Gulshan (Bengali: গুলশান, romanizedGulaśāna) is a thana situated in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[7] It is an affluent residential and business neighbourhood[8][9] and is now home to a number of the city's restaurants, five star hotels,[10] shopping centers, schools, banks, offices and members' clubs; it also hosts the majority of embassies and high commissions in Bangladesh.[11] Many Bangladeshi and international companies have their offices in Gulshan.[12][13]

Gulshan Thana
গুলশান থানা
Skyline of Gulshan - Banani
Skyline of Gulshan - Banani
Map
Expandable map of vicinity of Gulshan Thana
Gulshan Thana is located in Dhaka
Gulshan Thana
Gulshan Thana
Location of Gulshan Thana within Dhaka
Gulshan Thana is located in Dhaka division
Gulshan Thana
Gulshan Thana
Location of Gulshan Thana within Dhaka Division
Gulshan Thana is located in Bangladesh
Gulshan Thana
Gulshan Thana
Location of Gulshan Thana within Bangladesh
Coordinates: 23°47′30″N 90°25′00″E / 23.7917°N 90.4167°E / 23.7917; 90.4167
Country Bangladesh
DivisionDhaka Division
DistrictDhaka District
Municipal corporationDhaka North City Corporation
Police StationH-32, 115 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan-2[1]
WardWard No. 19, 20 (part)
Gulshan Founded1961[2]
Thana Formed1972[2]
Parliament constituencyDhaka-17
Area
 • Total
8.85 km2 (3.42 sq mi)
Elevation23 m (75 ft)
Population
 • Total
110,213
 • Density12,000/km2 (32,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+6 (BST)
Postal code
1212[5]
Area code02[6]

History

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An old village named Bhola Gram used to be located in what is now Gulshan.[14][15] The city was founded as a planned model town in 1961 with its own pourashabha (municipal corporation), while the neighbouring Banani was founded in 1964. Gulshan Thana was established in 1972.[2] Gulshan Pourashabha was abolished in 1982.[16] In 1984, Gulshan, along with Mirpur municipality, was absorbed into Dhaka.[17]

The area was originally built with the purpose of being solely residential; however, over the years many commercial buildings have been set up in the area. Gulshan is now a mix of a serene residential area and also a city center with shopping malls and commercial buildings. The Gulshan city center consists of Gulshan, Baridhara and Niketan. The thana of Gulshan also includes the neighborhood of Mohakhali to the southwest.[18] Banani was a part of Gulshan Thana, but was separated with the establishment of Banani Thana. Despite this, Banani and Gulshan are often referred together as "Gulshan-Banani", due to their proximity, same characteristics and history and being in the same thana, before the establishment of Banani Thana.

On 3 January 2017, at approximately 2:30 a.m.,[19] a fire broke out in a local market, DCC, in Gulshan.[20][21]

Geography

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The Gulshan Thana comprises an area of 8.85 km2, consisting of ward 18 and ward 19 (partial),[22] including Gulshan Model Town, consisting of Gulshan circle 1 and circle 2, Baridhara Diplomatic Zone, Mohakhali,[23] and Niketan Housing Society.[24] 50% of the area is residential, 20% commercial and 12% is the diplomatic area. 18% of land in Gulshan consists of other areas, including slums, of which the biggest is the Karail slum and Gulshan Lake.[25]

Gulshan is a commercial and residential area,[26] originally meant for offices and embassies of diplomatic missions, as well as residences. The area has seen an upsurge in the number of high-rise buildings, restaurants, residential areas, modern markets and ice-cream parlors since the mid-1990s.[27] The independent houses of the early 1970s that stood far from each other in the Gulshan area have vanished because of the commercial boom, to the point that older residents claim it is no longer a residential area.[28]

Though Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara, as well as Uttara and other satellite towns like Bashundhara, are relatively on higher lands, substantial parts of the Gulshan Thana area remained underwater for a prolonged duration during the 1998 Bangladesh floods. Dhaka WASA conducted a survey to investigate the causes of and remedial measures in 1998 with a particular focus on the Gulshan Lake and the Gulshan and Banani canals. Flood water runoff flows into these water bodies practically turning these into buffer flood control reservoirs, except for some pockets of transient water-logging.[29][30] Drains and sewerage pipes dumping wastes in the Gulshan lake has been identified as major pollution problem by DWASA.[31] The malodorous wastes tend to spill over when the roads are flooded.[32]

Demography

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Gulshan Azad Mosque is the largest mosque in North Dhaka
Religions in Gulshan Thana (2011)[33]
Religion Percent
Islam
91.37%
Hinduism
3.97%
Christianity
3.88%
Other or not stated
0.79%

According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Gulshan Thana had 54,215 households with an average household size of 4.14 and a population of 253,050. Males constituted 55.45% (140,322) of the population while females 44.55% (112,728). Gulshan Thana had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 74.8%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 124.There were 1,743 floating people in this jurisdiction. [34]

The religious breakdown was Muslim 91.37% (231,208), Hindu 3.97% (10,045), Christian 3.88% (9,809), Buddhist 0.67% (1686), and others 0.12% (302). The ethnic minority people living there were 3,891 persons in total.

Urban layout

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Westin and Crowne Plaza hotels in Gulshan 2
 
Apartment blocks and commercial offices in Gulshan 2

Thoroughfares in the area are beautified by major cellphone companies of Bangladesh.[35] There are 25 mosques in this area, including Gulshan Azad Mosque and Gulshan Society Mosque. The area features a number of churches and Christian missions, including that of the Missionaries of Charity. There are some public urban parks in this area including Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park[36] and Shahid Dr. Fazle Rabbi Park.[37]

 
Gulshan Society Mosque
 
Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park, Gulshan-2
 
Shahid Dr. Fazle Rabbi Park Gulshan-1, Niketan

Commercial activities

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International brand stores in Gulshan
Food: MövenpickPizza HutCoffee WorldA&WPizza InnKFCGloria Jean's CoffeesBurger KingHerfySecret RecipeChatimeThe Coffee Bean & Tea LeafCPPastamaniaDomino's PizzaDélifranceGalito'sKOI ThéCinnabon
Clothes and accessories: Levi'sPumaBeing HumanHush PuppiesBataLottoGiordanoSkechersSplashSteve MaddenNike
Cars: BMWMercedes-BenzVolvo
Hotels: The WestinCrowne PlazaAmariCentury Park ResidenceRenaissanceHoliday InnSheratonHilton
Others: ArchiesMinisoSiemensSamsoniteKohlerSamsungSonyCanonM.A.C.InglotThe Body ShopAshley HomeStore

Many local and multinational companies have their local headquarters located in Gulshan, including Nokia, Banglalink, Augere, Standard Chartered Bank, P&G, GSK, Reckitt Benckiser, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., The Himalaya Drug Company, Siemens, Adidas,[38] Nokia Siemens Networks, Sony Ericsson, Ericsson, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and Microsoft.

There are some 45 boutiques, markets, bazaars and shopping centers in Gulshan. There also are mega-stores such as Shwapno, Agora, Aarong, Unimart, Meena Baazar and Lavender. There are also many shopping malls like Shopper's World, Pink City and the ABC Shopping Complex. A plethora of food, bank and fashion outlets are located all over the area.[39][40][41]

Entertainment

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The area hosts a number of private clubs. While the Gulshan Club[42] and International Club have their own policies, most of the rest are sponsored by the various diplomatic missions. These include the American Recreation Association (American Club),[43] the Canadian Club,[42][44] the Dutch Club,[42] the Australian Club (membership also available to New Zealanders), the Nordic Club (membership available to citizens of Scandinavian countries) and the German Club (membership available to EU citizens).[42] The BAGHA (British Aid Guest House Association) Club falls under the British High Commission umbrella and also accepts membership from EU citizens.[45] While it is not a club as such, the quarters of the American Embassy's Marine Guard unit maintains a small private bar.

There is a 250-room five star hotel, Westin, located at circle-2.[46]

Health

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The headquarters of icddr,b is in Mahakhali. Gulshan Mother and Child Clinic (Gulshan Maa O Shishu Clinic), Gulshan Group Clinic, Retina and Eye Center, DNS Diagnostics and Telemedicine, Sikder's Women's Hospital, Ear Care Center, and Balaka Pharmacy are in Gulshan Model Town.[47] The Dental Studio, and Sarah Dental Clinic.[47] There also Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital in Gulshan, Aysha Memorial Specialized Hospital and LifeLine in Mohakhali, and Nova Medical Center, Peerless Diagnostic & Treatment Centre.[48] There also Midway Clinic, Adventist Dental Clinic, Modern Clinic & Blood Center and Shifa Pharmacy in Gulshan, Christian Medical Hospital in Baridhara, and Metropolitan Medical Center and Marie Stopes Clinic in Mohakhali.[49]

Diplomatic missions

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U.S. Embassy, Dhaka
 
British High Commission, Dhaka
  • Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
  • Australian High Commission
  • Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
  • Royal Bhutanese Embassy
  • Canadian High Commission
  • Embassy of the People's Republic of China
  • Royal Danish Embassy
  • Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
  • Embassy of the Republic of France
  • Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Embassy of the Republic of Hungary
  • Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
  • Embassy of the Republic of Italy
  • Embassy of the State of Kuwait
  • The People's Bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  • Malaysian High Commission
  • Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
  • Royal Netherlands Embassy
  • Royal Norwegian Embassy
  • High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  • Embassy of the State of Palestine
  • Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
  • Embassy of the Republic of Poland
  • Embassy of the State of Qatar
  • Embassy of the Russian Federation
  • Embassy of Romania
  • Embassy of Saudi Arabia
  • Consulate of the Republic of Singapore
  • Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain
  • The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  • Embassy of Sweden
  • Royal Thai Embassy
  • Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
  • Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
  • British High Commission
  • Embassy of the United States of America
  • Consular Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Delegation of the European Commission[50]

Education

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Universities

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Schools

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Find Your Local Police". Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Gulshan Thana". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Geographic coordinates of Dhaka, Bangladesh". DATEANDTIME.INFO. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  4. ^ National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 386. ISBN 978-9844752016.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh Postal Code". Dhaka: Bangladesh Postal Department under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 19 October 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh Area Code". China: Chahaoba. 18 October 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024.
  7. ^ "How Bhola Gram became Gulshan". Dhaka Tribune. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024.
  8. ^ Hossain, Saddam (21 November 2020). "Dhaka's upscale areas, downscaled amenities". Prothom Alo.
  9. ^ "Illegal parking rampant at posh Gulshan". The Financial Express. 27 September 2018.
  10. ^ Chakma, Jagaran (24 May 2023). "Dhaka to get four more 5-star hotels". The Daily Star.
  11. ^ Trumbull, Robert (19 May 1972). "A Toast Drunk in Tea, and Dacca Has a U.S. Embassy". The New York Times. p. 4. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Bangladesh's 'missing billionaires': A wealth boom and stark inequality". Al Jazeera English. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Posh city area land use rules changed". New Age. 16 May 2023.
  14. ^ গুলশান ভুলে গেছে ভোলা গ্রামের কথা. Rising BD (in Bengali). 2 October 2019.
  15. ^ "OP-ED: Can a city be equal for all?". Dhaka Tribune. 21 November 2020.
  16. ^ Ghafur, Shayer (21 April 2006). "The Future of Gulshan South Park". Daily Star. Retrieved 15 November 2006.
  17. ^ Syed Ali Mortuza, Rural-urban Migration in Bangladesh: Causes and Effects, page 59, Dietrich Reimer, Berlin 1992
  18. ^ "The Future of Gulshan South Park: a pro-people plea". Star Weekend Magazine.
  19. ^ "Fire engulfs Gulshan DCC Market". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  20. ^ "Massive fire tears through Dhaka market, causes partial collapse". bdnews24.com. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  21. ^ "Fire still at DCC market, owners fear sabotage". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  22. ^ Dhaka Division. As of July 2016 bbs.portal.gov.bd
  23. ^ "From Niketan to Mohakhali: A Rickshaw Odyssey". The Daily Star. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Urban Morphological Change Analysis of Dhaka City, Bangladesh, Using Space Syntax". Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Yellow rickshaw scheme misses the mark". Dhaka Tribune. 16 October 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  26. ^ "Fire-ravaged Gulshan building not yet declared safe: Police". Prothom Alo. 21 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Traders clash with cops over closure of Gulshan market". The Financial Express. 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024.
  28. ^ "DNCC to set up app-based parking locations in Gulshan to reduce traffic slowdowns". bdnews24.com. 14 November 2022. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  29. ^ Flood Study for Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Bangladesh; Retrieved 2007-12-14
  30. ^ Mustafizur Rahman Tarafdar (14 December 2007). "Floods, rains and Dhaka city drainage". The Daily Star. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  31. ^ "Relocating Gulshan drains to reduce lake pollution". Daily Star. 13 October 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  32. ^ Rahman, Avik Sanwar (20 October 2003). "Wading through sewage in a posh area". Daily Star. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  33. ^ "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Dhaka" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
  34. ^ "Community Tables: Dhaka district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. 2011.
  35. ^ Sadique, Mahfuz (4 February 2005). "Dhaka's facelift: Untamed beauty". New Age. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  36. ^ "Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park: An example of an ideal city park". The Business Standard. November 2021.
  37. ^ "Shahid Dr Fazle Rabbi Park: An ideal example of an urban community park". The Business Standard. 13 March 2024.
  38. ^ "Adidas set to open first outlet in Bangladesh". The Business Standard. 5 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Another blaze at Gulshan DNCC market". The Financial Express.
  40. ^ "Future of the DCC market". The Daily Star. 30 January 2017.
  41. ^ "Shopping complex catches fire in Dhaka's Gulshan". bdnews24.com.
  42. ^ a b c d "Entertainment". Tourist Attractions. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  43. ^ Official Site of American Club, Dhaka
  44. ^ "Fire guts restaurant in Gulshan". bdnews24.com.
  45. ^ "Bagha". 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  46. ^ Westin, Dhaka Archived 23 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine at Yahoo Travels; Retrieved 2007-12-14
  47. ^ a b Local Health Care Providers, American International School, Dhaka; Retrieved 2007-12-14
  48. ^ Medical directory Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, TimeMachine.com; Retrieved 2007-12-14
  49. ^ Medical services, BisnessInfo Bangladesh; Retrieved 2007-12-14
  50. ^ "Cop shot dead by another cop in Dhaka's Gulshan diplomatic area". The Business Standard. 9 June 2024.
  51. ^ "Manarat International University". University Grants Commission of Bangladesh.
  52. ^ "Presidency University". University Grants Commission of Bangladesh.
  53. ^ "ASIS: American Standard International School Dhaka: 2023-2024 Fact Sheet".
  54. ^ "AusIS | Contact". www.ausisdhaka.net.
  55. ^ "B.I.T.L – Bangladesh International Tutorial Limited » Gulshan Senior School".
  56. ^ "Grooming School Students to Save the World". The Daily Star. 15 June 2017.
  57. ^ "Campus". Green Dale International School.
  58. ^ "Own Campus at Gulshan". Manarat Dhaka International School and College.
  59. ^ "Location & Timing" (PDF). Scholastica.
  60. ^ "Smart bus school service starts on 3 July with one school, three buses". Daily Sun. July 2024.
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