Hossain Muhammed Zaki

In the seventeenth century, Dhaka was among the most prosperous cities of eastern India, home to nearly nine lakh people.

In 1825, Charles Dowes, the then Magistrate of Dhaka, initiated the clearing of the Ramna jungle using prison labour. He enclosed an oval-shaped area with wooden railings and introduced horse racing competitions. From that time, the white colonial officials and residents of Dhaka found a source of recreation at the racecourse.