It is a city of 17 million people and the main center of the country's garment, textile, food and metal industries, as well as a market for trade in jute, rice, oilseeds, sugar and tea. It is the origin of muslin, a delicate fabric made of silk, cotton, or wool produced by numerous weavers.
Dhaka houses a university - Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, other scientific centers, and an agricultural research institute. In 1974, the Dhaka Zoo, the largest of its kind in the country, was opened.
In 2013, the biggest construction disaster in modern times in terms of loss of life occurred near Dhaka. It claimed 1127 lives.
