“Dhaka is a vibrant and interesting tourist destination,” says Rahnuma Salam Khan, deputy director, Bangladesh Tourism Board, with conviction.

It is said that to know a city well you must walk the lanes and by lanes; only then do you notice the landmarks, take in the sights and sounds of the city, and take pleasure in observing the signature colours of the cityscape.

The capital of Bangladesh has been given many names. Writers, poets, artists, and musicians all have had their go at Dhaka and each painted a picture of the city in light of how they perceived it.

Urban villages around Dhaka are pockets of areas that have gotten cramped amidst the rapidly rising city. One finds them in Uttara Residential Area (3rd Phase) -- an extension to the Uttara Model Town,

Yet, the tiny, yellow-walled tea stall attracts customers like bees to flowers.  “Comrade, give me a cup,” is how they ask for tea.

With super hits like Poran, Hawa and Damal, we are eagerly looking forward to good entertaining films so that the pull towards watching a film in the theatres remains a temptation. Poran and Hawa managed to pull crowds who did not set foot in cinema halls in last 30 to 40 years!

We are anything but contented. We strongly believe that since we have borne the child for nine months, they are now our prisoners of conscience with zero freedom.

Foliage plants that are grown for the leaves only and not flowers, are easy to maintain -- a little sunlight, a little filtered shade, and they stand tall.

Urban life with its whirlwind of chaos and cacophony has an allure that captivates me.

In this city of ours, mental illness is on the rise. Due to social taboos and a lack of knowledge regarding proper medical care facilities, most sufferers do not avail treatment.

During my university days, I started visiting a coffee shop between classes because I did not exactly have any friends. Let’s call this coffee shop “South Start”.

The best place to paint a gorgeous, amber sunrise in Dhaka is definitely our Ramna Park and on most Saturdays, you will see students of Dhaka Water Colour Academy, a group for budding artists, young and old, trying to capture that exact moment in time through their work.

Naysayers will disagree, though. I shall too, let my scepticism rest for some parts of Dhaka, especially at this time of year, pointing out to the exorbitant Krishnachura blooms that have adorned our city.

Crispy puff pastry triangles, stuffed with beef mince and sautéed with onions, were kept warm in a tin box with the aid of the light. The box was tied around the man’s neck with a gamcha.

Music is an art, some of us take it to an idolatry rank, with no compromise on sound quality.

As your car inches towards Dhaka College on Mirpur Road, you start to peek here and there assessing the shopping deals. The place is teeming with thousands of early Eid shoppers or random bargain hunters, all looking for the best offers before the festival.

The historical background of “Bloody 21st” is passionate and nationalistic. Baseer was one of the protestors of February 21, 1952.

Exactly between 1:30pm and 2:00pm, you will see a blue truck loaded with big pots of food, melamine plates, and water cans stop near a queue of homeless people standing by the footpaths of Karwan Bazar. The footpath for that lunchtime becomes the poor people’s “Bhalo Kajer Hotel”, an eatery that is running with the dictum that the poor and homeless would get a free meal in exchange for performing a good deed a day.

Safe, vibrant public spaces are so rare in Dhaka that the months from January to early March feel like a gift from the universe when the Bangla Academy comes alive with the Dhaka Lit Fest, followed by the Dhaka Art Summit and the February extravaganza of the Ekushey Boi Mela. Since 2020, the Gulshan Book Fair has added to the series of treats for those of us who crave creative festivals in this city.

When someone said she was going to be in the tristate area over the weekend, I courteously asked what time was her flight. After a confused moment, she clarified, visibly irritated by my ignorance, “I meant, around Banani.”