Uttara Model Town or simply Uttara ( ''

romanised In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

: Uttora'') is a neighbourhood of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

, the capital of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. The name derives from the

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

word ''uttor'' () meaning "north". It lies on the road to

Gazipur Gazipur () is a city in central Bangladesh. Located in Gazipur District in Dhaka Division, it is a major industrial city north of Dhaka. It is a hub for the textile industry in Bangladesh, with 75% of all garment industries situated there. ...

, and adjoins

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka (; ) is the main international airport serving Dhaka City, the capital city of Bangladesh, and it is the largest airport in the country. It is located in Kurmitola, from the city centre, in the ...

History

Planning

In 1966,

Dhaka Improvement Trust Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (, RAJUK) is a Bangladeshi public agency responsible for coordinating urban area, urban Urban planning, development in Dhaka. RAJUK is composed of various public officials, city planners, urban administrators, engi ...

(DIT) planned to build a satellite town under ''North Satellite Town project'' in

Dhaka District Dhaka District () is a Districts of Bangladesh, district in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rests on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River ...

. In 1980, DIT changed the project name into ''Uttara Residential Model Town Project''.

First phase

RAJUK Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (, RAJUK) is a Bangladeshi public agency responsible for coordinating urban area, urban Urban planning, development in Dhaka. RAJUK is composed of various public officials, city planners, urban administrators, engi ...

completed the first phase of the project in 1992. In this phase, Uttara had 6,000 plots. The total land for these plots was 950 acres. Completed sectors in 1st phase are Sector 1, Sector 2, Sector 3, Sector 4, Sector 5, Sector 6, Sector 7, Sector 8, Sector 9, and Sector 10.

Second phase

New phase started after the completion of first phase. Second phase took 6 years to complete. Completed sectors in 2nd phase are Sector 11, Sector 12, Sector 13, and Sector 14.

Third phase

During the course of the third phase circa 2,150 acres (8.7 km2) of land were acquired. About 10,000 residential plots and 225,512 apartments including amenities and urban facilities were provided. The estimated cost of third phase is Tk 23.16 billion. The deadline of the extension project was extended to June 2022. Planned sectors to be built in the 3rd phase are Sector 15, Sector 16, Sector 17, and Sector 18.

Demographics

At the 2011 Bangladesh census, Uttara had a population of 179,907. According to 2011 figures, males constitute 56.33% of the population and females 43.67%, and about 80% of the Uttara's population are adults. Uttara has an average literacy rate of 90.49% (7+ years) which is much higher than the average literacy rate in Bangladesh at 77.9% as of 2023.

Administration

Uttara is divided into administrative and geographical divisions named "Sectors". There are 18 sectors in Uttara. Every sector is under a sector welfare association. Uttara Association is the combination of these sector-wise associations. The Suburb of Uttara is under two wards ( Ward no. 1 and Ward no. 51) of DNCC. Politically this area is under

Dhaka-18 Dhaka-18 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh. Boundaries The constituency encompasses Dhaka North City Corporation wards 1 and 17, and Dakshin Khan, Khilkhet, Turag, Uttara, and Uttar Kha ...

constituency of the

Jatiya Sangsad The Jatiya Sangsad (), often simply referred to as Sangsad and also known as is the unicameral Legislature, legislative body of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved exclusively for w ...

Ward councillor

Geography

Inner Uttara

* Sector 1 * Sector 2 * Sector 3 * Sector 4 * Sector 5 * Sector 6 * Sector 7 * Sector 8 * Sector 9 * Sector 10 * Sector 11 * Sector 12 * Sector 13 * Sector 14 * Sector 15 * Sector 16 * Sector 17 * Sector 18

Outer Uttara

* Uttarkhan/ Uttar Khan * Dakshinkhan/ Dakshin Khan/ Daxinkhan * Phulbaria (Adjacent to Sector 10) * Ranabhola (Adjacent to Sector 10) * Kamarpara (Adjacent to Sector 10) * Dhour * Bamnartek * Nolbhog * Noa Nagar * Dolipara (Adjacent to Sector 5) * Katoitala (Adjacent to Sector 5) * Pakuria * Diabari * Khantek * Jatrabari * Ahalia * Ashkona * Khalpar * Tarartek * Abdullahpur (Situated at the banks of

Turag River Turag River (; ) is the upper tributary of the Buriganga, a major river in Bangladesh. The Turag originates from the Bangshi River, the latter an important tributary of the Dhaleshwari River, flows through Gazipur and joins the Buriganga at ...

, adjacent to sector 9)

Private housing

* Priyanka City (Adjacent to Sector 12) * Rupayan City (Situated to the west at the end of Sector 12 of Uttara)

Economy

Uttara is a planned city and is one of the elite suburbs in Dhaka. For that reason, and many other attractive features, Uttara is one of the most desirable residential areas in Dhaka. According to a survey conducted by B-property in 2019, Uttara is the first choice of Dhaka residents for living. Mr Nuswardi is a Chief Executive of the property website named B-Property. He said to

BBC Bangla BBC Bangla () is the Bengali language service of the BBC World Service, inaugurated in 1941 for Bengali audiences worldwide especially the ones in the Bengal region, which includes the sovereign state of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West ...

that this planned satellite town is an important place in the capital of Bangladesh which has all necessary amenities and services the residents need. In the future, more and more people will start living in Purbachal, which is located adjacent to the area so it is a plus point. Uttara is a popular destination for shooting Bangladeshi dramas. Sector 7 Bridge is a popular destination for

street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

lovers. Home to many street food vendors, the suburbs also house many posh, luxurious restaurants and fine-dinings. Residents from other parts of Dhaka visit these restaurants frequently. Uttara has a large number of educational institutions such as RAJUK Uttara Model College, Uttara High School and College, Milestone College,

International University of Business Agriculture and Technology International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) was established in 1991 by M Alimullah Miyan and was subsequently recognized under the Private University Act (PUA) of 1992 (now replaced by PUA 2010). It is the first pr ...

Uttara University Uttara University () or UU is a private university at Uttara, in Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city ...

, Aeronautical Institute of Bangladesh. Uttara is also home to some of the city's most popular and prestigious schools of the English Medium curriculum such as

Sunnydale Sunnydale is the fictional setting for the American television drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). The series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California, Californian city, as well as a narr ...

, Sunbeams,

Scholastica Scholastica (; – 10 February 543) was an Italian Christian hermit and the sister of Benedict of Nursia. She is traditionally regarded as the Organizational founder, foundress of the Benedictines, Benedictine nuns. Scholastica is honored as ...

, International Hope School Bangladesh and Mastermind School.

Parks and recreation

Uttara Model Town has a total of 8 parks. Sectors 1, 2, 5, 8, 9 and 10 have no parks. There are numerous lakes in Uttara except in sectors 1, 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12. There is a children amusement park in sector 15 named Fantasy Island. It has Uttara Lake and Khidir Canal.

Transportation

Roads

Many bus services give various transportation services in Uttara. Many taxi services are available in this area such as

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...

, Pathao, Shohoz, InDrive, etc.

Rail

Residents of Uttara use the

Dhaka Airport Railway Station Airport railway station or Biman Bandar railway station is a railway station in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Situated opposite to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, it can be accessed from the Airport Road. Overview It is the second ...

to travel. Situated opposite to

, it is accessible via the Airport Road. Dhaka Airport Railway Station

At present, the

MRT Line 6 The MRT Line 6 () is a rapid transit line of the Dhaka Metro Rail. Despite its number, it is Bangladesh's first rapid transit line and has been in service since 2022. The line is entirely elevated and currently has 16 stations operational in serv ...

Dhaka Metro The Dhaka Metro Rail () is a rapid transit, mass rapid transit system serving Dhaka (currently from Uttara North to Motijheel), the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is operated by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). Toget ...

connects Diabari of Uttara to

Motijheel Motijheel () is a central business district and a thana of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is Dhaka's primary central business district, and also the nation's largest commercial and financial hub. Motijheel, located immediately adjacent to Dhaka's zero ...

There are three metro stations in Uttara under

, these include: Uttara North, Uttara Centre and Uttara South.

Air

There is an airport situated in Kurmitola, Dhaka named

Shahjalal International Airport Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka (; ) is the main international airport serving Dhaka City, the capital city of Bangladesh, and it is the largest airport in the country. It is located in Kurmitola, from the city centre, in the ...

. It can be accessed by the eight-lane Airport Road. To the north of the airport lies

Uttara Uttara, which means "north" in Sanskrit and many other South Asian languages, may refer to: Places *Uttara (town), Uttara, a neighbourhood north of Dhaka, Bangladesh *Uttara Export Processing Zone, Bangladesh *Uttara East Thana *Uttara West Thana ...

area and

city, while

city lies to its south. There is a railway station immediately outside (facing) the airport named Airport Railway Station.

Streets

* Artist Quamrul Hassan Road * Sonargaon Janapath * Jashimuddin Avenue * Isha Kha Avenue * Rabindra Sarani * Gareeb-e-Nawaz Avenue * Gausul Azam Avenue * Shah Makhdum Avenue * Alaul Avenue * Shayesta Kha Avenue * Shahjalal Avenue * Ranabhola Avenue * Eskaton Avenue

Public institutions

Post Office

There is a sub-post office situated in sector 3. Its postal code is 1231 .

Fire Service

There is a fire service and civil defence station in Uttara.

Regional Passport Office

Uttara has RPO (Regional Passport Office) situated in sector 12.

Thanas

The neighbourhood of Uttara has six thanas (police stations). * Uttara East Thana *

Uttara West Thana Uttara West Thana () is a Thanas of Bangladesh, thana of Bangladesh situated in Sector 11 of Uttara (Town), Uttara, Dhaka. History This thana was established on 4 September 2012 to decrease the responsibility of former Uttara Thana (now Uttara Eas ...

* Turag Thana * Airport Thana * Uttarkhan Thana * Dhakshinkhan Thana

Hospitals

* Aichi Hospital * Al Ashraf General Hospital * Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital * Radical Hospital * Shin Shin Japan Hospital * Uttara Adhunik Medical College & Hospital * Japan East West Medical College Hospital * Women and Children's Hospital, Uttara * Ahsania Mission Cancer & General Hospital

Education

Schools

* Aga Khan School, Dhaka * Armed Police Battalion High School * Azampur Government Primary School * Bangladesh International Tutorial (BIT) * Belmont International School * Blooming Flower School * Child Plan School * Don Bosco School and College * Glenrich International School, Uttara * Euro International School * Green Lawn School and College * Heritage International College * International Turkish Hope School, Dhaka * Kids Campus School * Life Preparatory School * MaHaad International School * Mastermind School * Mileshium School * Milestone College * Moajjem Hossain Ideal School & College * Nawab Habibullah Model School & College * Oxford International School, Uttara campus * Peace International School (PIS) * Premier School Dhaka (PSD) * Rangon Academy * Rajuk Uttara Model College * Rangon Art School * Red Brick School * Scholastica school * Sky Touch School * South Breeze School * Sunbeams School * Sunnydale * The Headway School * Time International Academy * Uttara High School and College * Uttara Model College * Uttara Model School * Uttara Town College

Colleges and universities

* Aeronautical Institute of Bangladesh * Aeronautical College of Bangladesh * Asian University *

Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology (), abbreviated as ADUST, is a private university in Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The university was named after Atish Dipankara Srijnana, the ancient Buddhist scholar. History Authorized by Priva ...

* BGMEA Institute of Fashion & Technology * Heritage International College of Aviation Science and Management *

* Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology * Tagore University of Creative Arts *

Medical colleges

* Japan East West Medical College Hospital * Medical College for Women and Hospital *

Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College, Dhaka (SMAMC) () is a private medical college in Uttara Model Town, Uttara, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is affiliated with the University of Dhaka. It offers a five-year course of study leading to ...

* Uttara Adhunik Medical College & Hospital

Tourist attractions

* Diabari * Mugdho Mancha * Uttara Lake

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Uttara (town) Neighbourhoods in Dhaka Planned communities in Bangladesh 1966 establishments in East Pakistan Populated places established in the 1960s