In 1740 the French East India Company started operations in Dhaka and built their "Kuthi" near Ahsan Manzil Palace with permission from Nowazish Mohammad Khan.

The French got into minor conflicts with the British over a factory but was resolved[1] through the mediation of Naib Nazim Jasarat Khan.

The French merchants established wholesale trading posts for spices like raw turmeric, ginger, garlic and chilli.

[4] The once magnificent 19th-century mansion Bara Bari, with its ornate curved balconies over the street, has been partly demolished.

Farashganj Sporting Club, established in 1959, is situated between the historical sites Ruplal House and Northbrook Hall.