Chowkbazar (Bengali: চকবাজার), also called Chawkbazar Model Thana, is a Thana of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was formed in August 2009 from parts of Lalbagh Thana and Kotwali Thana, and has an area of 2.07 km. It includes the Chowk Bazaar and was the site of the February 2019 Dhaka fire.

History

Chowkbazar (also spelled, Chawk Bazaar) is known as a sprawling market area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with hundreds of shops, market stalls and vendors. In 1702, Murshid Quli Khan established the market, naming it Badshahi Bazar, which was later renamed as Chawk Bazaar.

Later, James Taylor in his 1840 book, "A Sketch of the Topography & Statistics of Dacca" left a description of Chowkbazar: "It is a square of pretty large dimensions, and is surrounded chiefly by mosques and shops. The open space, in which the bazar is held, is enclosed by a low wall, with a carriage road around it..."

Notable landmarks

Beside the market square is Chawk Mosque, built by Shaista Khan in 1676. It is 94 feet long, 80 feet wide and has three domes. Other notable landmarks include: Hussaini Dalan (1642), Bara Katra (1641), Choto Katra (1663) and Dhakeshwari Temple (1890).

See also

• Upazilas of Bangladesh
• Districts of Bangladesh
• Divisions of Bangladesh