Topkhana Road: What’s in a name?

Dhaka changes its colours, though sometimes, with the patience of decades or even centuries. Today’s Topkhana, or Topkhana Road, was extraordinarily different from its yesteryears — but memories of the “real” Topkhana remain in the name.

Travelling back to the British colonial era, Topkhana, Paltan, and the overall area was the cantonment of the East India Company. In fact, these were collectively called Guard Bazar.

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Meanwhile, Topkhana in particular was where the soldiers kept their artillery. Got the connection? “Top” means cannon or artillery, and hence, Topkhana is where artillery was stationed.

The busy Topkhana Road today does not bear much resemblance to Dhaka’s military past, except to those history geeks who would be curious of how this area got its name.

As for Guard Bazar, it of course no longer exists. It was withdrawn to make civilian residences in around 1840.

Source: "Dacca: History and Romance in Place Names" by Azimusshan Haider