengal region. Basically Bengali culture refers to the culture of Bangladesh. The Bengal Renaissance contained the seeds of a nascent political Indian nationalism which was the precursor in many ways to modern Indian artistic cultural expression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suhrawardy Udyan</span> National memorial in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Suhrawardy Udyan is a national memorial and public space located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Originally known as Ramna Race Course, it holds significant historical importance due to its association with key events in the country's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangabhaban</span> Official residence of the President of Bangladesh

The Bangabhaban is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of Bangladesh, located on Bangabhaban Road, and short road connecting Dilkusha Avenue, Dhaka. It is surrounded by the Bangabhaban Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahbag</span> Major neighbourhood and thana in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Shahbagh is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or thana in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub. It is a junction between two contrasting sections of the city—Old Dhaka and New Dhaka—which lie, respectively, to its south and north. Developed in the 17th century during Mughal rule in Bengal, when Old Dhaka was the provincial capital and a centre of the flourishing muslin industry, it came to neglect and decay in early 19th century. In the mid-19th century, the Shahbagh area was developed as New Dhaka became a provincial centre of the British Raj, ending a century of decline brought on by the passing of Mughal rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paltan</span> Thana in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

Paltan is a thana (precinct) of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is often said to be the center of Dhaka, dividing "Old Dhaka" and "New Dhaka". Paltan was made a thana in 2005 by then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Paltan Thana was formed on 27 June 2005 comprising part of Motijheel thana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramna Thana</span> City district in Dhaka

Ramna is a thana (precinct) in central Dhaka and a historic colonial neighbourhood. Once the site of Mughal gardens, it developed into an institutional area during British rule in the late 19th century. It became a focal point for Dhaka's modernisation in the 1960s. It was the scene of many tumultuous events that ushered the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Ramna Thana falls under the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tejgaon Thana</span> Thana in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

Tejgaon is a thana of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is in the centre of Dhaka, the capital. In 2006, the boundaries of the thana were redrawn when Tejgaon Industrial Area Thana was created out of the former larger area and again in 2009 when Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Bengal</span> Overview of the Bengali culture

The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura, where they form the dominant ethnolinguistic group and the Bengali language is the official and primary language. Bengal has a recorded history of 1,400 years. After the partition, Bangladeshi culture became distinct from the mainstream Bengali culture, thus their culture evolved differently, still there are many commonalities in Bangladeshi culture & West Bengali culture which connects them both together as Bengali culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bangladesh (1971–present)</span>

The history of Bangladesh (1971–present) refers to the period after the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

Dhaniakhali is a village in Dhaniakhali CD Block in Chinsurah subdivision of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The place has lent its name to the popular Dhaniakhali Sari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammad Mosaddak Ali</span> Bangladeshi entrepreneur and politician (born 1960)

Mohammad Mosaddak Ali, also known as Phalu, is a Bangladeshi entrepreneur and a politician who was a former parliamentarian from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He served as the political secretary to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia between 2001 and 2004. He was responsible for building special relations and partnership for development between the government and the private sector that is interested in investing in new and highly potential industrial sectors, and introducing new products and services to local industries, at a time when Bangladesh's economic growth accelerated. In 2003, Ali launched Bangladesh's first automation-based private satellite television station NTV. He also founded another satellite channel RTV and Bengali daily newspaper Amar Desh. He is the founding President of Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Dhaka</span> Overview of the culture of Dhaka (Bangladesh)

Dhaka is the most populous city of Bangladesh and is characterized by its busy urban life with varied culture including many festivities, a variety of cuisine, an entertainment industry, shopping experiences and sites of interest. These nature of these activities mirrors the secular character of the city's population. Important holidays include Language Movement Day, Independence Day, Victory Day and Pahela Boishakh. Religious festivals include Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Durga Puja, Buddha Purnima etc. Dhaka is known as the center of media and cinema of Bangladesh, housing many of Bangladesh's important academies. The culture of Dhaka is based on the culture of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swadhinata Stambha</span> Public monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Swadhinata Stambha or Independence Monument is a national monument in Bangladesh to commemorate the historical events that took place in the Suhrawardy Udyan, previously known as Ramna Race Course ground regarding the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Nagorik Natya Sampradaya is a Bangladeshi theatre company. Established in 1968, it was the first theatre group in Dhaka and started performing plays on stage in 1972. The chairperson of the group is the actor and director Aly Zaker and his wife, actress Sara Zaker, is the vice-chairperson. As of December 2018, Nagorik had performed 46 different productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhakaiyas</span> Indo-Aryan cultural group

The Old Dhakaites are an Indo-Aryan cultural group viewed as the original inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaites or Dhakaiya. Their history dates back to the Mughal period with the migration of Bengali cultivators and merchants to the city. The cultivators came to be known as Kutti and they speak Dhakaiya Kutti, a dialect of Bengali and the merchants came to be known as Khoshbas and speak Dhakaiya Urdu. There are sizeable populations in other parts of Bangladesh. The Old Dhakaiyas maintain a distinct regional identity in addition to their ethnic Bengali identity, due to cultural, geographical and historical reasons. They have been described as a wealthy but very closed-off community; evidently being a minority in their own hometown. It is said that some people living in Greater Dhaka are even unaware of the existence of an Urdu-speaking non-Bihari minority community although their presence dates back centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Segunbagicha</span> Major neighbourhood of Dhaka

Segunbagicha is an upscale residential, administrative, commercial, and institutional neighbourhood in south-central Dhaka. The neighbourhood is one of the important areas of Dhaka featuring a large number of government and residential complexes. It acts as a bridge between the major thanas of Ramna, Shahbagh, Dhanmondi, Paltan and Motijheel, and is located at the crossroads of Ramna, Shahbag and Paltan thanas.

References

  1. "Bailey Road renamed Natok Saroni". The Daily Star. bdnews. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2006.
  2. Dhaka Smrti Bismriti Nagar, [1st khandha], Muntasirul Mamoon, 2nd edition, 218–226, retrieved: April 2010.
  3. Bangladesh.com, Bangladesh channel, Bangladesh.com 20100. Web: 20 April 2011
  4. Sanwar Rahman, Avik (10 November 2003). "Guide House to wear a new look". The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 December 2006.
  5. John, Zillur Rahman (2012). "Theatre Stage". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  6. Mahmud, Jamil (6 September 2010). "Mahila Samiti's new building to have two auditoriums". The Daily Star.
  7. "Mahila Samity reopens with month-long fest". New Age. Dhaka. 26 February 2016.
  8. "Khaleda's gifts for Manmohan's wife, Sonia". The Daily Star. 19 March 2006. Retrieved 25 December 2006.
  9. Golam Mustakim (2012). "Foreign Service Academy". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

Further reading

23°44′27″N90°24′09″E / 23.740874°N 90.402445°E / 23.740874; 90.402445