Dhaka Dalliance

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries on earth. With an estimated 12 million people crowding into a relatively small area, Dhaka too, is often crowded, dirty, noisy and overwhelming. Then just when you find it all too much, you discover a small lake, a tree-lined avenue or a large park which quickly take you away from the muddle and clutter into a different world.

The origins of the city can be seen today in the crowded quarter known as Old Dhaka. Here you see remnants of what Bangladeshi urban life has been for decades. The streets are narrow, the sidewalks overflow with hawkers and you would never for a moment think you were anywhere else but South Asia. This is a part of the city you must experience.

A complete contrast is provided by the Gulshan area. This where the embassies are located, the diplomats and wealthy locals live and where Westernization is at its height. It is a wonderful respite from other parts of the city but it could almost be in any city in the world. If you plan a long visit, stay here but don’t forget the interest and intrigue just outside.

Quick Tips:

Walk the streets of Old Dhaka for a true appreciation of Bangladeshi life and culture. Look down the alleys, peer into windows, observe the old facades and join in the modern commerce. Don’t miss a chance to get out on the river. There are hundreds of small boats which can take you across to the other side or for a trip amongst the other ships, barges and water craft.

Find a hotel or guest house in Gulshan when you need a break from the crowds, noise, dust and pollution. There are some great restaurants here (see the Dhaka Dining entry) and a growing number of interesting shops and markets. Take a rickshaw ride in this area because you will be safe and the richshaw driver may even speak a little English. A kilometer or so will cost you Tk10-20.

Best Way To Get Around:

In old Dhaka, you must walk. In Gulshan, you can take a rickshaw. To travel between the two areas you can try a three-wheeler CNG where you will have to negotiate a fare. The correct rate is probable around Tk100 but as a foreigner you will be expected to pay more. Some drivers start to negotiate at Tk1000. The alternative is a taxi. There are several types but most have meters and some even use them. Expect to pay about Tk200 for this trip. No doubt you can also go by bus but that was just too complicated for me as there seems to be no bus map, English signs, or many people who know anything about routes other than the one they regularly use.

If you can get past the name, the Green Goose is a real alternative for visitors wanting to stay in the Gulshan area. It is within walking distance of the two commercial areas and close to some of the best restaurants in Dhaka, yet it is hidden away along a quiet street opposite the residence of Medicine Frontiers.

The guest house itself has just undergone extensive renovation. I did not see it before, but what has emerged now is a smart, small hotel with excellent fittings and a very helpful and friendly staff. There are only about 16 rooms, and about half of these are self-contained suites with a small kitchen with a stove, sink, microwave oven, and refrigerator. My room had a glass-top dining table and four chairs, a two-seater lounge and two matching armchairs, and a coffee table. The bedroom was very spacious, with a queen-size bed, huge desk, wardrobe, couple of cabinets, and TV. Everything was clean and brand-new. Both the living room and the bedroom were air-conditioned, with individual controls.

The bathroom was off the bedroom. This was fairly small, but there was still room for a Western-style toilet, a basin with a huge bench top, and a full-size tub with an overhead and hand-held shower. While the bathroom was not air-conditioned directly, there was an efficient exhaust fan and two powerful lights that provided excellent illumination so you could properly see yourself in the large mirror.

The Green Goose is obviously popular with long-term guests. A Japanese guest regularly came to the dining room for dinner in his pajamas. It turned out that he had been there for 3 years and was treating it like a home. The restaurant was open all day. Breakfast was included in the room charge and consisted of fruit, juice, toast and jam, a choice of eggs, and tea or coffee. The menu for other meals was a mix of Chinese, Bangladeshi, Japanese and Western dishes. Nothing on the menu was more than $2.

There was a small library – mostly Japanese books – but I found a map, a guide to the garment industry, a guide to the best shops in Dhaka, and a handful of novels. The lobby often had a copy of Time or Newsweek for some casual reading. A newspaper appeared under the door each morning, and the TV has BBC and CNN channels amongst a host of others, so it was possible to keep up with happenings in the rest of the world if needed. Best of all, the bedroom had a broadband Internet connection that provided the best email communication I found in the whole country.

Price: From US$50 per night

Most of Bangladesh is very, very flat and the whole area is bisected with numerous rivers and streams. The rivers have traditionally been both transport routes and major transport barriers and they continue to be so today. However, things are changing. Bangladesh has recently completed the construction of a series of bridges spanning some of the streams and road and rail transport is taking passengers and freight away from the rivers.

Nevertheless, river traffic is still important and the shear variety of craft makes it interesting for the visitor. Dhaka, and almost all the other major towns, is located on a river. One of the most interesting experiences in Dhaka is to get out on the river and see the river traffic for yourself. This can be done is several ways.

There is a cruise boat that operates half and full-day tours on the Turag River, which is on the western side of the city. This is operated by Contic and is recommended by some of the hotels. I have not had any experience with this. What I recommend is to take a small boat out on the teaming Bariganga River from old Dhaka. The best place to do this is at, or adjacent to, the Sadarghat boat terminal. The easiest boat to rent is one of the small hand operated canoes which provide transport across the river. These will take you from one side to the other for a few Taka but it is better to offer an operator 100 Taka (less than US$2) to give you a 30 minute trip along the river and back to your starting point. This can be difficult to negotiate because many operators don’t speak English but if you have a foreign face, it won’t be long before someone comes along to help.

The river at this point is at least half a kilometer wide but it seems crowded with boats of all types. There are the cross channel canoes, ancient houseboats tied up to the banks, barges used for transport and living, scores of large ferries which ply the waterways to country towns, and some ships which negotiate the river system from the Bay of Bengal. You see people washing, cooking, eating, sleeping and just lying around. You will be as interesting to them as they are to you. You will be amazed at the dexterity of the boatman as he weaves his way between other craft, missing some by a matter of metres. It looks like chaos to the untrained eye, but there must be a logic to all you see otherwise there would be collisions and fatalities on an hourly basis. Take your camera as there are lots of photo opportunities particularly early morning and late afternoon. You will need a good hat if you go at midday in summer because the boats have no cover.

Tours are also operated by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, the national tourism organization.

Dhaka was originally established in about the fourth century, but it was not until the seventeenth century during the Mughal period that Dhaka gained any particular importance. The Mughals built mosques, bazaars and gardens and this development began to attract European traders who were already established in southern India.

By the eighteenth century, Portuguese, Dutch, Greek, Armenian and French traders and merchants were having an influence in the town and the British East India Company had established a trading post. The East India Company eventually completely took control of Dhaka in 1765 and in 1824, Dhaka and all of what is now Bangladesh came under the control of the British Government. In 1887, Dhaka became a district capital of the Bangladesh region. It was at this time that Dhaka regained some status as an administrative centre and some substantial buildings were constructed.

Today Old Dhaka is just one part of a rapidly expanding city but for many visitors it is the most interesting and possibly the most frustrating. The maze of narrow streets crowded with people and vehicles, the fascias of old buildings covered in moss and grim, the street traders, the river traffic, the sheer chaos of it all make this area quite fascinating. Yet, for many it can become overwhelming and there seems no respite from the noise, heat and crowds. This is where a few places like Ahsan Manzil become a haven.

Ahsan Manzil was built in around 1872 by Dhaka’s wealthiest landowner as a residence. The interior is interesting and some of the furnishings are from the era in which it was constructed, but the exterior is the real highlight. The building occupies an imposing position overlooking the busy Buriganga River. The building faces the river and the gardens allow a vista of vegetation and water. Nothing else in Dhaka is quite like it. Go see it for a minimal admission charge from 10:30am-4:30pm Saturday to Wednesday and 4-7pm on Friday.

Not far away in the Shankharia bazaar area is Hindu Street where you can find Hindu artisans working in interesting old houses almost as they must have done a century ago. Some make shell jewelry, other carve stone headstones, some make kites and decorations. It is worth your while to walk this area without any particular destination in mind. Just make sure you know your directions because it is very easy to get lost. You just might stumble across old buildings, such as Bara Katra, which dates from the seventeenth century and was once a grand structure. Today it is decaying, but the part of the building that remains is still occupied. The only direction I can give is that it is a short distance towards the river from the Chowk Bazar Shahid Mosque.

Address: Armanitola Road, Old Dhaka

This church dates from 1781 and it is still functioning today. Compared to some of the splendid churches elsewhere in the world, this is a rather small, but interesting building crowding on a narrow back street of old Dhaka. But in the Dhaka context it is a very important tranquil haven in the heart of a huge crowded Muslim city.

The church supports a small Christian community from several countries that meets every Sunday evening. The Armenians were once at the heart of Bengal’s jute and leather trade but the community has virtually vanished. For much of the rest of the week the door to the compound is looked but there is always someone inside because the caretaker, his family and others live on site. You just need to wait or bang loudly on the door and someone will come to let you in.

I met the caretaker, Mr. Martin and one of his sons. They are say they may be the only Armenians left in Bangladesh, both speak some English and they have pride in ‘their’ building. During the War of Liberation, the church was looted and many valuables taken, including the church organ. There is some sadness about this but today there seems more tolerance. Perhaps it is because this small church community is no threat to anyone.

The church itself was locked when I visited but the caretaker was happy to open up for a foreign visitor. The interior of the building is typical of many a parish church in a number of different countries. There are portraits of the Crucifixion and the Last Supper, believed to be done by a prominent European artist. There is a register of births, deaths and marriages and a modern visitor’s book to record your comments. Outside, the graveyard is like a giant history book, chronicling the history of the Armenian people in the region.

I must say I left here wondering what the future holds for this small piece of history. The building is showing evidence of the ravages of the weather and pollution. The grounds suffer from care and attention partly due no doubt to a lack of manpower and money. The Bangladeshi government shows little interest in preserving important pieces of the country’s history so perhaps in ten years this church may not be open for visitors. That would be very sad. If you visit, please leave a donation.

Address: Dhakeswari Road, Old Dhaka
Open: Varies throughout the year, but generally at least 10am to 5pm Sunday to Friday and 3pm to 6pm Friday

The fort was built in 1678 by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb, who was then Viceroy of Bengal, but it was never finished because of the death of a young woman associated with the family. It was the scene of a bloody battle during the first war of independence (1857) against the British.

The walled fort covers quite a large area, but inside, there are only three buildings. One is a mosque, another a mausoleum, and the third a hall of audience. This latter building is the most interesting. The two-storey structure is attractive from the outside, and the inside provides an interesting look into another era. On the upper floor there is a small museum of Mughal paintings, various documents, swords, firearms, and other memorabilia. There are few explanations in English, and there may be some interesting items, but the museum was so hot on the day I visited that I was keen to get out as quickly as possible.

The mausoleum was closed, but I could walk around the building and see the inside. There is plenty of black-and-white marble and colored tiles, which I am told is unique within Bangladesh. I didn’t visit the mosque.

The grounds are extensive, and concrete paths lead through both mown and unkempt areas. Bangladeshis were sheltering under the trees to escape the blazing sun, and they looked in wonder or pity, I’m not sure which, at a foreigner walking around without a hat or umbrella. Clearly it would have been better to have been there at 5pm rather than 11:30am.