Bakarkhani: A Tale of Love and Legendary Bread

If you talk to people in the old part of town about a special crispy bread called bakarkhani, you’ll quickly find out that it means a lot to them. There’s something very comforting about this traditional bread. It has a sweet smell, and the flatbreads are dry and crumbly. When you take a bite of bakarkhani, it melts in your mouth with a hint of sweetness. You can even get it in different flavors like regular, sweet, and cheese.

Even though you can find stacks of freshly-baked bakarkhani in bakeries all over Old Dhaka, it hasn’t lost its charm.

One customer said, “It’s not just about making bread; it’s about doing what you love,” as they bought a pack from the seller.

A regular customer nodded and said, “Bakarkhani is a must-have on weekends.”

A Tale of Love and Courage

Bakarkhani is a part of Mughlai cuisine, which includes dishes from the Mughal Empire in ancient India.

But what makes this biscuit-like bread special is its history.

Around 1700, a man named Murshid Quli Khan became a leader in East Bengal and came to Dhaka. He brought a young boy named Aga Bakar with him.

Khan liked Bakar right away and taught him about leadership and warfare. Bakar was a quick learner and, with Khan’s support, became the commander of Khan’s army in Chattogram.

“This is where our story begins,” the storyteller paused to take a sip of tea. He knew the legend well and had heard it from his father. “It all started in Chattogram when Bakar met Khani Begum, a famous dancer from Arambagh.”

“For them, it was love at first sight,” he added.

“But Kotwal Jainul, the son of a high official in Khan’s court, also had his eye on her. One day, Jainul tried to harm her, but Bakar saved her. Later, they had a duel, and Jainul had to leave the area.”

Seizing the opportunity, Jainul’s friends spread rumors that Bakar had killed him and hidden the body. Even Khan believed it. He sentenced Bakar to death and ordered him to be thrown into a tiger’s den. After a fierce battle, Bakar managed to escape by killing the tiger.

Meanwhile, Jainul reappeared and forcibly took Khani to a forest in southeast Bengal, where he hid. When Bakar arrived, it was too late. Out of jealousy, Jainul stabbed Khani with his sword, and she died in Bakar’s arms.

Bakar was heartbroken. He left everything behind and stayed in the area. To honor their love, he inspired bakers to make a special kind of bread and named it “Bakar-Khani.”

This story has been inspiring generations of bakers in Old Dhaka.

As the conversation ended around noon, after enjoying several bakarkhanis and cups of tea, one of the seller’s sons said, “We have our own tale. Our mother became a huge fan of our father’s bakarkhanis after buying some from our grandfather’s shop.”

“It was bakarkhani that eventually brought them together,” He added with a smile.