Dhaka
Dhaka, formerly spelled as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh.
With an estimated population of 36.6 million, Dhaka is the second largest city by population in the world, and is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. Dhaka is an important cultural, economic, and scientific hub of Eastern South Asia. Dhaka ranks fourth in South Asia and 55th in the world in terms of GDP. Lying on the Ganges Delta, it is bounded by the Buriganga, Turag, Dhaleshwari and Shitalakshya rivers. It is also the largest Bengali-speaking city in the world.
Getting to Dhaka
- 01Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
- 02Kamalapur
- 03Dhaka Cantonment
While a few long-distance domestic trains as well as commuter service call here it is mainly notable for being the terminus of Maitree Express from Kolkata.
- 04Dhaka Airport
Major station in North Dhaka next to the international airport, most trains arriving from the north to Dhaka calls here.
Worth seeing
The University of Dhaka in Dhaka/Central was an epicenter of Bangladesh's struggle for self-determination. It has several notable colonial buildings, including the Curzon Hall, a masterpiece of European-Mughal architecture. The Burdwan House is home to the Bangla Academy.
Where to eat
Dhaka has an enormous variety of food catering to all budgets. Old Dhaka is overflowing with cheap Bangladeshi food where a meal can cost from Tk 50. In the upscale areas such as Gulshan and Banani there are Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek and Mexican restaurants, and franchises such as Pizza Hut and KFC - all at prices that the majority can't afford.
Getting around Dhaka the local way
- Get inMost ferries arrive and leave from the port of .
- Get inEven if you aren't staying in this area, it's easier to walk several hundred metres north to catch an onward rickshaw or taxi; the ones near the port are at a constant standstill.
- Get inIf you are planning to cross rivers while heading to southern Bangladesh by car from Dhaka, head to the ferry ports in Mawa and Aricha on the Padma River.
- Get aroundDue to poor infrastructure and nasty traffic conditions, one of the quickest ways to get around the city is by rickshaw.
- Get aroundThis isn't to say that it's easy to hail a rickshaw and you should rely entirely on rickshaws during your time in the city; negotiating a fare is essential, and rickshaws are, to a significant extent, responsible for the city's horrendous traffic.
- Get aroundStill though, getting around by rickshaw is a much better alternative than getting around by car.
- Get aroundRickshaws in wealthy areas such as Banani and Gulshan often must pay local mafia men for the privilege of servicing the high-price areas.
- Get aroundAdditionally, foreigners should also be warned that rickshaws will sometimes begin the ride with a pitch to sell drugs or prostitutes.
From Wikivoyage: Dhaka, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Nasir Khan (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
