Khwaja Abdul Ghani
| Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani | |
|---|---|
| Nawab of Dhaka | |
Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani
|
|
| Reign | 1846–1896 |
| Predecessor | Nawab Khwaja Alimullah |
| Successor | Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah |
| Born |
30 July 1813 Begum Bazaar, Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 24 August 1896 (aged 83) Ahsan Manzil, Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Burial | Begum Bazaar, Dhaka |
| Spouse | Ismatun Nesa |
| House | Dhaka Nawab Family |
| Father | Nawab Khwaja Alimullah |
| Mother | Zinat Begum |
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani Mian KCSI (1813–1896) was the first Nawab of Dhaka recognized by the British Raj.
He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, water works, newspaper, and the zoological garden to Dhaka. He established Ahsan Manzil, the residence and seat of power for Dhaka Nawab Family, Victoria Park, the gardens at Dilkhusha and Shahbag, where he initiated many annual events like Boli Khela and agricultural and industrial fair to celebrate the Christian New Year. He was also responsible for the Buckland Bund and the first female ward in the first hospital in Dhaka, and was a founding commissioner of Dhaka municipality.
Khwaja Abdul Ghani was the second son of Khwaja Alimullah, who consolidated the Khwaja estates to become the first Nawab of the family. He inherited the estate from his father, which included the French kuthi at Kumartuli bought by Alimullah in 1830, the Shahbag garden bought by Alimullah from Griffith Cook, a British Justice in 1840. His mother was Zinat Begum. Alimullah had 8 other wives and 15 other children.
Abdul Ghani was quite a multilingual person. He spoke Urdu, his native tongue, Bengali, English, and Persian. He learnt Arabic and Persian at home, and English at Dhaka Collegiate School, where he was the student of the very first batch. He is known as patron of Urdu and Persian literature in Dhaka. He observed the Shi'a Remembrance of Muharram, and contributed to renovate Hoseni Dalan, the Shi'ite centre in Dhaka, though he was a Sunni himself. He also had close relations with the Hindu, Armenian and European community.
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