Dhaka Prakash

Dhaka (Dacca) Prakash (Bengali: ঢাকা প্রকাশ) was the first Bengali language newspaper published in Dhaka, capital of East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh). First published in 1861, the newspaper remained in publication for about a century. No other newspaper in the East Bengal remained active for such a long time.

Although Dhaka Prakash initially served as a tool to promote and exchange issues of the Brahma Samaj, its policies and orientation transformed as ownership changed through the years. The newspaper played an important role to chronicle the social, cultural, and political developments of the region.

During the first two decades, the newspaper promoted the liberal social messages of eminent members of the Brahma Samaj in Dhaka. However, when ownership changed, the newspaper started supporting the viewpoint of orthodox Hindus. In terms of political issues, in the first half of the nineteenth century, the paper took a middle position most of the time. As a result, the newspaper experienced obstacles during the Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi Movement in Bengal.

The Bengali poet Krishna Chandra Majumder was the first editor of the paper. Other long-term editors were Govindan Prasad Roy, Garganega Aich Chowdhury, and Mukund Bihari Chakrabarty.