Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. With its colorful history and rich cultural traditions, Dhaka is known the world over as the city of mosques and muslin. Its fame attracted travelers from far and near throughout the ages. Today it has grown into a mega city of about 8.5 million people, with an area of about 1353 sq. km. becoming the hub of the nation's industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activities. Today's Dhaka has a long story of evolution. It was founded during the 10th century. It served as the Mughal capital of Bengal from 1608 to 1704. Before coming under British rule in 1765. It was a trading center for British, French, and Dutch colonialism. In 1905 it was again named the capital of Bengal. And in 1956 it became the capital of East Pakistan. During the Bangladesh war of independence in 1971. The city suffered a heavy damage. In 1982 the spelling was changed from ' Dacca' to 'Dhaka'. 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 mayor of the city is elected by popular vote every five years. The city has a moderate-sized middle class population, driving the market for modern consumer and luxury goods. The city has historically attracted large number of migrant workers. Hawkers, peddlers, small shops, rickshaws transport, roadside vendors and stalls employ a large segment of the population.
Urban developments have sparked a widespread construction boom, causing new high-rise buildings. And skyscrapers to change the city landscape. Growth has been especially strong in the finance, banking, manufacturing, telecommunications and services sectors. While hotels and restaurants continue as important elements of the Dhaka economy. Most residents of Dhaka speak Bengali, the national language. English is also spoken by a large segment of the population,