Nilkhat Book Market

The name Nilkhat comes from the “Nil” cultivation of English colonial period. Here may once was cultivated Nil and named of the place Nilkhat ( Nil + Field ).

However in the modern Dhaka Nilkhat is famous as booking and printing market. It is the second largest book market of Dhaka City. It is located nearby Dhaka University. Hence the main clients are the students of Dhaka University. This market was established in 1979 and now managed by land ministry of government since 1980.

Along with local and international books and publication it is famous for low priced printing, photocopy, stationary and educational materials. There are 2500 book stalls and lot of temporary hocker stalls in this market. Everyday about 15-20 thousand students come here to fulfill their need.

This market is divided into two parts book section and print section. Pint section’s weekly holiday on Friday and book section’s holiday on Tuesday. Huge quantity of books and publications has been distributed around the country from here. This is the target market of students from low and middle class family.

Chak Bazaar

Chak bazaar is one of a famous market of old Dhaka. As a whole sales market people knows it’s by name. It was established on 1947 under the private ownership. All owners of shops make Bazer shomitee in together. Total Chak bazer is controlled by this Chak Bazaar Vonick Shomitee. ( Chak Bazaar Businessmen’s organization )

It is public work, in early stage Chak and Chak Product ( lime and lime products ) was main product of the market. But at present this market is famous for various whole seller products. Cosmetics, stationary, imitation, jewelry, women fashion products, decoration products and wedding items, garments products, etc are widely sold both in retail and whole sell price. Besides this cloth shop, lungi (man dress ), stationary and electronics shops are available here. Retail sellers all over the country bought goods from here.

A famous architecture of Mughol period, named Shahi mosjid is situated here. Chak Bazer is also famous for Alauddin Sweetmeats and Bombay sweet of old Dhaka.

BCS Computer City

BCS Computer City is the biggest computer market in Bangladesh. The mall opened in 1999 with 100000 square feet of space, situated at Agargaon, She-e-Bangla Nagoor district of Dhaka City. There are 322 modern computer and accessories shops located in the mall, which is perceived to be tat the cutting edge of technology and development in Bangladesh.

Like other developing nations, the digital divide in Bangladesh is prominent, but the computer city has made access to technology, particularly the young generation, much easier. However, problems remain. There are real problems with the high price of computers and the English base of most computing makes it inaccessible to most people. To overcome these problems the Bangladesh government has declared it will create a Digital Bangladesh by providing the technology for all.

The businessmen of the computer city, however, control the introduction of computer technology to the country through their contracts on brand name products. Hardware, software, computer, laptops, DVD, movie, Internet and computer magazine are the common products on sale in this market. A nineteen storey ultra modern building called IDB Bhaban is attached to BCS Computer City. Friday is the holiday for this market.

This computer market opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 8:00 PM. A number of customers and visitors gather here all day long. Everyday a new model computer and other imported products are displayed in this market, which has a strong security system.

Bashundhara Mega Mall

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 for 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.

Rifle Square

Rifle Square is a modern shopping center situated in Dhanmondi next to the BDR (Bangladesh Rifles). The name Rifle Square is derived from this proximity to the BDR Camp. This modern shopping center is also located opposite Dhanmondi Lake. A modern daily product Bazaar named Agora is situated to one side of this mall.

There are about 360 shops are operating in the market. All stores are well decorated and full of local and imported products. All kinds of ready made wear, shirt, pant, sari, three pieces, babies’ wear, toys, cosmetics, jewelry, electronics product, shoes, crockery, gifts, card gallery, mobile phone shops, movies, fashion product and many daily needs are on sale in this market. The quality of products sold in this market is generally high, carrying international prices. Some modern food corners also available here, which attract numbers of young people who come here to chat. The courtyard of the market is also a young persons gathering place in the afternoon.

Parallel to western society, the modern products and services are available in this market. This market brings the taste of western life to the life of Dhaka City. Friday is the holiday of this market. This shopping center is a business concern of the Bangladesh Rifles who control its operations.

New Market

New Market, north of Azimpur, Dhaka began its construction in 1952 by C&B Dept. on 35 acres (140,000 m2) of land during the period Mr. Nurul Amin, the Chief Minister of East Pakistan. Market was completed in 1954. Mr. Nurul Amin was also active in establishing the first posh Hotel Shahbagh at Shahbagh area (now PG Hospital). This heralded the beginning of a new area of development towards modernizing Dhaka. Rickshaw ride or walking along the narrow lanes of old Dhaka for shopping was not a happy experience for families.

New market area is triangular in shape with 3 high arched entry gates on three sides. There were spaces for 440 shops and a nice triangular lawn at the center. Shops sold variety items, benarasi saris, suiting, ornaments, leather items, books. Photo studios and restaurants were around the park inside.

In 50's and 60's, it was the most popular place for shopping as well as recreation. Young people, particularly college and university students in groups, donned in best attire, moved round and round in the evening for hours. Girls came in separate groups. For them, free-mixing with classmates (boys) outside was not permitted by the society. Clashes often occurred between rival groups of boys over influence or protection of groups of girls, many of those boys later became ministers and high bureaucrats.


In 80’s, 3 more New Market blocks were constructed on the north under Dhaka City Corporation e.g. New Super Market for crockeries, Bonolata for kitchen market, Chandrima for varieties of items and D- block for groceries, each having over 1000 shops. The nice green park inside has been converted into a mosque at first floor level with 60 new shops under it. Many new large and ultra modern malls have sprung up in Dhaka, but the importance of New Market in Dhaka cannot be underestimated.

Markets of Dhaka City

A market is any one of a variety of different systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby person’s trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy. It is an arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things. Markets vary in size, range, geographic scale, location, types and variety of human communities, as well as the types of goods and services traded.Some examples include local farmers’ markets held in town squares or parking lots, shopping centers and shopping malls, international currency and commodity markets, legally created markets such as for pollution permits, and illegal markets such as the market for illicit drugs

A market is a place where people come and buy their daily necessary product. Dhaka is a big city so it has a huge population. To fulfill the demand of this population lots of shopping mall and market are made in Dhaka. So I am trying to inform people where they can shop easily.