Chawk Bazar is a bustling area soaked with antiquity; it is older than many would imagine: the market, in some form or other, has been in existence for at least 300 years. 

Muntassir Mamoon wrote in his book, Dhaka: Smriti Bismritir Nagari (Volume-1), that in 1702 Murshid Quli Khan established the market, naming it Badshahi Bazar. This is the former name of Chawk Bazar. 

Many years down in history, the 1840 book, A Sketch of the Topography & Statistics of Dacca by James Taylor, left a description of Chawk Bazar: "It is a square of pretty large dimensions, and is surrounded chiefly by mosques and shops. The open space, in which the bazar is held, is enclosed by a low wall, with a carriage road around it..." 

From the olden times to the present day, much has changed, but Chawk Bazar continues to be one of the commercial hubs of the capital.