Khwaja Alimullah was the founder of the Dhaka Nawab family.
19 Facts About Khwaja Alimullah
Hafizullah raised Khwaja Alimullah, following the early death of Ahsanulla in 1795, and groomed him as an estate manager.
The enterprising Khwaja Alimullah acquired extensive land in and around Dhaka, as well as in Barisal District, Khulna District, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Tripura.
Khwaja Alimullah operated a moneylending business and was a founder of The Dacca Bank, the first European-style bank in Dhaka.
Khwaja Alimullah became one of the major shareholders and a director of the bank.
Khwaja Alimullah's acquisitions were added to those of his uncle, making the united zamindari one of the province's largest.
Khwaja Alimullah distributed the family income in the form of individual allowances stipulated in the waqfnama.
Khwaja Alimullah served on the Dhaka Municipal Committee, taking part in the corporate activities of the city, including playing an important role in the preservation of Lalbagh Fort.
Khwaja Alimullah made a waqf of the income of his estate at Atiya Pargana in Tangail for the welfare of the destitute.
Khwaja Alimullah bought thoroughbred horses for racing and built a modest stable.
Khwaja Alimullah earned recognition as an organiser of sports by setting up the Ramna Racecourse and the Gymkhana Club.
Besides sports and games, Khwaja Alimullah developed a fancy for jewels.
Khwaja Alimullah purchased the famous diamond Dariya-i-Noor at a government auction.
Khwaja Alimullah bought many unique jewellery of the house of the Naib Nazim Ghaziuddin Haider when he became heavily indebted due to the English government stopping his allowance on charges of immoral activities.
In 1830, Khwaja Alimullah purchased the French Trading House at Kumartuli on the bank of the Buriganga as part of his land acquisitions in and around Dhaka.
Khwaja Alimullah converted it into his residence, following reconstruction and renovations.
In 1840, Khwaja Alimullah bought the two garden-houses set up by Aratun, the Armenian businessman, and Griffith Cook, the British Justice, in the Sujatpur area.
Khwaja Alimullah renamed the area as Shahbag and started a project to bring back the splendour to the area known in the Mughal times as Bag-e-Badshahi.
Khwaja Alimullah bought much of vast meadow, known as Ramna, between the garden houses and the Sujatpur Palace flanked by Nurkhan Bazaar.