Khilgaon Thana

Khilgaon (খিলগাঁও) is a thana (police jurisdiction) and neighbourhood in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The thana encompasses Dhaka South City Corporation wards 24, 25, and 26. In 2022, it had a population of about 380 thousand.

Geography
Khilgaon is bounded by Badda Thana on the north, Motijheel Thana, Sabujbagh Thana and Demra Thana on the south, Rupganj Upazila on the east and Rampura Thana on the west. Its total area is 14.83 km2.

History
During the 17th century, Khilgaon thrived as a bustling trading hub, situated alongside the now-defunct Pandu river. Few families inhabited this uneven terrain, and agriculture was virtually non-existent. The name Khilgaon originated from Bengali, where refers to uncultivated land and  means village, reflecting its rural origins. Despite evolving into a significant settlement within the megacity, the name has endured. Later on, a prominent Chowdhury family acquired extensive landholdings and established their residence here, lending its name to the Chowdhury Para locality.

In 1988, Khilgaon Thana was formed comprising parts of Sabujbagh, Gulshan and Demra thanas.

Demographics
At the 2022 Bangladeshi census, Khilgaon Thana had a population of 380,740 with average household size of 3.81 members, and an average literacy rate of 85.33 percent, more than ten percent higher than the national average.

Points of interest
In the mid-2010s, the 1.85-kilometer Shaheed Baki Road and 300-meter Chowdhury Para Road gained prominence as a renowned food street. Established in 1986, the Taltola City Corporation Super Market occupies a sprawling 4.45-acre area, housing a total of 858 shops, and has become a favoured shopping destination. Additionally, Khilgaon Thana hosts the headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar.

Transportation
Rickshaws, CNGs are always available. There are also some buses available which includes Midline, Bahon, Turag, Noor-E-Mekkah, Raida, Labbaik, Talukdar etc. These buses link between Khilgaon, Farmgate, Nilkhet, Motijheel, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Badda, Gulshan, Mirpur, Moghbazar and many other places.

The 1.9 km Khilgaon Flyover, built in 2005 with the aim of easing traffic congestion, is located in this area.