Dhaka

Why it's the capital

In 1610 Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal province of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and it was named Jahangirnagar after Emperor Jahangir. It later became the seat of government of Eastern Bengal and Assam, the capital of East Pakistan in 1947, and the capital of independent Bangladesh in 1971.

Fun facts

1. The name may come from the dhak tree, once common in the area, or from Dhakeshwari, a Hindu goddess of the region.
2. Dhaka was the centre of the muslin trade in Bengal, and in faraway markets muslin was even called 'Daka'.
3. The parliament building was designed by the architect Louis Kahn and was first planned as the federal parliament of Pakistan.