Dhaka Club
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The Dhaka Club (formerly spelled as Dacca Club) is the oldest recreation organisation and the largest of elite clubs in
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
. Originally it was an all-white association in
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
.


Description

Dhaka club has been described as "an oasis of calm in a frantic city, a colonial relic with several acres of lawns, tennis courts, reading rooms." It has been noted that "the real old-school Dhaka wealth and political power calls this recreation club home. In times of ferment the city is ruled by Dhaka University; in times of peace the city is controlled by Dhaka Club." The club is located near Shahbag Intersection. It is surrounded by
Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
,
Bangladesh National Museum The Bangladesh National Museum ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘর), is the national museum of Bangladesh. The museum is well organized and displays have been housed chronologically in several departments like dep ...
, Hotel Sheraton, BIRDEM Hospital,
Ramna Park Ramna Park ( bn, রমনা উদ্যান, ''Rômna Uddan'') is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This forested park with pond near its center is one of the most beautiful are ...
and the Suhrawardy Udyan. The club has facilities for meetings and seminars, as well as hall rooms, guest-rooms, kitchens and dining rooms, playing courts and rooms for table tennis, billiards, cards, squash, and lawn tennis, and a swimming pool. The wood-paneled club house is one of the few surviving British Raj era buildings in Dhaka. The Dhaka Club has three clay tennis courts and two squash courts. In former times, indoor and outdoor games were dominant features of the club. At present, it gives considerable attention to cultural activities.


History

The origins of the club date back to 1825 when European residents in
Old Dhaka Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ ...
established a Gentleman's club in Victoria Park (now known as
Bahadur Shah Park Bahadur Shah Park, formerly known as Victoria Park, is a park located in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has a memorial dedicated to the soldiers killed by the British in the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny of 1857. It was built in 1858 at the initiat ...
) by that name.Muntasir Mamun, "ঢাকা: স্মৃতি বিস্মৃতির নগরী" (''Dhaka, Smriti Bismritir Nogori''), 3rd Edition, 4th Printing, January 2004, Ananya Publishers, Dhaka, Page 104, । It was established in place of an older club known as the Armenian Club or the ''Antagar'' (a
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
of ''Addagar'' or Gossip House). The last name rendered its name to the park which came to be known as ''Antagar Maidan'' (Antaghor Field).Sirajul Islam, ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Humanities'' (Vol. 45, Issue 1), page 39, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2000 After the club shifted elsewhere
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
bought the land in 1862. In 1851 the club premise shifted to
Ramna Ramna Thana ( bn, রমনা থানা) is a police jurisdiction in central Dhaka. It is a historic colonial neighborhood. Once the site of Mughal gardens, it developed into an institutional area during British rule in the late 19th centu ...
with help from local aristocrats along with Europeans. The land of Dhaka Club was leased out from the
Dhaka Nawab Family The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...
from his Shahbag garden estate. After the partition of Bengal in 1905, dhaka was made the capital of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. The British civilians, who came to govern the new province, felt the need of a social club. The club was fashioned after the model of the
Bengal Club The Bengal Club is a social and business club in Kolkata, India. Founded in 1827, the club is the oldest social club in India. When Kolkata was the capital of British India, the club was considered to be the "unofficial headquarters of the Raj ...
of Kolkata. It was registered on 19 August 1911 and was granted legal status on 14 September 1911 under the Indian Companies Act of 1882. The founding members were Lt. Col. EA Hall (Civil Surgeon, Dhaka), CR Bryan, HG Bally (Commandant, Military Police Battalion, Dhaka), JO Rennie (PWD, Dhaka), and JS Wilson and AT Halliday of Indian Police, Dhaka. "The British reunited Bengal in 1911 and compensated Dhaka with the
Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
and the Dhaka Club."M. J. Akbar,
Byline
', page 111, Chronicle Books, 2003,
The membership of the club grew quickly in the 1920s and '30s as many Europeans came to Dhaka in connection with the
jute trade The jute trade is centered mainly around India, India's West Bengal and Assam, and Bangladesh. The major producing country of jute is India and biggest exporter being Bangladesh, due to their natural fertile soil. Production of jute by India and ...
,
steam navigation A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
, the
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
, and
estate management Property management is the operation, control, maintenance, and oversight of real estate and physical property. This can include residential, commercial, and land real estate. Management indicates the need for real estate to be cared for and monit ...
. Many of the members were high-ranking British officers from Minto Road. Natives, including aristocrats of
Dhaka Nawab Family The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...
, were banned, while
Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people fall into two different groups: those with mixed Indian and British ancestry, and people of British descent born or residing in India. The latter sense is now mainly historical, but confusions can arise. The ''Oxford English ...
s had full access. In 1941, the
Governor of Bengal The Governor was the chief colonial administrator in the Bengal presidency, originally the "Presidency of Fort William" and later "Bengal province". In 1644, Gabriel Boughton procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to ...
leased out a tract of land comprising 524 bighas (173 acres) to the Dhaka Club. The club used the land to develop a racecourse (known as ramna racecourse, now converted into Ramna Garden), a golf course, the club buildings and playgrounds. The golf course is one of the oldest golf courses in South Asia, and was owned and managed by Dhaka Club and nearby Gymkhana Club together. Gymkhana Club, located at the opposing side of Shahbag gardens, also patronized the Racecourse together with Dhaka Club. During Bangladesh Liberation War the club was closed except for a few staff. On 26 March 1971 Pakistani army tried to enter the club but Madhuraj, the Nepali security guard, refused entry. He along with few other staff were executed by
Pakistan army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
after they forcefully entered the club. After the
Independence of Bangladesh Independence of Bangladesh was declared on 26 March 1971, celebrated as Independence Day, from Pakistan. The Independence Day of Bangladesh is celebrated on 26 March when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the Independence of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh ...
, the club adapted more Bengali characteristics. In 1973 it changed the Letter head of the club to Bangla. In 1978
Geetiara Safya Chowdhury Geetiara Shafia Choudhury is a Bangladeshi Business Woman and former Advisor of Caretaker Government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. She is the Chairperson of ADCOMM. Career In 1978 she became the first female member of the Dhaka Club. She was an adv ...
became the first female member of the club. In the 21st century the club arrived with only about 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land left in its control, as the rest has been overtaken by the government of Bangladesh by acquisition.


Rules

The club is run by an executive committee comprising a president and 10 members who are elected for a one-year term in a general meeting. The right to vote is limited to 1,500 permanent and life members as well as general members. who form a highly privileged company. That total figure of 1,500 is strictly protected, though any member can resign and nominate his successor. A past president was forced to resign because he “accidentally” allowed this limit to be exceeded that number. Foreigners can become members for an annual fee.Mikey Leung and Belinda Meggitt (ed.),
Bangladesh
', page 147, Bradt Travel Guides, 2012,
However, members are of different categories such as life members, general members, honorary members, special members, and officers of the defense forces. The total number of members of the club in 2016 was 3,120, a figure that is considered as the highest membership limit. The rules and regulations of the remain the same from the times of the Raj. No locals are permitted in the lounge, the bar, the dining room or the card room. The only concession that the Dhaka Club has made is to permit the loose kurta inside its premises. For men the dress rule is collared shirt and covered shoes.


See also

*
Chittagong Club The Chittagong Club is one of the most prominent and prestigious social clubs in Bangladesh. Founded as a gentlemen's club during British rule in 1878, it is one of the oldest elite social clubs in South Asia. It is located at S.S. Khaled Road, ...
* Narayanganj Club Ltd


References


Things Asia: Bangladesh's Dhaka Club
{{Coord, 23, 44, 19.13, N, 90, 23, 49.65, E, display=title Culture in Dhaka Clubs and societies in Bangladesh Organisations based in Dhaka 1911 establishments in India