This is a timeline of Bangladeshi history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Bangladesh and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Bangladesh. See also the list of presidents of Bangladesh and list of prime ministers of Bangladesh, and the list of years in Bangladesh.
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalcolithic period. The Pandu Rajar Dhibi archaeological site dates to this period. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban civilization emerges at Mahasthangarh, Bogra district, capital of the Pundravardhana area. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anga and Pundra Kingdoms emerge. | |||
| 544 BC | Conquest of the island of Lanka by Vijaya Singha |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450 BC | Urban civilization emerges at Wari-Bateshwar[1] |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 BC | The kingdom of Gangaridai mentioned in an account by Greek traveller Megasthenes. Ancient city of Pundravardhana also dates back to this period. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 335-375 | Mention of Samatata in Allahabad Pillar inscription as a tributary of the Gupta empire under Samudragupta.[2] | ||
| 375-415 | Samatata is annexed to the Gupta empire during the reign of Chandragupta II. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500-510 | Gupta influence dwindles during the reign of Vainyagupta and Gopachandra emerges as an independent ruler of Samatata.[3] | ||
| 590-625 | Reign of Shashanka, foundation of Gauda Kingdom. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 625 | Khadgodyama (to 640) | ||
| 640 | Jatakhadga (to 658) | ||
| 658 | Devakhadga (to 673) | ||
| 673 | Rajabhata (to 690) | ||
| 690 | Balabhata (to 705) |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 750 | Gopala I, founder of the Pala Dynasty comes to power in Gaur through a democratic election. | |
| Buddhist kings of the Pala Empire rule the entire subcontinent from Gauda. (to 1000) |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 900 | Rule of the Candra or Chandra dynasty in the Harikela (south-east Bangladesh) region. (to 1000) | ||
| 950 | Start of writing of Charyapada, the oldest writing form of Bengali language. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1095 | Hemanta Sen declares himself king of Bengal founding the Sena dynasty. | |
| Rule of Sena Dynasty in Bengal. (to 1204) | ||
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1204 | Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khalji's conquest of Bengal. Onset of Muslim rule in Bengal. | ||
| Rule of the Turkic Khilji Maliks. (to 1226) | |||
| 1226 | Iltutmish, Sultan of Delhi, invades Bengal and kills Ghiyasuddin Iwaj Shah, the last Khilji ruler. | ||
| 1227 | Rule of the Mameluk Sultans of Delhi. (to 1281) | ||
| 1281 | Rule of the Mahmud Shahi dynasty. (to 1324) |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1328 | Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, the last ruler of the dynasty is defeated and killed by the army of the Delhi Sultanate. | ||
| 1342 | First period of rule by the independent Ilyas Shahi Dynasty. (to 1414) |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1415 | The Ganesha Dynasty usurps power. (to 1436) | ||
| 1436 | Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah restores the Ilyas Shahi Dynasty. | ||
| Second period of rule by the Ilyas Shahi Dynasty. (to 1486) | |||
| 1487 | Jalaluddin Fateh Shah is assassinated by Habshi slaves. | ||
| Rule of the Habshi Sultans. (to 1494) | |||
| 1494 | Rule of the Hussain Shahi dynasty. (to 1538) |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1534 | The Portuguese arrive at Chittagong and receive trade permits. | ||
| 1538 | Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah, the last Hussain Shahi Sultan and his Portuguese allies are defeated by Sher Shah Suri. | ||
| Humayun occupies Gaur, but leaves Bengal to Sher Shah Suri. | |||
| 1575 | Battle of Tukaroi between the Sultanate of Bangala and the Mughal Empire. | ||
| 1578 | Mughal Subahdar Khan Jahan invades the Bhati region of East Bengal, but is defeated by Isa Khan and his allies, near Kishoreganj. | ||
| 1584 | Mughal Subahdar Shahbaz Khan captures Sonargaon, capital of Isa Khan who then defeats the Mughal army in the battles of Egarasindhur and Bhawal to reclaim his lands. | ||
| 1586 | The second campaign of Shahbaz Khan. Isa Khan proposes peace and pretends loyalty. | ||
| 1594 | Raja Man Singh is appointed Subahdar of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. | ||
| 1597 | Man Singh sends forces against Isa Khan but they are defeated in a naval battle near Vikrampur. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1608 | Subahdar Islam Khan's leads an expedition into Bengal to subjugate the local rulers then moves the provincial capital to Dhaka and renames it Jahangir Nagar. (to 1613) |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1757 | Battle of Palashi. a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal establishes Company rule in India. The last Nawab was Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah | ||
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar, With the defeat of Mir Qasim, Mir Jafar's successor at the Battle of Boxer, the ruling power of Bengal was formally taken over by the British. | ||
| 1765 | After the Battle of Boxer, in 1765, Robert Clive received the civil rights of Bengal-Bihar-Orissa from the last Mughal Emperor of Delhi, Shah Alam. | ||
| 1770 | Bengal famine of 1770 causes the death of 10 million people.(1/3 portion people died) | ||
| 1793 | Permanent Settlement Act imposed on Bengal. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 | Indian Rebellion of 1857 also known as the Sepoy Mutiny/ Indian Mutiny breaks out. | ||
| 1841 | Establishment of Dhaka College also known as the first college of Bangladesh. | ||
| 1858 | East India Company is dissolved and the British Raj begins. | ||
| 2 August | The Government of India Act was passed in the British Parliament. | ||
| 1861 | In 1861, the Government of India was directed to set up a representative legislature in Bengal and the proceedings of the Bengal Legislative Assembly began. | ||
| 1862 | 1 February | The proceedings of the Bengal Legislative Assembly began. The number of members was 12. But in 1892, the number of member increased to 21. |
| Year | Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Partition of Bengal. | ||
| 1907 | Haraprasad Shastri discovered Charyapad, the oldest known Bengali written form. | ||
| 1921 | Establishment of Dhaka University, the first university of Bengal territory (now Bangladesh). | ||
| 1930 | 18 April | Chittagong Armoury Raid by Surya Sen. | |
| 1934 | 12 January | Surya Sen was hanged on 12 January 1934 by the British rulers following the arrest in February 1933. | |
| 1936 | September | A. K. Fazlul Huq forms the Krishak Sramik Party. | |
| 1947 | 14 & 15 August | Partition of British India, Pakistan and India become two independent states. | |
| 1948 | 11 March | General strike by students protesting at the exclusion of Bengali as an official language. | |
| 21 March | Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah declares in a civic reception that "Urdu, and only Urdu" will remain as the state language.[4] | ||
| 24 March | Jinnah reasserts his 'Urdu-only' policy in a speech at Curzon Hall at the University of Dhaka. | ||
| 28 March | Jinnah reiterates his language policy on radio. | ||
| 1949 | 23 June | Formation of the Awami Muslim League | |
| 1952 | 21 February | Bengali Language Movement reaches its peak as the police open fire on protesting students. | |
| 1953 | 17 April | The Awami Muslim League becomes the Awami League. | |
| 1954 | 11 March | The United Front wins most of the seats in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. | |
| 30 May | Governor General Ghulam Muhammad deposes United Front government and establishes Governor-rule. | ||
| 1955 | 6 June | The United Front government is reinstated, Awami League does not participate. | |
| 14 October | 'East Bengal' renamed 'East Pakistan'. | ||
| 1956 | 29 February | Bengali becomes one of the state languages of Pakistan. | |
| 1958 | 7 October | Constitution abrogated and martial law declared in Pakistan. | |
| 1960 | 5 May | Dhaka Residential Model College Established. | |
| 1963 | 21 February | Inauguration of the Shaheed Minar language martyr memorial. | |
| 1966 | 5 February | Six point Bengali nationalist movement led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerges. | |
| 1968 | Agartala Conspiracy Case filed by the government of Pakistan accusing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others of sedition. | ||
| 1969 | January | Mass Uprising of '69 (ঊনসত্তরের গণ-অভ্যুত্থান) in East Pakistan. (to February) | |
| 25 March | Ayub Khan resigns and Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan assumes power under martial law. | ||
| 1970 | 12 November | 1970 Bhola cyclone | |
| 7 December | First general election in Pakistan. Awami League gains majority. | ||
| 1971 | 2 March | First hoisting of the National flag of Bangladesh (initial version) at the Dhaka University[5] by Vice President of Dhaka University Students' Union (DUCSU) leader A. S. M. Abdur Rab. | |
| 7 March | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman makes his historic freedom speech. | ||
| 25 March | Pakistan Army launches Operation Searchlight at midnight on the 25th, marking the start of the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. Sheikh Mujib is arrested. (to 26 March) | ||
| 26 March | Sheikh Mujib declares the independence of Bangladesh before his arrest by Pakistani Army.[6] | ||
| 27 March | Major Ziaur Rahman broadcasts the declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman over the radio.[7] | ||
| 31 March | Kushtia resistance begins.[8] | ||
| 2 April | Jinjira genocide | ||
| 10 April | Formation of a provisional Bangladesh government-in-exile.[9] | ||
| 18 April | M. A. G. Osmani takes command of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. | ||
| 17 April | The government-in-exile takes oath at Mujibnagar. | ||
| 18 April | Battle of Daruin, Comilla and Battle of Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway, Chittagong Hill Tracts. | ||
| 5 May | Gopalpur massacre, workers slain by the Pakistani Army[10] | ||
| 20 May | Chuknagar massacre by the Pakistan Army. | ||
| 24 May | Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra radio station established in Kolkata. | ||
| 11 July | Sector Commanders Conference 1971. (to 17 July) | ||
| 16 August | Operation Jackpot, Bangladesh naval commando operation. | ||
| 20 August | Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman attempts to defect after hijacking a fighter plane. | ||
| 5 September | Battle of Goahati, Jessore. | ||
| 28 September | Bangladesh Air Force functional. | ||
| 13 October | Dhaka guerrillas kill Abdul Monem Khan, governor of East Pakistan. | ||
| 28 October | Battle of Dhalai Outpost, Srimongol. | ||
| 9 November | Six small ships constitute the first fleet of Bangladesh Navy. | ||
| 16 November | Battle of Ajmiriganj, an 18‑hour encounter between Mukti Bahini Freedom Fighters and the Pakistan army. | ||
| 20 November | Battle of Garibpur between India and the Pakistan Army. (to 21 November) | ||
| 21 November | Mitro Bahini, a joint force of Bangladesh and Indian troops formed. | ||
| 22 November | Battle of Boyra, involving Pakistani and Indian air force. | ||
| 3 December | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 breaks out. Bangladesh Air Force destroys Pakistani oil depots.[11] | ||
| 4 December | India officially invades East Pakistan. | ||
| 6 December | India becomes the first country to recognize Bangladesh. Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra radio station becomes Bangladesh Betar. | ||
| 7 December | Liberation of Jessore, Sylhet and the Moulovi Bazar. | ||
| 9 December | Chandpur and Daudkandi liberated. | ||
| 10 December | Liberation of Laksham. Two Bangladeshi ships sunk mistakenly by Indian air attack. | ||
| 11 December | Liberation of Hilli, Mymensingh, Kushtia and Noakhali. | ||
| 14 December | Selective genocide of Bengali intellectuals, liberation of Bogra. | ||
| 16 December | Surrender of the Pakistan army and liberation of Dhaka. | ||
| 22 December | The provisional government of Bangladesh arrives in Dhaka from exile. | ||
| 1972 | 9 February | The 25-year Indo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace is signed in Dhaka. | |
| 10 January | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to Bangladesh. | ||
| 17 March | Indian army leaves Dhaka. | ||
| 19 March | The prime ministers of Bangladesh and India sign the Joint River Commission bilateral working group.[12] | ||
| 4 November | Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is adopted by the Assembly. | ||
| 16 December | Constitution of Bangladesh becomes effective. | ||
| 1973 | 7 March | First general election in Bangladesh is held, Bangladesh Awami League secures a majority. | |
| 6 September | Bangladesh joins the Non-Aligned Movement(NAM). | ||
| 15 December | Gallantry awards for wartime service published in the Bangladesh Gazette. | ||
| 1974 | Bangladesh famine of 1974 cause the deaths of over one million people. | ||
| 22 February | Pakistan recognizes Bangladesh. | ||
| 9 April | A tripartite agreement is signed between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan regarding post-war humanitarian issues.[13] | ||
| 17 September | Bangladesh joins the United Nations (UN).[14] | ||
| 28 December | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares a state of emergency. | ||
| 1975 | 25 January | A fourth amendment to the constitution abolishes the parliamentary system and establishes a presidential system in its place. | |
| 25 February | Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL) established under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the single legitimate political party. | ||
| 15 August | Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. | ||
| 3 November | On Jail Killing Day, four leaders of the liberation war are assassinated in prison. | ||
| 7 November | Major General Ziaur Rahman becomes deputy Martial Law Administrator. | ||
| 1976 | 21 July | Lieutenant Colonel. Abu Taher was sentenced to death for overthrowing the government and destroying the armed forces. | |
| 29 August | Death of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. | ||
| 1977 | 21 April | Zia-ur Rahman replaces Sayem as president. | |
| 30 May | Zia-ur Rahman gains 98.9 percent of votes in a referendum on his continuance as president. | ||
| 3 June | Supreme Court justice Abdus Sattar becomes vice president. | ||
| 1 September | Formation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP). | ||
| 28 September | Japanese Red Army terrorist group forces a hijacked Japan Airlines Flight to land in Dhaka. | ||
| 1978 | Bangladesh is elected to a two-year term on the UN Security Council. | ||
| 3 June | Zia-ur Rahman wins presidential election and secures his position for a five-year term. | ||
| 1979 | 18 February | The 1979 General Election takes place. Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Zia scores a decisive victory.[15] | |
| 1981 | 30 May | Assassination of Ziaur Rahman. | |
| 1982 | 24 March | Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad assumes power after a bloodless coup. | |
| 4 October | Bangladesh signs a memorandum of understanding with India on water sharing over the following two years.[16] | ||
| 1983 | 11 December | Hussain Muhammad Ershad takes over as president. | |
| 1986 | 7 May | At the 1986 General Election, a victory by the Jatiya Party consolidates Ershad's position. | |
| 1987 | 7 December | Ershad dissolves parliament under opposition pressure. | |
| 1988 | 3 March | Jatiya Party gains an overwhelming majority in the General Election with 68.44% of the votes. | |
| 2 December | A devastating cyclone strikes Bangladesh.[17] | ||
| 1989 | 26 April | The Daulatpur-Salturia Tornado, one of the deadliest in world history hits Bangladesh.[18] | |
| 1990 | 6 December | Ershad offers resignation. | |
| 1991 | 27 February | 1991 Bangladeshi general election, Bangladesh Nationalist party snatches victory. | |
| 29 April | 1991 Bangladesh cyclone kills more than 138,000. | ||
| 1996 | 14 May | Over 400 are killed as a tornado strikes northern Bangladesh.[19] | |
| 19 May | Failed attempt of coup d'état by Lt. Gen. Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim, Bir Bikram. | ||
| 12 June | General election of '96, Bangladesh Awami League gains majority. | ||
| 12 December | India and Bangladesh sign a 30-year treaty on Ganges water sharing. | ||
| 1997 | 2 December | The 'Chittagong Hill tracts Peace Accord' is signed between Bangladesh government and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti.[20] | |
| 1999 | 28 May | Veteran Bangladeshi actor-producer Shakib Khan made his debut with the film Ananta Bhalobasha.[21] [22] | |
| 1999 | 17 November | 21 February is declared International Mother Language Day in the 30th General Conference of UNESCO. | |
| 2000 | 20 March | President Clinton becomes the first US president to visit Bangladesh.[23] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October | Bangladesh Nationalist Party secures a decisive victory at the Eighth General Election. | |
| 1 January | Sale of polythene bags banned in Dhaka for environmental reasons.[24] | |
| 5 February | Death penalty introduced for acid attacks.[25] | |
| 29 August | Transparency International lists Bangladesh amongst the most corrupt nations.[26] | |
| 20 May | Terrorist attack on British High Commissioner in Sylhet.[27] | |
| 21 August | 2004 Dhaka grenade attack by terrorist organization Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI). | |
| 27 January | Shah A M S Kibria assassinated in a grenade attack in the Habiganj District, Sylhet.[28] | |
| 25 February | Bangladesh peacekeepers ambushed and killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[29] | |
| 6 March | Terrorist leader Siddique ul-Islam captured. | |
| 17 August | Terrorist group JMB simultaneously detonates 500 bombs in 300 different locations. | |
| Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. | ||
| 2 March | Terrorist leader Shaykh Abdur Rahman captured. | |
| 24 April | A training aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force crashes in the Jhenaidah District. | |
| 24 June | Remains of Bir Sreshtho awardee Matiur Rahman are brought back to Bangladesh. | |
| 11 January | President Iajuddin Ahmed declares a state of emergency. | |
| 12 January | Fakhruddin Ahmed takes the oath as the Chief Adviser of the caretaker government. | |
| 30 March | Leaders of terrorist group JMJB are executed. | |
| 16 July | Sheikh Hasina arrested on extortion charges and denied bail. | |
| 3 September | Khaleda Zia arrested on corruption charges. | |
| 15 November | Cyclone Sidr hits the coast, causing the death of around 3,500 people. | |
| 10 December | Remains of Bir Sreshtho awardee Hamidur Rahman bought back to Bangladesh and reinterred next to Bir Shrestho Matiur Rahman. | |
| 11 June | Sheikh Hasina released on parole and flown out to the US for medical treatment. | |
| 29 December | Bangladesh Awami League secures a landslide victory in 2008 Bangladeshi general election. Sheikh Hasina becomes prime minister for the second time. | |
| 25-27 February | Mutiny staged by paramilitary force Bangladesh Rifles. | |
| 25 May | Cyclone Aila ravages the south-west coast. | |
| 19 November | Verdict on the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Bangabandhu Murder Case.[30] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 28 January | Execution of five condemned killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[31] | |
| 24 March | Tiny South Talpatti Island off the coast of Bengal disappears, washed away thirty years after the mud flat island was created by delta currents, ending the Indian and Bangladeshi dispute over the territory.[32] [33] | |
| 17 February | Widespread outrage at the killing of Felani Khatun a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who was shot and killed by India's Border Security Force (BSF), at India-Bangladesh border.[34] [35] | |
| 17 February | Bangladesh co-hosts the ICC Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. | |
| 5 September | India and Bangladesh sign a pact to end their 40-year border demarcation dispute.[36] | |
| 18 January | Bangladesh Army claimed to have foiled a coup d'état attempt. | |
| 24 November | Garments factory fire at Tazreen Fashion factory in Ashulia kills 117.[37] | |
| 24 April | Garments factory collapse at Savar claims 1,134 lives.[38] | |
| 5 January | 2014 Bangladeshi general election. Landslide Awami League victory. Sheikh Hasina elected for the third term as prime minister. | |
| 1-2 July | Terrorist attack and hostage crisis at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka culminating in the death of 29.[39] [40] | |
| 25 August | Rohingya refugee crisis breaks out. Over 700,000 refugees flee to Bangladesh over the next four months.[41] [42] [43] [44] | |
| 30 December | 2018 Bangladeshi general election. Landslide Awami League victory. Sheikh Hasina elected for the fourth term as prime minister. | |
| 27 November | Seven terrorists sentenced to death for the July 2016 Dhaka attack.[45] | |
| 8 March | First three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bangladesh.[46] | |
| 18 March | First confirmed COVID-19 death in Bangladesh.[47] | |
| 20 May | Cyclone Amphan ravages West Bengal and south-western coast of Bangladesh.[48] | |
| 2023 | 29 June | The highest grossing Bangladeshi film of all-time Priyotoma was released.[49] [50] |
| 2024 | 5 August | Sheikh Hasina resigns as prime minister and flees to India because of 2024 Non-cooperation movement while her official residence is stormed by protesters.[51] |
Timelines of History: Bangladesh
National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh
. Second . Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.