Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

is the most populous city of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and is characterized by its busy urban life with vibrant and versatile culture including many festivities, variety of cuisine, entertainment industry, shopping experience and sites of interests.

Festivals

Dhaka's annual cultural events, festivals and celebrations are

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

(26 March), the International Mother language Day (21 February),

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

Pohela Boishakh Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of We ...

Ekushey Book Fair The Ekushey Book Fair ( bn, একুশে বই মেলা, Ekuśe Bôi Mela), officially called Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela ( bn, অমর একুশে গ্রন্থ মেলা, lit='Immortal Book Fair of the Twenty-first f February ...

Dhaka Art Summit Dhaka Art Summit is an art summit held in Dhaka, Bangladesh and is organised by Samdani Art Foundation, a non- profit art infrastructure development organisation founded by Nadia Samdani. and Rajeeb Samdani in 2011. About The summit displays ...

, Rabindra Joyonti and Nazrul Joyonti; the Hindu festivals including the

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami , also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...

and

Rathayatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

; the Muslim festivals of

Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

Eid ul-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's comm ...

Milad-un-Nabi Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi ( ar, المولد النبوي, translit=mawlid an-nabawī, lit=Birth of the Prophet, sometimes simply called in Varieties of Arabic, colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronuncia ...

, Shab-e-Baraat and

Muharram Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after R ...

; Buddhist festival of

Buddha Purnima Buddha's Birthday (also known as Buddha Jayanti, also known as his day of enlightenment – Buddha Purnima, Buddha Pournami) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of East Asia and South Asia commemorating the birth of the Prince ...

and Christian festival of Christmas. Dhaka's people congregate at the Shaheed Minar and the Jatiyo Sriti Soudho to remember the national heroes of the Bengali Language Movement and the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. Much art and museums congregate artifacts and remember solemnly the war crimes inflicted by Pakistani war criminals and their collaborators who committed crimes against the people. These occasions are observed with public ceremonies and rallies on public grounds. Many schools and colleges organise fairs, festivals and concerts in which citizens from all levels of society participate. Pôhela Boishakh is the first day of the

Bengali calendar The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar ( bn, বঙ্গাব্দ , , Baṅgābda), colloquially ( bn, বাংলা সন, Baṅgla Śon), is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. A revised version of th ...

. It is usually celebrated on 14 April. Pohela Boishakh first marks the start day of the crop bringing home season. Usually on Pôhela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people wash early in the morning sunshine and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours and going to the fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the country where various agricultural products, traditional

handicrafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and

sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called '' sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

are sold. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers, dancers and traditional plays and songs.

Horse races Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

, bull races,

bullfights Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

cockfights A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a " game", a sport, pastime or ent ...

, flying pigeons, and

boat racing Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

were once popular. Also a statue erected where massacre of Bengalis protecting language movement was done ''

'', the Bengali New Year, falls annually on 14 April and is popularly celebrated across the city. Large crowds of people gather on the streets of

Shahbag Shahbag or Shahbagh (also Shahbaugh, bn, শাহবাগ, Shāhbāg, ) is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or ''thana'' in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub. It is a juncti ...

Ramna Park Ramna Park ( bn, রমনা উদ্যান, ''Rômna Uddan'') is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This forested park with pond near its center is one of the most beautiful are ...

and the campus of the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

for celebrations. Other festivities include, Bengali Spring Festival, ''Nazrul Joyonti'', Birthday of

Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...

, ''Rabindra Jayanti'', Birthday of

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

, Hay Festival Dhaka, Bengal-ITC SRA Classical Music Festival.

Performing arts and media

Despite the growing popularity of music groups and rock bands, traditional

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

remains widely popular. The works of the national poet

and national anthem writer

have a widespread following across Dhaka. The Baily Road area is known as ''Natok Para'' (Theater Neighborhood) which is the center of Dhaka's thriving theater movement.

Bangladesh Betar Bangladesh Betar ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বেতার; ), or BB is the state-owned radio broadcaster of Bangladesh, initially established as the Dhaka station of All India Radio in 1939. It was later made part of Radio Pakistan. After t ...

is the state-run primary provider of radio services, and broadcasts a variety of programs in Bengali and English. In recent years many private radio networks, especially FM radio services, have been established in the city such as

Radio Foorti Radio Foorti is a Bangladeshi FM radio station. The station went live on 22 September 2006, and is currently available in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet. Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Mymensingh, Cox's Bazar, Bogura, Noakhali and Kushtia. It ha ...

FM 88.0,

Radio Today Radio Today is a 24 hours radio station in Bangladesh that started airing in May 2006. It is currently available in Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Barishal, Kushtia, Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমি ...

FM 89.6, Radio Amar FM 88.4, ABC Radio FM 89.2,

DHAKA FM 90.4 Dhaka FM is a Bengali-language FM radio station in Dhaka, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population ...

etc.

Bangladesh Television Bangladesh Television ( bn, বাংলাদেশ টেলিভিশন), commonly known by its acronym BTV ( bn, বিটিভি), is the state-owned television network of Bangladesh. The network was originally established as the East ...

is the state-run broadcasting network that provides a wide variety of programs in Bengali and English since 25 December 1964. It has two TV channels- ''BTV'' and ''BTV world''. The first one telecasts via terrestrial and satellite networks while the later telecasts via satellite only. Shongshod Bangladesh Television is another state-run TV channel which was launched on 25 January 2011 and broadcasts the parliamentary activities of Bangladesh. Cable and satellite TV networks such as

Ekushey Television Ekushey Television ( bn, একুশে টেলিভিশন; , in reference to 21 February), also known by its acronym ETV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language privately owned satellite and cable television channel owned by S. Alam Group of ...

Channel I Channel i ( bn, চ্যানেল আই) is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Impress Group. It was launched on 1 October 1999, as Bangladesh's first digital television channel. It is one of the ...

ATN Bangla ATN Bangla ( bn, এটিএন বাংলা), 'ATN' being the acronym of the unused Asian Television Network, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Multimedia Production Company. It is based in the ...

Desh TV Desh TV ( bn, দেশ টিভি; ), stylized as DESHTV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Desh Television Limited, a part of the Karnaphuli Group conglomerate. It officially commenced broadca ...

, RTV,

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Television) ...

Banglavision Banglavision ( bn, বাংলাভিশন) is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Shamol Bangla Media Limited, commencing official broadcasts on 31 March 2006. Its name is a portmanteau of "bang ...

, Channel 9 Bangladesh and Independent TV are amongst the most popular channels. The main offices of most publishing houses in Bangladesh are based in Dhaka. The ''

Prothom Alo ''The Daily Prothom Alo'' ( bn, প্রথম আলো) is a daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language. It is the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. According to National Media Survey 2018, conducte ...

'' and ''

The Daily Ittefaq ''The Daily Ittefaq'' ( bn, দৈনিক ইত্তেফাক, translit. ''Doinik Ittefak'') is a Bengali-language daily newspaper. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest newspaper, and one of the most circulated newspapers in Bangladesh. Thi ...

'' are the most popular amongst the large number of Bengali language dailies, periodicals and other publications in the city. '' The Daily Star'' and ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' are among the English dailies published. Fixed-line teledensity in Bangladesh is less than 1%. Mobile penetration is 82 telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Dhaka is home to

, Dhaka World Music Festival.

Media and cinema

Dhaka is the center of media and cinema of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi press is diverse, outspoken and privately owned. Over 200 newspapers are published in the country.

is the state-run radio service. The

British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

operates the popular

BBC Bangla BBC Bangla ( bn, বিবিসি বাংলা) is a Bengali language service of the BBC World Service. History BBC Bangla was launched on 11 October 1941 with a 15-minute programme under the BBC World Service. BBC Bangla's headquarters us ...

news and current affairs service. Bengali broadcasts from

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

are also very popular.

(BTV) is the state-owned television network. There more than 20 privately owned television networks, including several

news channel News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or televis ...

s. Freedom of the media remains a major concern, due to government attempts at censorship and harassment of journalists. The

cinema of Bangladesh The Bangladeshi Cinema, better known as Dhallywood ( bn, ঢালিউড), is the Bengali-language film industry based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has often been a significant film industry since the early 1970s. The dominant style of Bangla ...

dates back to 1898, when films began screening at the Crown Theatre in Dacca. The first bioscope in the subcontinent was established in Dacca that year. The

Dhaka Nawab Family The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...

patronised the production of several

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s in the 1920s and 30s. In 1931, the East Bengal Cinematograph Society released the first full-length feature film in Bangladesh, titled the ''Last Kiss''. The first feature film in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

, ''

Mukh O Mukhosh ''Mukh O Mukhosh'' ( bn, মুখ ও মুখোশ, translation='The Face and the Mask', italic=yes) was the first Bengali-language feature film to be made in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). It was produced by Iqbal Films and directed by Abdu ...

'', was released in 1956. During the 1960s, 25–30 films were produced annually in Dacca. By the 2000s, Bangladesh produced 80–100 films a year. While the Bangladeshi film industry has achieved limited commercial success; the country has produced notable independent film makers.

Zahir Raihan Mohammad Zahirullah (19 August 1935 – disappeared 30 January 1972), known as Zahir Raihan, was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is most notable for his documentary ''Stop Genocide'' (1971), made during the Bangladesh Liberation ...

was a prominent documentary-maker who was assassinated in 1971. The late

Tareque Masud Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist. He first found success with the films ''Muktir Gaan'' (1995) and ''Matir Moina'' (2002), for which he won thr ...

is regarded as one of Bangladesh's outstanding directors due to his numerous productions on historical and social issues. Masud was honoured by

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

in 2002 for his film ''

The Clay Bird ''Matir Moina'' ( bn, মাটির ময়না; also known in English as ''The Clay Bird'') is a 2002 Cinema of Bangladesh, Bengali War film, War-Drama (modern genre), drama film was written and directed by Tareque Masud. It was his debut f ...

''.

Tanvir Mokammel Tanvir Mokammel (born 8 March 1955) is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and writer. He is the recipient of Ekushey Padak in 2017. He won Bangladesh National Film Awards total ten times for the films ''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (1995), '' Chitra Nodir Pare'' ( ...

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (born 2 May 1973) is a Bangladeshi film director, producer and screenwriter. His films ''Third Person Singular Number'', ''Television'', ''No Bed Of Roses'' were critically acclaimed across the world and received numero ...

Humayun Ahmed Humayun Ahmed (; 13 November 1948 – 19 July 2012) was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and professor. His breakthrough was his debut novel ''Nondito Noroke'' published in 1972. He wrote over 200 ...

, Alamgir Kabir and

Chashi Nazrul Islam Chashi Nazrul Islam (11 October 1941 – 11 January 2015) was a Bangladeshi film director and producer. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Director twice for the films Shuvoda (1986) and Hangor Nodi Grenade (1997). He was awarded Eku ...

are other prominent directors of Bangladesh cinema.

Cuisine

A rich culinary tradition has developed in Dhaka. Everyday meals consumed at home generally include plain rice as staple with fish, meat, vegetable curries as side.

Dal In Indian cuisine, ''dal'' (also spelled ''daal'' or ''dhal''; pronunciation: , Hindi: दाल, Urdu: ) are dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pu ...

(Lentil soup) is common accompaniment. Plain rice is often replaced by

roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...

or porota. However, culinary experience in most restaurants take a different direction. Kachchi biryani, chicken biryani, tehari,

polao Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some techniq ...

khichuri ''Khichdi'' or ''khichri'' (, , , , Odia language, Odia: ଖେଚୁଡି) is a dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice and lentils (''dal'') with numerous variations. Variations include Pearl millet, ''bajra'' and Mung bean, mung ''dal ...

are most common courses in restaurants. For snacks, Mughlai porota,

halim Halim or Haleem ( ar, حليم ) is an Arabic masculine given name which means gentle, forbearing, mild, patient, understanding, indulgent, slow to anger.Golziher, Ignaz, ''Muslim Studies'', ed. S.M. Stern (Albany: State University of New York Pre ...

shingara A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Samo ...

samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Samo ...

, etc. are common.

Borhani Borhani, ( bn, বোরহানী) is a traditional yogurt-like drink from Bangladesh. Borhani is made from sour doi, green chilli, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint. It is considered by some to be a type of lassi. It is very commo ...

, lacchhi are amongst popular drinks. Street carts in parks offer snacks like

chotpoti Chotpoti ( bn, চটপটি ), is a Bengali street food mostly popular in Bangladesh, along with other urban areas. The word chotpoti, translates to 'spicy.' The dish consists mainly of potatoes, chickpeas, and onions and is usually topped with ...

jhalmuri Jhalmuri ( bn, ঝালমুড়ি, ) is a popular street snack popular in Bengali/Bihar/Odia, made of puffed rice and an assortment of spices, vegetables, chanachur and mustard oil. It is popular in Bangladesh and in the neighbouring ...

and fuchka. Some restaurants are famous for their specialised recipes and culinary experience. These include, Nannar Biryani, Haji Biryani, Mutton Glassey,

Laban Laban is a French language, French surname. It may refer to: Places * Laban-e Olya, a village in Iran * Laban-e Sofla, a village in Iran * Laban, Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * 8539 Laban, main-belt asteroid People ...

etc. found in

Old Dhaka Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ� ...

. Chawk bazar, Thatari Bazar etc. are places of many popular eateries. Chaap found in Mohammadpur and Dhanmondi are popular delicacies. Other specialties of city's culinary experience include, jali kabab, reshmi kabab, shuti kabab, shik kabab, gurda kabab, khiri kabab, reshmi jilapi,

shahi jilapi Shahi jilapi ( bn, শাহী জিলাপি, Shahī Jilapi, Royal Jalebi) is a famous and traditional sweetmeat originating from Chowk Bazaar in Old Dhaka of Bangladesh, which is very popular throughout the country. Especially, in Ramada ...

, rumali ruti, tandoor ruti,

naan Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...

, bakorkhani, ilish polao, morog polao etc. People of the city devour versatile culinary experience. Along with these

Bangladeshi cuisine Bangladeshi cuisine ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রান্না) is the national cuisine of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi cuisine has been shaped by the diverse history and river-line geography of Bangladesh. The country has a tropical mo ...

and South Asian variants, a large variety of international cuisine is available in Dhaka. There are restaurants specializing in Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and other western cuisines. Local and international fast food shops and chains serve burgers, fries and other readily available foods. Often many restaurants customize foreign cuisine to meet the taste of local people. For instance, most Chinese restaurants in Dhaka use recipes different from authentic Chinese food. The following international foreign-owned restaurant chains are currently operating in the country. �
A&W
�
Baba Rafi
�
Barista Lavazza
· Baskin Robbins �
bbq
�
Burger King
· Butler's Chocolate Cafe · Chatime · Ci Gusta! · Coffee World · Cold Stone Creamery · Cookie Man �
Cream & Fudge Factory
· Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea · Dipsydo's · Fish & Co · Gloria Jean's Coffee · Johnny Rocket's · Kenny Rogers Roasters �
KFC
· Krispy Kreme · Mainland China · Manhattan Fish Market · Movenpick �
Nando's
· New Zealand Natural · Papparoti �
Pizza Hut
�
Pizza Inn
· Pizza Roma �
Sbarro
· Second Cup Coffee · Sigree · Suzuki Coffee · The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf �
The Great Kabab Factory
�
Yo Berries

Shopping

Shopping in Dhaka is very easy. There are markets in almost every part of Dhaka, where household commodities are available. Shopping malls are also found in every major avenues; some of them are

Dhaka New Market New Market () is a commercial shopping market in north of Azimpur, Dhaka. It is situated on the opposite side of Chandni Chowk. History The market was set up 1954 as a shopping complex, to cater to the needs of the people from the residential area ...

, Basundhara City,

Jamuna Future Park Jamuna Future Park is a shopping mall in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was inaugurated on 6 September 2013. Construction began in 2002, by Jamuna Builders Ltd., a subsidiary of the Jamuna Group and the exterior was completed in 2008. It has a total floor ...

Shimanto Square Shimanto Square, formerly Rifle Square, is a shopping centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is managed by Border Guard Bangladesh. Location The complex is located near the Pilkhana, Bangladesh BDR gate road number 4, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, is opposite Dh ...

, Rapa plaza, Metro Shopping mall, Concord Twin Tower, BCS Computer City,

Navana Tower Navana Tower is a high-rise located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located in Gulshan, one of the central business districts of the metropolis. It rises up to a height of 100 metres (328 ft) and has 23 floors. Navana Tower is the nineteenth tall ...

, Pink city shopping mall,

Mouchak Market Mouchak Market is one of the oldest and famous markets in Dhaka city. It was probably situated in the 1940s. It was also one of the most famous markets at the time and was mostly visited by the British and French rulers over Dhaka. It is known to ...

, Eastern Plaza, Fortune mall, Eastern plus, Banga Bazar, Razdhani market, Gausia complex, Holland Centre, Suvastu Nazar Valley, Cofidence Tower, Mollah tower, Lutfun tower, Eastern Mallika, Muskut plaza, North Tower, Razlaksmi complex, Multiplan Center and many more. Kudrat-E-Khuda Avenue (former New Elephant Road), and its surrounding areas are very popular destination for shoppers.

is the 12th largest shopping mall in the world with a gross leasable area of 4.1 million sq ft and total area of 5.45 million sq ft.

Chain store A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...

s like Shopno, Agora, Meena Bazar, Nondon, PQS are also found in most of the residential areas of the city. There are many branches of

Aarong Aarong ( bn, আড়ং, lit=Village Fair) is a chain of Bangladeshi department stores specializing in Bengali ethnic wear and handicrafts. It is owned by the non-profit development agency BRAC, and employs thousands of rural artisans ac ...

around the city where local products including clothing, handicrafts, groceries and home decors are available in a wide range. Bangla Bazar is the largest hawkers market in Dhaka. The market is situated near Chankharpul behind the campus of the

. This place is famous for years for garment's cloths in a reasonable price. It is a favorite shopping place for many foreigners visiting Bangladesh. Basundhara City is the second largest mall in the country and has more than 23 hundred shops and 21 stories.

Dress

The most popular dressing styles for women are '' shari'' or '' shælwar kamij'', while men usually prefer western clothing to the traditional ''

lungi The lungi is a type of sarong that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The Lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. it can be worn as casual wear and night wear, in places an ...

''. This area is credited for the revival of the ''

jamdani Jamdani ( bn, জামদানি) is a fine muslin textile (figured with different patterns) produced for centuries in South Rupshi of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh on the bank of Shitalakhwa river. The historic production of jamdani was ...

'' shari due to the many local shari stores selling and promoting these locally hand-made traditional Bengali sharis of fine patterned

muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...

. Jamdanis are 100% hand woven and originate from the Mughal era.

Jamdani Jamdani ( bn, জামদানি) is a fine muslin textile (figured with different patterns) produced for centuries in South Rupshi of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh on the bank of Shitalakhwa river. The historic production of jamdani was ...

s are produced by a traditional high quality cottage industry, which is slowly dying out due to the slow production process. A single medium-range Jamdani shari may take as long as 3 months to complete.

Heritage

The Old City of Dhaka is home to over 2000 buildings built between the 16th and 19th centuries, which form an integral part of Dhaka's cultural heritage. *

Lalbagh Fort Lalbagh Fort ( bn, লালবাগ কেল্লা) is a fort in the old city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its name is derived from its neighborhood Lalbagh, which means Red Garden. The term Lalbagh refers to reddish and pinkish architecture from ...

Ahsan Manzil Ahsan Manzil is the erstwhile official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka. The building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was started in 1859 and was completed in ...

Dhakeshwari Temple Dhakeshwari National Temple ( bn, ঢাকেশ্বরী জাতীয় মন্দির, , translit=''Ðhakeshshori Jatio Mondir'') is a Hindu temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is state-owned, giving it the distinction of being Bangla ...

Shankhari Bazaar Shankhari Bazaar is one of the oldest areas in Old Dhaka. It stretches along a narrow lane, lined with richly decorated brick buildings, built during the late Mughal or Colonial period. Location Shankhari Bazar is located near the intersect ...

* Swami Bagh Temple *

Ramna Kali Mandir The Ramna Kali Mandir ( bn, রমনা কালী মন্দির) is a temple in Dhaka that was originally built in the time of the Mughal Empire. It was also known as the "Ramna Kalibari". The temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess K ...

* Dhaka Sadarghat *

Armanitola Armanitola ( bn, আরমানিটোলা) is an area in the old city of Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The area takes its name from the Armenian settlement that surrounded Armenian church there. First Public Meeting ...

, Armenian quarter *

Farashganj Farashganj ( bn, ফরাশগঞ্জ) is a neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The name comes from the Bengali word for French which is ''Forashi'' and ''ganj'', meaning market-town. History Farashganj literally means French town, it takes i ...

, French quarter

Academies

Bangla Academy The Bangla Academy ( bn, বাংলা একাডেমি, ) is an autonomous institution funded by the Bangladesh government to foster the Bengali language, literature and culture, to develop and implement national language policy and to d ...

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiatic Society ...

Faculty of Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

* National Performing Arts Academy *

Pathshala Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Background Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropolog ...

* Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh *

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (BSK) ( bn, বিশ্ব সাহিত্য কেন্দ্র, meaning 'World-Literature Centre'), is a non-profit institution in Bangladesh to promote reading habits, enlightenment and progressive ideas among st ...

(World Literature Center)

Museums and art galleries

Bangladesh National Museum The Bangladesh National Museum ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘর), is the national museum of Bangladesh. The museum is well organized and displays have been housed chronologically in several departments like dep ...

Liberation War Museum The Liberation War Museum ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ জাদুঘর ''Muktijuddho Jadughôr'') is a museum at Agargaon in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, which commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War that led to the indep ...

Drik Picture Library Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Background Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropolog ...

* Bangabandhu Memorial Museum

Major parks, lakes and gardens

* Suhrawardy Uddan *

Chandrima Uddan Chandrima Uddan or Chandrima Udyan ( bn, চন্দ্রিমা উদ্যান; ''Chandrimā'' "moon" ''Udyān'' "park") is a park situated across the road of the national parliament house, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The park is notable for b ...

Baldha Garden Balda Garden is a botanical garden which spans of land located at Wari in the old part of the city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It has a collection of 672 species of plants. The Balda Garden is now managed as a satellite unit of the Nat ...

Dhaka Zoo Bangladesh National Zoo, ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় চিড়িয়াখানা) is a zoo located in the Mirpur section of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The zoo contains many native and non-native animals ...

National Botanical Garden of Bangladesh The National Botanic Garden of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh National Herbarium make up the largest plant conservation center in Bangladesh, with an area of around . It is located at Mirpur-2 in Dhaka,1100, beside the Dhaka Zoo. It was establish ...

Religious and Cultural Festival

Eid al-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...

* Shab-e-Barat *

Krishna Janmastami Krishna Janmashtami , also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar, it is observed ...

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

Kali Puja Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month of Ashway ...

Ratha-Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

Shakrain ''Shakrain Festival'' ( bn, সাকরাইন; also known as Kite festival and ''Ghuri Utsob'') is an annual celebration in Dhaka, Bangladesh, observed with the flying of kites. It occurs at the end of Poush, the ninth month of the Bengali c ...

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

Bengali New Year Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of We ...

* ''Bohonto Utshob'' Bengali Spring Festival * ''Nazrul Joyonti'', Birthday of

* ''Rabindra Joyonti'', Birthday of

* Hay Festival Dhaka * Bengal-ITC SRA Classical Music Festival *

* Dhaka World Music Festival

Official religious holidays

Mawlid Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi ( ar, المولد النبوي, translit=mawlid an-nabawī, lit=Birth of the Prophet, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronunciations; sometimes , ) ...