The heat and hilarity of Chawk Bazaar

One who lives in Dhaka and has never visited Chawk Bazaar will be considered a misfit by the residents of the metropolis.

Chowk Bazaar was one of the most famous business and social meeting centres of Dhaka since the Mughal era. Even after 400 years it is still as famous as before. It is one of Dhaka’s oldest wholesale markets where, it is said one could even buy a slave and an elephant.

The great Buriganga river was situated at the South of Chawk Bazaar, which contributed easy water transport and thus made trade more frequent and efficient. Chawk Bazaar was located in such a way that 10 different other places were connected with Chawk Bazaar by straight roads.

From 1823 to 1825, Dhaka community’s two men, Dhaka’s Magistrate Dos and Walters wanted Chawk Bazaar in the right way and improve the nearby roads condition. For this Dos suggested for the Nawabpur Road to widen as it was linked with Chawk Bazaar. The road was very narrow and filled with cottages but there was no improvement by the end of the 18th century. Dhaka Community did not give permission but Walter got permission later. He removed all illegal markets in Chawk Bazaar and made a 460 ft length, 4 ft high and 1/2 ft thick wall surrounding it. In front of Chawk Bazaar there was Moriom’s Canon ‘Kaman’. It was in Shoari Ghat before.

Within Chawk Bazaar, Islam Khan constructed a Fort during the 17th century, which lasted till 1772. After that the central Jail was established over this Fort. It was believed that sometimes the condemned prisoners were hanged to death on the centre of the Chawk Bazaar plaza. There was a setup for performing the prosecution process within the Chawk Bazaar field, by the Central Jail authorities.

From first day of Ramadan people always comes here. Mohoram Akra wrestlers and others showed amazing sword and fighting acts. They used to come from villages and showed this acts all night long but all this seem to have disappeared now.

Nazir Hossain said that before marriage, bridegrooms went around Chawk Bazaar. Some went around once, five times seven times etc. All this made Chawk Bazaar filled with fun and celebrations. If they didn’t go to give salaam their wedding would seem incomplete. Even now old Dhaka locals go around Chawk Bazaar but this tradition might become extinct in the future.

Several buildings in the bazaar were damaged during a fire in 2019

Wikipedia