The down town “Khilgaon” area was just like the countryside until the establishment of the biggest flyover bridge in the country, which changed the appearance of the area dramatically. Khilgaon Bazaar is situated just near the Khilgaon Rail crossing, which is always fearfully crowded as many hawkers open their stalls along the railway. The rickshaws and illegal roadside shops make the area very congested and decrease the beauty of the market. Khilganon Markets has demanded an upgrade, to become a multistoried shopping center with the parallel development of the fly-over. The Dhaka City Corporation has plans to convert the Khilgaon Market into a shopping mall. This conversion may work against the present marginalized shopkeepers who may will be evicted because if they can’t meet the high cost of rent of the new shops.
The Khilgaon Market is popular as it is a comprehensive market selling virtually everything required for daily living. From specie to cloth all daily necessary products are available here. The market is sub-divided according to the type of products sold. There is a cloth market, a vegetable market, a meat and fish market, a spice market, the fruit market as well as shops selling rice and daily family products. At present this market is divided into four parts they are Uttara Market, Pubali Market, Hawkers Market and Municipality Market. There are 837 shops available in this Bazaar.
The history of the market stretches back to 1974 when some businessmen took a lease on the land and decided to develop it. They established a Bazaar with 351 shops. City Corporation authority gave permission to build a ten storied building in 2003 as part of the re-development but work has not yet begun.
Khilgaon Bazaar opens at 7:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM. But the tea stall and restaurant remain open deep into the night.