page_title: Dhakaiyas
hierarchical_section_title: Dhakaiyas
context_page_description: The Old Dhakaites are a community of people viewed as the original inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya. Their history dates back to the Mughal period with the migration of cultivators and merchants to the city. The cultivators came to be known as Kutti and they speak Dhakaiya Kutti and the merchants came to be known as Khoshbas and speak Dhakaiya Urdu. There are sizeable populations in other parts of Bangladesh. The Dhakaiyas maintain a distinct identity in addition to their Bengali identity, due to cultural, linguistic, geographical and historical reasons. They have been described as a wealthy but very closed-off community; evidently being a minority in their own hometown. It is said that some people living in Greater Dhaka are even unaware of the existence of an Urdu-speaking non-Bihari minority community although their presence dates back centuries.
context_section_description: The Old Dhakaites (Bengali: পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, romanized: Puran Dhakaiya) are a community of people viewed as the original inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya (this is not to be confused with the majority of Dhaka's citizens who may also use this name to refer to themselves). Their history dates back to the Mughal period with the migration of cultivators and merchants to the city. The cultivators came to be known as Kutti and they speak Dhakaiya Kutti and the merchants came to be known as Khoshbas and speak Dhakaiya Urdu. There are sizeable populations in other parts of Bangladesh. The Dhakaiyas maintain a distinct identity in addition to their Bengali identity, due to cultural, linguistic, geographical and historical reasons. They have been described as a wealthy but very closed-off community; evidently being a minority in their own hometown. It is said that some people living in Greater Dhaka are even unaware of the existence of an Urdu-speaking non-Bihari minority community although their presence dates back centuries.
caption: A Dhakaiya Muslim lady in a muslin sari reclining with a hookah.
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