Shankar Plaza

Nijam’s Shankar Plaza is situated opposite side of 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 kemeezes, 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 vegetables shops, meat shops, a bank booth, tea stalls, capture the spirit of Shankar. These illegal and unofficial shops makes 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.

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.

Metro Shopping Mall

Globalization and modernization, have had an impact on Dhaka city architecture. This can be seen in the design of markets and the market motif, manifested in consumerism as a life style and a culture. Within the past few years many shopping malls have been established and global brand products have become widely available, which in turn has an impact on the quality of local products. The modern markets and the products they sell are the most obvious examples of the influence of the West on contemporary urban Bangladesh.

The Metro Shopping Mall of Dhanmondi is a popular shopping mall for fashion products. The main clients of the market the rich young generations as all shop sale high price products and emphasize the quality of their goods. Metro plays an important role in changing the fashion, life view and style of Dhaka.

This luxurious shopping mall was established in 2002 on Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi, just behind the Bangamandu Memorial Museum. Metro is a six-storied shopping center where each floor has forty-one shops. It is famous for ready made garments, jewelry, shoes, cosmetics and fashion items for ladies and gents. The top two floors are occupied with electronic shops selling, CDs, VCDs, mobile phones and mobile accessories.

Hazaribag Bazaar

Hazaribag in old Dhaka is famous for the tannery industry, although the tannery industry is facing a struggle to survive nowadays but until recently it was a good business for foreign currency earnings. The Leather Technology College of Bangladesh is situated here.

There are 360 tanneries, of varying size, located at Hazaribag. The size of the industry means that there is a big problem with wastage and pollution from chemicals; consequently the government has taken a decision to shift the industry outside of Dhaka by 2010.

Along with tannery and leather related businesses, there is a general market at Hazaribag that was started before independence. As a locally managed initiative the market received its registration in 1994. Today there are almost 400 different types of shops at Hazaribag. In the general market we find vegetables, fish, meat, rice, grocery items, stationery items and everyday commodities for sale. There is also, a readymade garments and tailoring area plus fruit shops, restaurants, tea-stalls and so found in the Bazaar. This bazaar starts at 7:00 AM and closes at 11:00 PM everyday. There is no holiday for this bazaar.

The head offices of all leather companies of Bangladesh are located in this bazaar and are thus quite a rich area. However, it’s a living place for workers and officials of the leading factories, which means there are a number of slums and slum-like residential areas in Hazaribag Baribath.

Panthapath Furniture Market

Apartment, schools, colleges, offices and institutions in Dhaka are increasing to meet the needs of the rapidly the population of Dhaka City. To fulfill the need for house and interior decoration many furniture markets have been built in different parts of Dhaka city. Pantha Path Furniture Market is Dhaka’s biggest and most important furniture market.

The market is located just opposite Bashundhara City, which is Dhaka’s first mega shopping mall and spreads over a considerable distance of the Panthapath on the north side of the road. In this famous furniture market all kinds of wood, bamboo, cane, iron, plastic and steel furniture is available. Along with furniture made from foreign ships’ wood furniture (usually salvaged in Chittagong), well known Bangladesh branded ready made furniture is sold in this market.

Cots, elmiras, showcases, chairs, tables, sofas, almas and other local forms of local furniture are commonly produced in the shops of Pantha Path furniture market. School, college and office furniture is also supplied from this market according to order. Wednesday is the holyday of this market. 9 am to 8 pm are the official hours of the market.

Rajdhani Super Market

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 type products; household commodities and 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 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.

Town Hall Market

Mohammadpur and Lalmatia are closed to the developed 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.

Mohammadpur Krishi Market

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.

This market was established in 1981 by 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.

Kawran Bazaar

Kawran Bazaar is the biggest and most famous wholesale general market in Dhaka City. All kinds of vegetables, fish, rice and other commodities are supplied to the small markets from here. At the end of eighteenth century Kawran Singh, a Marwari merchant, first established the bazaar in the in Nineteenth Century. It was later was extended and developed into 1255 stores, of which 55 are owned by Dhaka City Corporation.

There is no holiday in the market, which operates a 24 hours a day but the early morning is the peak hour for the wholesale and fish markets. Starting at 12 A.M, all night the vegetables and goods come from around the country. Many trucks and pick-ups carry and bring commodities here from different places. The gathering of clients becomes concentrated in the early morning, around 4-7 O’clock, when the small markets open. As many clients watch movies during the nights, the restaurants of Kawran Bazaar are opens 24 hours, and sell delicious Bangla dishes. Comparatively the price of food in these restaurants is high. A residential hotel, tea-stalls, pan and cigarettes shops can be found at the bazaar.

Many prominent newspapers, TV stations, media centers, government agencies and multinational companies’ head offices are situated in the Kawran Bazaar area. The five star hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon is situated just nearby the bazaar.

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.