Farashganj

Farashganj an area in dhaka city developed around the French market established in 1780 with permission from Naib Nazim Nawajish Mohammad Khan. Farashganj was originally named Frenchganj as the French (Farashis) had settled in the area. The French settlement started with seizure of the English Factory by the French in 1750. This, however, created a crisis, which was resolved by the intervention of Naib Nazim Jasarat Khan. The factory became known as Dhaka Factory years before the fall of the last Muslim ruler of Bengal in 1757, but Farashganj continued to flourish. In the area, French merchants established wholesale trading posts for spices like raw turmeric, ginger, garlic and chilli. Apart from being the French area in Dhaka city, Farashganj is known for a number of old and historic buildings. These include the ruplal house built along the riverfront, the Mahalla Farashganj with its long gateway in which stands Bibi ka Rauza, the oldest husaini dalan in Dhaka, and the Farashganj Nil Kuthi (Indigo House), one of the largest of the kind, now used as a venue for wedding receptions. [S M Mahfuzur Rahman] [Rahman, S M Mahfuzur Professor of International Business, Dhaka University]