My dhaka
Chawk Bazar of the olden times
From the olden times to the present day, much has changed, but Chawk Bazar continues to be one of the commercial hubs of the capital.
14 December 2023
Ahsan Manzil without the dome?
To paint a picture of what this majestic building looked like just after the catastrophe, a line from an eyewitness account may be apt here.
3 December 2023
Dhaka's lost bridges
To illustrate, the visual featured here -- taken from the book Glimpses of Old Dhaka by Syed Muhammed Taifoor (Second edition, 1956) -- has the caption, "Ruined bridge at Tantibazar-Nowabpur Road".
26 November 2023
The Wonder of Saat Gombuj Masjid
If you went to the Mohammadpur area, you would come across a splendid Mughal-era mosque: Saat Gombuj Masjid, or Seven-domed Mosque.
23 November 2023
Beyond borders: Expatriates’ testimonies on Dhaka
What he craved was homemade food, the delicacies of Nazira Bazaar, and the variety and flavour of Bangalee food that you cannot find in Melbourne.
17 November 2023
Sumon Bhai’s Dilbahar: The new special shorbot of Old Dhaka
The sought-after drink is only available from 9:00pm onwards every day and stays open until 12:30am.
9 November 2023
Dhaka and its Mughal mosques
If you haven't, you definitely should! The picturesque domes, the surroundings around the main buildings, and the often small and elegant interior all deserve the attention of a Dhaka buff.
9 November 2023
Breaking stereotypes: A male nurse in the city
Roy, a pragmatic youth, opted to get a degree in nursing. Moreover, his cousin’s nursing career which started at a government hospital with a healthy salary became his inspiration.
8 November 2023
A forgotten history: The Prince who dethroned Dhaka as a capital
His tenure in Bengal began in 1639, and a curious footnote would be that he actually stripped Dhaka of its status as a Mughal capital, shifting the seat of government to Rajmahal (a place now in India).
29 October 2023
Lighting up Dhaka: The first electric lights in our city!
In the late 19th century, some of the streets had oil lamps, and there was also an announcement by Ahsanullah to introduce gas lamps.
26 October 2023
Curzon Hall: Beyond Dhaka University!
Dhaka University was established in 1921, whereas the foundation of Curzon Hall was laid in 1904.
12 October 2023
The Pogose legacy: An Armenian heritage in Dhaka
Now known as Pogose Laboratory School and College, operating under Jagannath University, it was founded as far back as 1848, by Joakim Gregory Nicholas Pogose, a rich Armenian businessman.
8 October 2023
The company that made horse carriages popular in Dhaka
When you see a carriage today in the capital, you probably think of it as a recreational ride or a vehicle by which bridegrooms arrive at weddings.
1 October 2023
The bakharkhani types!
Bakharkhani in Dhaka mainly comes in three flavours. Perhaps, the most popular is the classic one. There is also a sweet twist to the classic bakharkhani, which is sometimes slightly harder in texture.
24 September 2023
Lalbagh Fort: A cursed Mughal monument?
Hence, first abandoned by a prince, and then shunned away as inauspicious, Lalbagh Kella remained a work-in-progress, forever incomplete!
17 September 2023
Gandaria: Sugarcane central of a bygone era
The hint of this past is in its very name — “gandari” means sugarcane, and it is widely believed that the etymology is based on all the sugarcane cultivation that took place there.
14 September 2023
Old Dhaka's Beauty Lassi going strong even after 100 years!
How much did our city change in the last 100 years? Definitely an astounding lot! But Beauty Lassi and Falooda has stood — nay, won — the test of time.
10 September 2023
Shah Jahan's Dhaka visit before he became the Mughal emperor
Before he became an emperor, he actually came to our city in 1624.
7 September 2023
Rose Garden and a story of rise and fall of affluence
It was also rumoured that Rose Garden was made to compete with the famous Baldah Garden, which was one of the venues for elite parties, and that the insult probably came from someone associated with the affluent Baldah family.
3 September 2023
Our undying love for kebabs in Dhaka
Once upon a time, naan-taftan was a kind of bread that accompanied assorted kebabs — essentially a kebab platter — among which, this sheekh kebab was much-cherished.
31 August 2023