Agrabad

Agrabad

Agrabad

Central business district in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Agrabad (Bengali: আগ্রাবাদ) is a central business district in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Located close to the city's harbour, it hosts numerous Bangladeshi and international businesses, banks, financial institutions, and other commercial entities, including the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the World Trade Center, and the Chittagong Stock Exchange. The area forms part of the Double Mooring precinct and is directly connected to the Port of Chittagong. Agrabad is a key business centre in Bangladesh, along with Motijheel, Gulshan, Banani and Kawran Bazar.

Quick Facts আগ্রাবাদ, Country ...

Hotel Agrabad is one of the oldest hotels in the city. Sheikh Mujib Road hosts many businesses, including the art deco offices of M. M. Ispahani Limited and the Jamuna Oil Company. Other streets in Agrabad include Access Road and Sabdar Ali Road. The city's other commercial hubs on Strand Road and Sadarghat are located nearby.

History

Agrabad is located beside the historic commercial centers of Strand Road and Sadarghat. The area emerged as the first modern central business district in the city. By March 1948, ships from various countries began to call on the Chittagong harbour.[1] Banks, shipping companies, the Chittagong Tea Auction, and different kinds of industries and businesses sprang up in the area. The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China had a branch in Chittagong; the bank now constitutes Standard Chartered Bangladesh.[2] M. M. Ispahani Limited shifted its head office from Calcutta to Chittagong; and its head office was set up in Agrabad.[3] Burmah Oil, PNO and James Finlay also established offices in Agrabad. The Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) was established in 1959 for urban planning.[4] The Agrabad Chamber of Commerce was set up in 1963, which later became the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh.[5]

In the 1960s, the creation of the Eastern Refinery and a national oil company increased the importance of the port city of Chittagong. A residential zone was also planned in Agrabad. The CDA created an 82-acre residential area.[6] The CDA planned housing for government employees and workers, whose offices would be located in Agrabad.[7] Today, the area has a large number of local, state-owned and international businesses.[6]

In 1995, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) opened in Agrabad.[8] The CSE emerged as one of the twin stock markets of Bangladesh. Computerized transactions were introduced on the floor of the CSE in 1998. In 1999, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission enacted specific regulations for the CSE, including the CSE Automatic Transaction Regulation and the Chittagong Stock Exchange Investors Protection Fund Regulation.[9]

Agrabad's average elevation is 0.42 metres (1 ft 5 in). As of 2020, the average high tide there is 2.51 metres (8 ft 3 in). Since the early 1990s, the residential area has suffered regular inundation.[10] As of 2018, the roads of the residential area are flooded at least waist deep for several hours twice a day during about a third of each month. Once an affluent neighborhood, it has become a low rent area of absentee landlords.[6] Tidal flooding has also reached the Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital Medical College and the World Trade Center Chittagong in the commercial area.[10]

Commercial activities

Skyline of Agrabad

Many of Bangladesh's largest companies, as well as various multinational firms, have their headquarters or branches located in Agrabad. There are many private commercial banks including AB Bank Limited,[11] Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited,[12] BRAC Bank Limited, The City Bank Limited,[13] Dhaka Bank Limited, Dutch Bangla Bank Limited, Eastern Bank Limited, IFIC Bank Limited, Mercantile Bank Limited, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd.,[14] National Bank Limited, NCC Bank Limited, One Bank Limited, The Premier Bank Limited,[15] Prime Bank Limited, Southeast Bank Limited, Standard Bank Limited,[16] Trust Bank Limited, United Commercial Bank Ltd.,[17] Uttara Bank Limited etc.
Some Islamic commercial banks also located at Agrabad they are Islami Bank of Bangladesh Limited,[18] Export Import Bank of Bangladesh Limited,[19] Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited,[20] Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited.
Major foreign commercial banks located in Agrabad include Citibank NA, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, State Bank of India and National Bank of Pakistan.
There are many Specialized development banks are Bangladesh Krishi Bank,[21] BASIC Bank Limited,[22]
There are also located kinds of Non-bank financial institution, Insurance company, Telecommunication company and others multinational companies are located. Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The World Trade Center Chittagong (WTC Chittagong) etc. commercial building located in the Agrabad Commercial Area.

Agrabad's 2nd economy hub in Bangladesh.

Institutions and structures

Government buildings
Night view of Agrabad
Hotel Agrabad
Hotel Saint Martin at 25 Sheikh Mujib Road
Jamboree Park
Chittagong Stock Exchange
Jamuna Bhaban
The partly-completed World Trade Center Chittagong. Construction of most of the building's upper floors remain incomplete and unfinished.
Akhtaruzzaman Center and Singapore-Bangkok Market
Other high-rises
Government Colonies
  • Agrabad CGS (Masjid) Colony, aka Chittagong Government Service Colony
  • Agrabad Multi Storied Colony
  • Agrabad Government C&B Colony
  • Bangladesh Bank Colony
  • Bahutola Colony
  • Gazetted Officers' Colony
  • Health Colony
  • Postal Officers' Colony
  • P. T. & T. Colony
  • WASA Staff Colony
Shopping Complex
  • Akhtaruzzaman Center
  • EBL (Eastern Bank Ltd) Street Market
  • Lucky Plaza
  • New Dubai IT Bhaban
  • Southland Center
  • Singapore Bangkok Market
Community Centre
  • Agrabad Community Center
  • Agrabad Convention Hall
  • Guljer Convention Center
Hotel & Restaurant

Tourism

Ethnological Museum

Main article: Ethnological Museum, Chittagong
Ethnological Museum of Chittagong

The Ethnological Museum established in 1965, is the only ethnological museum in the country. It offers the visitors the chance to acquaint with the lifestyles and heritage of various ethnic groups of the country. The museum authority had collected rare elements used in the everyday lives of different ethnic groups, of which some had already become extinct while some were on the verge of extinction. It contains four galleries and a small hall. Three galleries of the museum feature diverse elements of twenty nine ethnic groups in Bangladesh, while the rest of the gallery displays the lifestyles of some ethnic groups of India, Pakistan and Australia.[30]

The sculptures of the people of different ethnic communities and a piece of broken Berlin Wall attracts visitors, which close to display since 2017. People can get the impression of different festivals, livelihoods, and cultures of the communities from the murals set up at the hall room. These are reminiscent of the museum in the film Planet of the Apes. Around 200–300 people visit the museum every day.

Jamboree Park

Main article: Jamboree Park

Jamboree Park is the most visited stunning urban park located at SM Morshed Road at central Agrabad and visited by tourists and locals. The park offers a dazzling view at night with several hundred lamps on its pool-like body of water and walkways.[31]

Agrabad Deba

Agrabad Deba

Agrabad Deba pool (small body of water in Bengali) is about 14 acres human-made water reservoir[32] is being this place in the Agrabad commercial area beside Sheikh Mujib Road since the last century. The pool is a place for flyfishing, where it arranging fishing competition every year. It was dug for the Bangladesh Railway and employees of the Port of Chittagong as well as the Chittagong city dwellers during the British period to carry out their daily chores and other activities. After the water reservoir owned by the Bangladesh Railway.[32]

Agrabad seen in the distance in the skyline of Chittagong city

Karnaphuli Shishu Park

Karnaphuli Shishu Park is a recreation park for children located in Jamburi Field near the Bangladesh Bank Colony.[33]

Education

Private medical colleges

Colleges

See also: List of colleges in Chittagong

Schools

See also: List of schools in Chittagong

Health

Media

Transportation

Sheikh Mujib Road

Transport in Agrabad is similar to that of the city, Chittagong. Several roads are present throughout the area. There are various bus transport systems and taxi services, as well as smaller 'baby' or 'CNG' taxis, which are basically tricycle-structured motor vehicles. There are also traditional manual rickshaws, which are very common.

The Agrabad Access road and Sheikh Mujib road are a major arterial road, is the main way to access the area by motor vehicle and otherwise. Those are considered a very busy and populated road, and though are currently 2-lane road.

Agrabad Access Road

Agrabad Access Road is a main commercial road located at Agrabad.[38][39] It is extended to the south side, between Double Mooring Thana and Halishahar Thana. The road started from Badamtali, and crossed Bepari Para, Shantibag, and Boropool.

Sabdar Ali Road

Sabdar Ali Road is a main commercial road located at Agrabad commercial area in central Agradad. It is extended to the eastern side, beside Agrabad Access Road. The road started from Badamtali and connected with Commerce College Road with surrounded to the total commercial area.

Strand Road

  • Badamtali
  • Agrabad Access Road
  • Top view of Agrabad
  • Top view of government colony
  • Aerial view of Postal Officers Colony from C&F Tower
  • Agrabad Officer's Tenis Club
  • Chittagong Government Officer's Building
  • Makkah Madina Trade Centre

See also

References

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