[3][4] The East India Company and British rule were closely related to the spread of modern education in the subcontinent.

Following the passage of the 'Charter Act 1813', the East India Company was instructed by the British government to focus on the education of Indians.

As a result, the Governor General of India Lord Bentinck gave the 'English Education Act' effect.

the then government agency responsible for the country's education system, in a report submitted on 20 April 1835 to Lord Bentinck, recommended to establish schools in major cities under the Bengal Presidency to teach English literature and science.

They also recommended to allocate money from the government fund for establishing such schools wherever possible and to start the program from Dhaka and Patna.

Learners of this region were introduced to the western modern art, science and philosophy of the west for the first time.

Cambridge University student and Hindu College (now Presidency University) teacher J. Ireland was appointed the first Principal.Dhaka College, one of the main educational institutions of the subcontinent, started its journey with 3 rooms on the second floor of the English Seminary School (now Dhaka Collegiate School) building.

On November 20, 1841, Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta, laid the foundation stone of the college at Sadarghat.

Since its inception, Dhaka College has been an important educational institution in Bangladesh for leading the cultural, social and intellectual activities of East Bengal.

In 1854, due to 'Education Dispatch' of Sir Charles Wood, discipline and coordination was established in Indian modern education.

In 1873, the College was relocated to a spacious building to the east of Victoria Park to accommodate the increased number of students and the physics and chemistry laboratories.

Subsequently, the first dormitory named Rajchandra Hindu Student Hostel was constructed at Shridas Lane, Bangla Bazar for Dhaka College in 1880 with a completely private grant subject to the permission of the government.

In 1903 new infrastructure plans were made for Dhaka College and in 1904 land was acquired and construction work started.

With the beginning of the World War I in 1914, its adverse impact on Dhaka College resulted in declination of academic activities and other development works.

A large amount of college land and campus, hostels and other infrastructures, scientific equipment and various scholarships allotted to meritorious students were also handed over to the university.

In 1943, the High Court College building had to be vacated to rehabilitate the wounded soldiers of World War II.

Shortly afterwards, the official and academic activities of the college were conducted in a rusty old private building of late Khan Bahadur Abdul Hai located in Siddiq Bazar, adjacent to Fulbaria Station.

In 1955, the journey of Dhaka College was started anew with new infrastructures in the present campus at Dhanmondi with a land area of 24 acres.

After two years of course, Higher Secondary Certificate examination is held under Dhaka Education Board.

A noncredit course for post graduate students in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was started from 1 August 2010.

On March 23, 1979, the then UOTC, BCC and JCC together started the journey under the name of Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC).

Bravo Company of 1-BNCC Battalion under Ramna Regiment is headquartered at Dhaka College Platoon.