The
Inter-Continental Dacca opened in 1966, when the city, then known as Dacca, was the capital of
East Pakistan. The hotel was the first international
five-star hotel in what would soon become the nation of Bangladesh. It was designed by architect
William B. Tabler. The hotel played host to many important political events in the run up to the independence of Bangladesh, including negotiations on the transfer of power after the
1970 elections. During the
Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, it was declared a
neutral zone by the
International Red Cross. Many buildings in its surrounding neighborhoods were targeted by the Pakistani military, including newspaper offices and university halls. It was attacked during
Operation Hotel Intercontinental which caused deaths of many Pakistani soldiers.
InterContinental Hotels operated the hotel until 1983, when it was taken over by
Sheraton, becoming the
Sheraton Dhaka Hotel. In 2011, Sheraton announced that it would end its contract with the Bangladeshi government to manage the hotel, which was renamed the
Ruposhi Bangla Hotel. In 2013, it was announced that InterContinental Hotels would re-assume management of the state-owned property, following a major renovation. The hotel closed on September 1, 2014, and reopened as the InterContinental Dhaka on December 19, 2018. ==References==