 Main gate of Dhaka Central Jail, Old Dhaka, Bangladesh | |
 | |
| Location | Nazimuddin Road, Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 23°43′07″N 90°23′53″E / 23.7186°N 90.3981°E |
| Status | Unknown |
| Security class | Maximum |
| Capacity | 2500 |
| Opened | 1778 |
| Closed | 2016 |
| Former name | Dhaka Central Jail |
| Managed by | Bangladesh Jail |
| City | Dhaka |
| Country | Bangladesh |
Dhaka Central Jail was the largest jail in Bangladesh, located in the old section of Dhaka, the country's capital. The jail has been used to house criminals as well as political prisoners, especially during the Language Movement of 1952, the 6 Point Movement, and the Bangladesh Liberation War.
However, the jail earned infamy after the killings of four political leaders — A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman, Tajuddin Ahmad, Syed Nazrul Islam and Captain Muhammad Mansur Ali — on the eve of a military counter-coup on November 3, 1975, against the regime of president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and army chief Ziaur Rahman, which had seized power on August 15 after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The slain leaders are mourned by many supporters in Bangladesh today, with the date informally known as "Jail killing day."