While "Monuments" is not a city, the monuments of the Dhaka region themselves trace the rich and often bloody history of the birth of Bangladesh. Following the partition of India in 1947, the region became East Pakistan, setting the stage for decades of cultural and political friction.
The earliest major national monument in the area, the Shaheed Minar, was born out of the Bengali Language Movement. In 1952, students and activists protesting for the right to use their mother tongue were killed by police. The original memorial was quickly erected, later destroyed by military forces, and ultimately rebuilt into the sweeping, curved structure that stands today.
The defining moment of the region's modern history was the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. To honor the millions who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence, the government commissioned the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiyo Smriti Soudho) in Savar. Designed by architect Syed Mainul Hossain, its construction began in 1978 and was completed in 1982. Today, these monuments serve as the focal points for massive national gatherings on Independence Day (March 26), Victory Day (December 16), and Language Movement Day (February 21).