Subcultures of Dhaka
Dhaka is an intense melting pot of cultures and people from all walks of life. These cultures vary with the people, their faiths and the traditions they follow. However, certain subcultures have grown within the mainstream cultures -- flowing and changing with time. Here we examine and analyse some of the interesting subcultures in Dhaka and give you an overview of what's in trend and definitely, what's not. If you walk the streets of Dhaka right now, we can guarantee that you will meet these people.
Wedding Ready: This category is divided into two sub categories. One comprises of young girls and another is for the grown up women. These people are always ready and on-the-go. They treasure lipstick, powder and eyeliner in their purses, which are basically portable beauty parlours in themselves. The younger ones are self and selfie obsessed and washroom mirrors are their absolute favourites. Pouting is their most popular pastime and they refrain from eating or drinking comfortably at 'daawat' since their lipstick game has to be p-e-r-f-e-c-t. The older women wear clothes that have all the colours of the rainbow and they make sure their gold jewelleries weigh as much as them, if not more.
Gamchha Geeks: They are the bunch of creative heads who write, sing, dance or draw (how well, that's relative) and at the same time, ponder over the mundane philosophies of everyday life. They carry their creative kits with them everywhere and wish to capture the beauty they come across. They believe in one life, one love and one nation. Local cultures are important to them and they loathe everything that smell foreign. They make great efforts to enlighten everyone around and wrap 'gamchha' around their heads because that is the answer to all the woes in life. Gamchha is the shade from the harshest situations in life and of course, the summer sun.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
Lungi Legends: They cluster mostly in Old Dhaka, chew 'paan' and wear 'lungi' that let air circulate in all directions. They make their own rules, fear no one and their lungis are essential to their identities. They own rich businesses, ride imported cars and keep fresh notes under mattresses too. When going out they wear strong perfumes, branded shirts and lungi which they flaunt with swag. They are also the self-proclaimed TRUE Dhakaites.
Football Fanatics: Cricket jerseys are a fad whenever it is cricket season but football fans wear jerseys all year round. They are the die-hard fans who wear jerseys, carry bags with their favourite clubs' or teams' logos and most probably cry when the teams they support lose. They are loyal to the core. One person supporting a certain team will never ever wear a jersey of a rival team. Some have personalised jerseys too with their own names printed on one side with a random number. Sadly, some fans believe washing their jerseys might wash off luck for their teams. So, be around them at your own risk.
Black Shirt Bad Boys: You know the ones, wearing black T-shirts, sporting long hair and an unfed, insomniac look. Their shirts will almost always bear the name of some band or another, along with pictures of bleeding skulls, mangled corpses and the occasional rose. They'll be seen hanging around popular concert venues, passing one cigarette around between 50 or so people. Music will be at the heart of their conversations. Words like “metal”, “heavy”, “death” and “hungry” make up a large portion of their highly intellectual discourse. Their kohl-rimmed eyes and black nails make us wonder if they steal their girlfriend/sister/bua's make up or if they buy it themselves. It seems we'll never know.
Long Kameez Ladies: Gone are the days when short was 'shundor'. This is the era of long kameez, Deshi Gowns, if you will. Only the most fashion forward women dare to don these kameezes, flowing past their ankles in yards and yards of silk and cotton. Chances of tripping on the hem of these dresses are high, but these ladies risk the fall, all the while looking absolutely fabulous. You'll see them hanging around in groups, at expensive eateries and such, smiling radiantly, with a boy or two in their midst, one of whom will be clutching a DSLR camera. Did someone say “friendzoned”?
Them Hipsters: They're supposed to go against the trend, but it seems that being a hipster is in itself a trend, and a popular one at that. They'll claim to listen to obscure bands and watch shows no one's ever heard of, but really, their main focus is to look good. They're the ones wearing the ridiculously over-sized glasses, buttoned-up checked shirts and skinny jeans, paired with brightly coloured shoes. They're the ones who've got it right -- the grades, the hair, and more often than not, the girl. They'll stand with their own hipster posse, while the world looks on enviously. Sigh.
Cars Go Vroom: If you live in a building situated near a nice, wide road, you've undoubtedly been a victim to the sudden startling noises of cars racing past, playing obnoxiously loud music, swerving this way and that at dangerously high speed. If you happen to peek out your window, you'll see that these dangerous-sounding rides are nothing more than harmless little station wagons, all painstakingly modified to become a “Beast” on the streets of Dhanmondi. The men (read: boys) driving these cars can be seen bobbing their heads up and down to the amplified bass of the songs booming from modified speakers, wearing sunglasses, collars turned up, while their chauffeurs sit next to them, looking amused. They cruise the roads in front of coaching centres, drawings glares and furious looks from pedestrians, while some girls look on dreamily, or disgustedly. Hard to tell when you're zooming through the streets at awesome-miles-an-hour. Hell yeah!
Without subcultures everyone's interests would all be the same. Subcultures play an important role in letting people enjoy an expression of individuality. While some are meaningful in their own ways and others are downright hilarious, without their interesting variations everything would be as regular and dull as 'daal-bhaat'.
Comments