Dhaka Markets’ Streets

Rajdhani Super Market | রাজধানী সুপার মার্কেট: Rajdhani Super Market is the best-known market for women fashion products of the Dhaka City. Mostly middle and lower middle-class woman frequent it, as all types of products; from household commodities to cooking utensils are available in the market.

Covering a huge area at Tikatoli the market was established by the Muktijudha Kolan Trust (Freedom Fighter Welfare Trust) under the Ministry of Muktijuddo (Freedom Fighters Welfare). Within this huge market, there is a wide range of products available at reasonable prices, which attracts a large clientele.

There are 1200 shops were saris, fashion garments, shoes, clothe, dress design material, cosmetics, and cooking utensils are available. Initially, Indian-made products dominated this market but now it is the Chinese product that dominates along with locally made goods.

Based on the market tea stall idea, Bangla fast food restaurants have been established in the market area, As it is now Ramadan, they are hidden by a cloth, but inside of the stall the people, particularly the younger generation who don’t fast, take food. Opening time for the market is 9.00 morning and it closes at 10.00 at night. Friday is the weekly holiday of Rajdhani Market.

Shankar Plaza | শংকর প্লাজা: Nijam’s Shankar Plaza is situated opposite the famous Chayanot Cultural Building, beside Satmasjid Road. This seven storied commercial building was built in 2003.

A small shopping market can be found on the first two floor of Nijam’s Shankar Plaza. All kinds of shirts, pants, sari, shalwar kameezes, babies’ wear; fashion wear and fashion products, cosmetics, stationery, shoes, movies and many other commodities are on sale in this market. Besides these, sweetmeats shop, beauty parlors, a food corner, a restaurant and a cyber café are also available in this market. A health diagnostic center occupies the 3rd and 5th floors while the Center for Computer Service (CCS) is found on the 4th floor. A private university, UDA, occupies the sixth and seventh floors. Friday is the holiday of Shankar Plaza. Except for Friday the commercial building opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 10 PM regularly.

There are a bus stand, a taxi stand and a rickshaw stand located just in front of Shankar Plaza. This place is one of the busiest places in Dhanmondi. Bangla food shops, grocery shops, fruits and vegetable shops, meat shops, a bank booth, tea stalls, capture the spirit of Shankar. These illegal and unofficial shops make walking freely very difficult, something compounded by the constant rickshaw jam outside the bazaar.

Change has come to the area with the rapid development of modern apartments along the street. But compared to most areas of Dhanmondi the location is not well- developed as the housing, shopping and lifestyle have generally inherited the old tradition. As the house rent is low, a huge number of low salaried people live in the Shankar area.

Rayer Bazaar | রায়ের বাজার: Rayer Bazaar City Corporation Market was built in 1965. It’s a historical and traditional market in Dhaka City. This area is named Rayer Bazaar of the bazaar although the location has another name, Sultan Ganj, which is found on sign boards, banners, and festoons Rayer Bazaar is the most popular name to the people. People from the Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh and Sultan Ganj areas are the main customers of this bazaar. Once the bazaar was on the bank of the Buriganga River but now the river banks have been illegally reclaimed for buildings. Although Buriganga River has diminished in size it remains a powerful force in the lives of the people living near its banks.

The original beauty of Bangladesh can be found in a village on the opposite side of Buriganga River from the bazaar. All kinds of fresh vegetables, fishes and other things come to Rayer Bazaar from this village, meaning the commodities of this bazaar are always fresh, tasty and in demand. There are 550 shops in the Bazaar. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, grocery items, stationery items and all kinds of daily needs are sold in this market. Besides these items, hardware, crockery, cosmetic, readymade garments, tailors, metallic products, gifts and many other necessary products are sold.

A beautiful mosque was built in 1971 besides this bazaar. In addition, many small restaurants, tea-stalls, pan-cigarette shops, and hawkers are found in this area. Every day this bazaar starts at 7:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM. The Dhaka City Corporation has a plan to develop the site with a multi storied building.

Shubhanbag | সোবহানবাগ: The area is a part of Dhanmondi close to the Mirpur Road. It is the business area and includes a number of shopping malls and centers but there is only one proper market close to Shubhanbag mosque. However, over the last few decades the areas has been quickly urbanized by developers. Now there are a number of big shopping malls and the footpath is filled up with a huge number of parked cars.

From Russell Square to Rapa Plaza there are restaurants, shopping malls, fashion houses, video making markets, book and photo copying stores. Metro Shopping Mall, Plaza AR, Prince Plaza, Orchid Plaza and Rapa Plaza are famous shopping malls in Shubhanbag. There are also famous restaurants located here, such as Chillis and Tahari Goar.

The main clients of the market are the elite class of Dhanmondi. Each shopping mall has a number of fast food outlets and coffee shops where the young boys and girls can meet and chat.

The main products on sale in the malls are fashion products, global branded clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, mobiles and electronics. As the shops are well decorated the price is comparatively high and the lower middle class prefer not to shop in the malls of Shubhanbag.

Dhanmondi 27 | ধানমন্ডি ২৭: Dhanmondi Road no 27 of Dhanmondi, is a very important place. Along with series of apartments building there is a huge number of business and shopping centers built by developers which distorted the residential nature of Dhanmondi and turned the suburb into a commercial area. A few years ago it was a very quiet but now traffic-jams have become a big problem especially at school opening and closing times. There is a number of English mediem schools in the are. Students are transported to and from school by car. Moreover there few no parking space in the area. The footpath is generally used for parking, which makes people suffer. Despite high rents of this area the institutions, super shop, restaurant, banks, clinic, college and private universities have all established themselves in this expanding business zone.

PQS, Meena Bazar and Nandan are well known and pioneer shopping markets situated here. Fish, meat, vegetables, rice, stationery item, grocery items and all kinds of daily needs, including local and imported products on sales in these modern shopping centers. Up-markets, modern and well-known restaurants can be found in this area. Xindian, Xenial, Candle light, Cheers, Nando’s are the most important of them. Rapa Plaza, on of the first and most famous of the Dhaka city is built in Dhanmondi-27.

Branch of bank HSBC Bank (including the ATM booth ), Arena Multimedia, private hospitals, and Grameen Phone offices are located here. The Bangla Art Gallery is close to Drik Gallery. These to galleries play an important role in the cultural and visual arts development of Bangladesh, allowing the country to present herself on the global stage with dignity. Dhanmondi-27 is an important area because it allows us to understand how modern Dhakai life has evolved. The area also reminds us that consumerism has become important in many sections of Dhakai society.

Town Hall Market | টাউন হল বাজার: Mohammadpur and Lalmatia are closed to the developed up-markets area of Dhanmondi but they have some way to go before they rival this major suburb. The area is still largely underdeveloped although most of the local people are middle or lower middle class. Nowadays some high-rise and modern apartment buildings can be found in the areas but the number is limited. The main market in the suburb is the Town Hall Market, which is big and retails all kinds of needed daily products. Despite its size and popularity the market has not been modernized. There are three mosques in the bazaar area, which indicates the piousness of the local inhabitants.

This bazaar started after independence and has been administered and extended by the city corporation. There is a large two-storied building but the vegetable and fruit markets still sit in an open-air environment.
There are a variety of items sold in the stores of this market. The ground floor of the building is totally covered with shops but the first floor is still not yet open. At the front of the first floor a number of notary public advocates’ offices can be found.

Beside the retail sellers there are also some wholesale shops selling to the community. Vegetables, fish, meat, broiler hens, eggs, grocery items, stationery, crockery and daily needs are widely sold in the market. At the front of the market there is a corner of where a translation service is located, close to the offices of the notaries. There are also as hawkers area and floating tea stalls, selling snacks such as chopori and kebabs.

Just behind of Town Hall Market there is a newly built mosque where plastic items and crockery are sold.

A notable feature of the Town Hall Market is the Labor Market. Early every morning a huge number of laborers, who are mostly construction workers, assemble here hoping for work.

Although this market is situated inside Dhaka and administered by the civic body, there are strong rumors that it is a center for the drug business, which is controlled by a local gang. A few years ago the popular city campaigner against drugs, Raju, was killed here, it is alleged by the gang. There is now a monument in front of the market dedicated to Raju. The law and order situation has improved in the democratic environment that now prevails and the influence of the gang appears diminished.

Krishi Market | কৃষি বাজার: The Krishi Market is situated in the under developed suburb of Mohammadpur in Dhaka City. The Krishi Market is famous for rice wholesaling. Once the area was considered as a crime zone but now through a government initiative the situation has changed. Rice is supplied to neighboring market and shops from Krishi Market.

The sanitation and environment has also improved after the establishment the Japan Garden City development.The Krishi Market was established in 1981 by the government, and is controlled by Dhaka City Corporation. There are 150 shops in the market. There is also a newly built market called Notun Krishi Bazaar, nearby where garments, groceries, stationery, vegetables and fish are sold at reasonable prices.
There are almost 500 shops in the Notun Krishi Market. Along with a general fashion corner there are separate fish, meat and poultry corners. In the fashion corner clothes, cosmetics, toys, gifts, crockery, clocks, electronics, jewelry, plastic items and household products are sold. In front of market there are also many Bangla food restaurants, pharmacies, tea-stalls, cigarette shops and fruit shops as well as a mobile kebab shop.

Mohammadpur Krishi Market and the new general market are comparatively big government markets. Friday is a half-day and Saturday is a full holiday for Krishi Market but the new general market remains open at all times.

Geneva Camp | জেনেভা ক্যাম্প: Bangladesh became independent in 1971 after vicious civil war in which millions of lives were lost. During the Pakistani period, Bangladeshi people were persecuted and exploited in all aspects of life and politics. After the liberation of Bangladesh, a huge number of Pakistani citizens, most of who were against the Bangladeshi liberation war, remained in Bangladesh. In 1972 the Bangladesh government established the Geneva Refugee Camps (that complied with the Geneva Convention) in 116 locations, including Dhaka City, Khulna, Soiyadpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Bogura and Iswardi districts to house the refugees.

Mohammadpur Geneva Camp is one of the largest refugee camps in Dhaka City where 5000 people still live thirty-eight years after the event. To fulfill the needs of the camp dwellers an unofficial market has been established and there are shops selling a variety of items on the periphery of the camp. In total the number of shops in the camp exceeds 800. Readymade wear, fashion products, cosmetics, stationery, household products, crockery, movies, Pakistani food, tea, pan, cigarette and so on are widely available. In the small general market vegetables, fish, meat, rice are sold as well. Close to College Gate there are roadside shops that specialize in cars, providing garages and workshops.

Although all the shops provide the necessary good for living the people of the Geneva camp lead a miserable life, as they are detached from normal society and fear for their lives. When the camp was established each family was assigned 16 square feet to live in as a temporary measure. Now a third generation has been born into these conditions.

The children grow up in shocking conditions and face the risks of child labor, drugs and HIV/AIDS. They live in these small, overcrowded places and suffer a lot. They cook, they sleep and they do business from the same room. No minimum health and sanitation security is provided and they move around in narrow and dirty walkways that smell of garbage and human waste.

It is difficult to be a good citizen in these conditions. Only 10% of children go to primary school with only 2% having a chance to study in high school. Most children start life by doing hard work at a car workshop or at a jamdani sari design shop with a minimum salary 15-30 taka per day (approximately 40 to 50 US cents).

(The people of the Geneva Camp are divided into two groups. One group still wants to return to Pakistan and their organizations SPARC. The other group wishes to remain in Bangladesh and become citizens and their association is called The Association of Young Generation. Around 25% of people are members of SPARC while 75% support The Association of Young Generation.

Until 2003 the camp dwellers had no citizenship rights in Bangladesh despite the fact they were 2nd and 3rd generation born . In 2003 and 2008 the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave Bangladeshi Citizenship and rights to these people who may now possess a national ID card and be listed in the national voter lists.)

Dhanmondi to Mohammadpur

Rickshaw Tour, Road View | রিকশা ভ্রমণ: The Satmasjid Road links Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur directly, from Rifle Square to the Mohammadpur bus stand. The road not only links two areas but also in reality two distinct lifestyles. The inhabitants of Dhanmondi are comparatively rich, well-educated and lead a modern life that is reflected in the shopping centers, apartments and institutions located in the suburb. Mohammadpur is the opposite, still clinging to past modes of living and traditions. Moreover Mohammadpur struggles to ensure a secure, quality living environment for its inhabitants ensuring that the elite classes are not attracted to live in Mohammadpur.

Satmasjid Road is an important road. Huge numbers of schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, restaurants, offices, mosques, residential buildings, bus stands line both sides of the road. Dhanmondi is designated as a residential area but it is becoming increasingly important as a commercial area.

Rifle Square, BDR Head Quarters, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Northern University, Medinova, Asia Pacific University, UIU, Stamford University, State University, Almaz, Anam Rangs Plaza, OTOBI, IBN Sina, Meena Bazar, Grameen Phone, Shankor Plaza, Cyanot are all important modern organizations found along the road and thus contribute to its growing importance as a commercial centre. However, Sharirik Shiksha College, the Graphic Arts Institute, Commercial College, the Police Station are situated on the Mohammadpur side.

Moreover Abahoni Playing Ground, Star Kebab, Fukhruddin Restaurant, Koraie Gosto, Four Seasons, Baburchi, Loylati, Utshob, Brukoli, KFC, Four Seasons and a number of fast food shops have added to the value of the road as an entertainment area.

During Live Bits we screened a view of the road from a rickshaw that was ridden down the street and which provides the audience with a good virtual experience of both Satmasjid Road and riding rickshaw in dense traffic.

Bashundhara Mega Mall, Dhaka, Bangladesh | বসুন্ধরা মেগা মল: Bashundhara Mega Mall is the biggest shopping market in South Asia. It is regarded in Dhaka as an ultra modern shopping centre, situated on Panthapath, a major thoroughfare of Dhaka City. This modern shopping mall emerged from a project to provide Bangladeshis with a similar quality shopping experience to those experienced in the west. Approximately 25 000 customers and visitors visit this market each day. The market has a strong security system and is furnished with all the latest consumer facilities.
The Bashundhara City is a twenty-one storied building designed by architect Dr. Md. Foyjullah in 2004. The famous Bashundhara Group of Companies founded the market.

The first eight floors are used as a shopping centre and the rest of the floors are used for corporate office space by leading companies and business organizations. Cell phone and electronics shops dominate the ground floor, whereas floors one through six are used by a diverse range of retail outlets selling fashion wear, jewelry, fashion products, toys, CD-VCDs and many other products. A number of fast food shops are in the food court on the seventh floor. The main clients for the fast food outlets are young couples whose main purpose for coming to the mall seems to be to chatter and flirt in a free environment.

There is a also a modern and luxurious Cine Plex in the market. It specialises in first releases, exhibiting the global films that are also screened in the west. Furthermore, there is also a kid’s playing place on the seventh floor called “Toggi” that attracts the children of rich families.

Wednesday is the holiday of this up-market shopping market. On other days it opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM. regularly.