Rise of Mirpur
Strategically, Mirpur stands as the central point of Dhaka’s Metro network, making residents of the area the biggest beneficiaries of the megaproject. But the rise of Mirpur itself is a century-old story
After completing his higher secondary education at St Joseph Higher Secondary School in 2020, Ariful Islam Rion was on the verge of discontinuing his studies.
His father had fallen victim to a scam, lured in by promises of overseas employment with a generous salary, only to be left stranded in Oman. Despite managing to return home, Rion's father could not bear his expenses anymore.
He chose to enrol at the Government Titumir College in Mohakhali, and moved from Green Road to Mirpur to live with his relatives.
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Rion juggled his studies with taking classes at a coaching centre. For the most part, Mirpur seemed to be a supportive and fitting environment for him, except for one major hiccup — the arduous commute from Mirpur to Mohakhali. The then ongoing construction of the Metro Rail exacerbated the difficulty, often extending his travel time to at least an hour.
"Now I can make it home in just 35 minutes," exclaimed Rion. "With the Metro Rail overhead, the traffic on the usual route has significantly dropped."
Mirpur's new backbone — both literally and metaphorically
The introduction of the Metro Rail has marked a transformative phase in Mirpur's rich history, significantly enhancing the area's overall well-being. The improved transportation infrastructure has not only made commuting easier but also more efficient, resulting in a notable upswing in economic activities within the locality.
On the chilly morning of 29 December 2022, the country's first ever MRT train pulled into the station, bringing an end to the long wait for many commuters. However, for Mirpur's residents, who were anticipated to reap the most benefits, their wait persisted. Among the excited crowd, Mirpur's commuters were unparalleled, eagerly awaiting the opening of their stations.
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On 25 January 2023, nearly a month after the launch of the Metro Rail service in Dhaka, Mirpur's Pallabi Station opened to the public. The Mirpur-10 station welcomed commuters on 1 March, followed by the Kazipara and Mirpur-11 stations on 15 March. Finally, on 20 January this year, when the Metro operational time extended until 8:40 pm, resulting in a 13-hour operation starting at 7:10 am, no group of people was more elated than Mirpur residents.
The way the rail line cuts through Mirpur resembles its backbone, both literally and metaphorically.
But why is Mirpur the greatest beneficiary? Strategically, Mirpur stands as the central point of the Metro network. From Shewra Para to Pallabi, Mirpur alone boasts five Metro stations. Therefore, Mirpur's residents can move in both directions with the Metro, making their woes during the construction period worthwhile.
"We went through a lot during the Metro Rail construction phase, but now we're enjoying its benefits," expressed Manik, a watch mechanic near Mirpur-10 overbridge. He then went on to whistle a Bollywood tune while meticulously tending to the watch in his hands.
Over the past few years, Mirpur had become a subject of social media trolls, often associated with underdevelopment and flooding during rains. The mere mention of Mirpur would evoke grimaces, reinforcing the perception that it was an undesirable area to visit or live in. Social media even saw memes like "Mirpur gives you another layer of makeup!" circulating widely.
However, since the launch of the Metro Rail, the lives of Mirpur residents have undergone a telling transformation, availing them the respite from the sufferings, and time to enjoy the vibrant centre of business and activity that Mirpur had always been.
A century-old tale
The rise of Mirpur itself is a century old tale that speaks of its ability to adapt and thrive.
According to Muntassir Mamoon, a distinguished historian and former professor at Dhaka University, who has documented Mirpur's journey through time, people began to settle in Mirpur when the foundation of Dhaka was laid in 1610.
Initially, it was a serene and secluded village beside Turag river, with a toll ghat in the entrance of Dhaka where commuters were required to pay a 'ghat charge'. People with their different dinghies or boats would come for business and disembark on Mirpur Kheya Ghat.
During the Mughal rule in Bengal, 'Mir' was a part of the name of some elite people, and it is thought that one of those Mirs' lands was through which people used to get into Dhaka. Thus, it came to be called Mirpur.
Communication with Mirpur was far from easy though. The road from Science Lab to Mirpur, now called Mirpur Road, was the only road then connecting to the latter.
But the charm of today's Mirpur grew around the Mirpur Darga, also known as Shah Ali Mazar. It is said that of the 40 saints who came out of Baghdad to preach Islam, Shah Ali was one of them.
Shah Ali made a home here in Mirpur and went into meditation for 40 days. "Don't disturb me in 40 days," Shah Ali ordered his disciples. On the 39th day, as the story goes, there was a strange sound, and his disciples, surprised, broke in and found out that the place where he used to sit was all bloody. Shah Ali was no more. A commotion erupted, and the disciples cried over it for days! They made his tomb there and made it a mazar.
Many followers or disciples visit his shrine at the time of his death anniversary from different parts of the country and beyond. Even today, the mazar gets special attention from influential people, earning crores of taka every year. His mazar was later completely renovated in 1806 by Nayeb Najim Jesarat Khan.
The mazar grew so popular that people came to have faith in its good aura. Even in the rainy season, Dhaka's women used to visit the mazar riding Palkis and dinghies. Men also went there singing and dancing. A city around a mazar was not a rare thing in the past. For example, Shahajalal mazar in Sylhet.
"I remember around 1963; my aunt said she would go to Mirpur Dargah to fulfil some mannat (wishes). That means Mirpur mazar was famous then too. This is the original Mirpur. Then the other parts of Mirpur developed," noted Mamoon.
Mirpur Thana alone is now bustling with over 140,000 households and approximately 550,000 people. Including Darussalam, Kafrul, Pallabi, and Shaha Ali Thana, the overall population of Mirpur stands at over 1.8 million people, according to the Population and Housing Census 2022 national report.
The wholesale kitchen market of Mirpur 1, one of the largest kitchen markets in the city, provides these half a million people with fresh produce.
Since independence, Mirpur was designed to be self-sufficient, but it has attracted people from outside due to various attractions. It all started with the Bangladesh National Zoo, established in 1974, which is home to more than 2,000 animals from 165 species. Any child who has ever visited Dhaka on vacation likely made a trip to the Mirpur zoo. Additionally, for nature enthusiasts, the National Botanical Garden has been a sanctuary since 1962.
Mirpur's popularity soared even higher after the inauguration of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in 2006. Given the country's fervour for cricket, the name Mirpur became synonymous with the sport.
Today, the name Mirpur is pronounced not only within Bangladesh but also internationally through cricket. When people think of a specific spot in Dhaka known internationally, it's likely to be Mirpur.
The Liberation War years
During the war, Mirpur remained pro-Pakistan, and Bengalis living in the area were threatened and attacked by pro-Pakistan Biharis. The Biharis settled in Mirpur in the 1950s, and they remained in the area even after the independence of Bangladesh. After the Liberation War, the Bihari community was confined to different colonies across the country, and a significant number settled in the camps across Mirpur 11.
"When I used to live in Pallabi in 1969-70, at that time, Mirpur was growing with non-Bengalis, Biharis," said professor Mamoon. The non-Bengalis who came to this part were settled in Mirpur and Mohammadpur. They built small houses and small businesses.
There was only one road through Shyamoli and Mirpur 1. No other road existed. In the monsoon season, this road used to be submerged. People used to come till Mirpur Technical, then take a boat to come to Shyamoli. "After reaching Shyamoli we used to take a bus for the university," recalled Mamoon.
In the Pallabi area, Jahurul Islam, the founder-chairman of Islam Group, erected his first project. He established five one-story buildings, founding his first housing project. It was probably the first modern housing touch in Mirpur.
"There, my uncle Burhanuddin Khan Jahangir bought a home. I used to stay there with them. All around the project was empty land with undulating red soil. That means the opposite side of Pallabi was all empty. There were not that many people living in Mirpur then. Biharis were there, and some Bengalis used to live around Pallabi," added.
It was only on 31 January 1972, that Mirpur was liberated. Bengalis were brutally tortured for about one-and-a-half months. The Pakistani forces and their local allies, with the help of non-Bengali Biharis, Razakars, Al Badars and Al Shams, killed many Bengalis and left their bodies in septic tanks and wells.
After independence, the area gained more traction, and people started to settle there. Biharis also started to move aside, and some left the country. At that time, the government allotted some lands to make homes.
Rajuk offered some lands, people bought them, and built houses that you can see now. The prices of land were comparatively lower; Banani and Baridhara were not complete by then. Only Dhanmondi was established. So, if people needed a good place but at a lower price, Mirpur was the best option. From there, gradually we see Mirpur has become a vast area.
The modern Mirpur
Despite these attractions, the area required robust communication infrastructure, which the newly operational Metro Rail now provides. This development has added a new dimension to life in Mirpur, fostering business growth, housing development, and more.
Abu Taher, a Chotpoti seller for the past 15 years at Courier Road in Mirpur 10, notes the increasing influx of people since the Metro Rail's commencement. He observes, "As you can see, the crowds have grown significantly. Just a few months ago, you wouldn't find many haleem and kabab carts here. Now, they all line up along this road."
Mojammael Haque, owner of hardware shop Lakshmipur Traders, said, "Mostly those who go to the office using the Metro are the primary beneficiaries of the Metro. We have rather seen our housing rent ramped up. The owner of my shop is proposing to raise the rent."
With Metro Rail, some other improvements have also come along. The road divider was once a place where even some people would urinate. But now, along with the Metro Rail infrastructure, the roads and dividers underneath have also improved.
"I have lived in this area for the last three years. The Metro Rail brought some additional development. What strikes me most is that the road dividers are now clean and make the whole road look better," said Rion.
Apart from this, new buildings have been erected, new shopping malls have opened their doors and new restaurants have lit their stoves in their Mirpur outlets.
Just down the staircase from the Pallabi Metro station, there is this Safura tower which opened for business last year. Most of its floors were empty but in the last few months, it has seen new restaurants opening one after the other.
While getting into the building, there were two queues of people waiting for two elevators of the nine-storied building.
Belayet Hossain, owner of Arabian Restaurant which opened two months ago, said, "Mirpur has always been filled with people. With the Metro, it will be even busier, so that explains our choosing the location for the restaurant. But we have yet to see that expected traction."
The owner of Posh Lounge, a rooftop restaurant at the Safura Tower opened just a month back. Its visiting cards introduced the restaurant as "beside the Pallabi Metro station". The owner, Mehedi Hasan Bulbul, said, "Since there is a Metro station, people can come from even far away so it should have a positive impact on our business"
Apart from restaurants, clothing stores and cafes are popping up everywhere to cater to the growing crowd in Mirour.
"A few days ago, I went to Mirpur. What I saw was incredible," said Professor Mamoon, adding that he could not recognise anything with precision. "Mirpur has become 'self-sufficient like Uttara'," he added.
Before the Metro, massive communication improvement with the area was seen when the Begum Rokeya Sarani opened. Begum Rokeya Sarani and the road in front of the BRTC bus counter changed the landscape of Mirpur, helping the area thrive. Now you can access Mirpur from three ends.
However, local bus owners are having difficulty coping with the new reality.
Mohammad Kochi, Mirpur Link bus's line manager, said that some bus owners are scrapping buses because of the falling number of passengers. "And it is going to get even worse," he said.
Afzal Hossain, driver of Shikor bus which travels from Mirpur 12 to Jatrabari every day said, "The owner of the bus used to have Tk2,500 to Tk2,600 each day after all costs. Now it is even difficult to get Tk2,000. Some of us might have to quit this profession."
But over the century, Mirpur has progressively evolved, acquiring essential amenities over the years, including a public university, private university, medical college, park, zoo, stadium, kitchen market, shopping mall, and cineplex.
And the Metro Rail seems to be the final piece that completes Mirpur's development puzzle.
