Dhaka Cantonment: History
=== British India ===
Due to major military engagements affecting Bengal, the then Parliament of the United Kingdom passed a bill within the Government of India Act 1858 to build new fortifications apart from Fort William across the region, the British often converted Mughal forts into military bases, such as in Lalbagh and Idrakpur. However, in 1874, small scale military installations were built in Old Dacca, Pilkhana and Tejgaon at the outcome of Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1853. The Tejgaon garrison where the modern Dhaka Cantonment stands, played a pivotal role of logistics during Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 and, again in Burma campaign in Second World War where it served as the initial headquarters of fourteenth army before shifting to Cumilla Cantonment. The British Army rechristened the area as Dacca cantonment and built an airbase and an army station at Tejgaon as part of the South-East Asian campaign of Second World War. This installation primarily served British forces and conducted redoubt operations against Imperial Japanese Army who were invading from Burma. At that time, Dacca cantonment was installed with mostly units of Royal Indian Air Force and few components of 2nd Infantry Division (headquartered then at Chittagong) in 1944 reflecting its early and limited development.
On 14 August 1947, the cantonment became an installation of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and in 1952, it was fully ameliorated, with the headquarters of 14th Infantry Division of Pakistan Army stationed here as the sole army division of East Pakistan. On 23 August 1969, the Pakistan Eastern Command's headquarters here was inaugurated with Lt. Gen. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan being appointed as its first commander. Dhaka Cantonment also became one of the major scheming place for Operation Searchlight under Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan with major political leaders of Awami league and intellectuals detained as well as tormented in the cantonment. The Pakistan Army eventually withdrew from its installation on 16 December 1971, according to their instrument of surrender, after the outcome of Bangladesh Liberation War. …