Dhaka/Old Dhaka - Route Wiki

Old Dhaka is located on the banks of Buriganga River.

Get in

Old Dhaka has little of public transport infrastructure so cycle rickshaw is your best option. Buses are used by locals but signage is rare and utterly confusing for a tourist. The Sadarghat river terminal, on Buri Ganga River, in the southern-western part of the district a major harbour for river transport and can be a useful way of reaching Dhaka from other cities.

Get around

Rickshaws and taxis are the main mode for getting around the rather chaotic streets of Old Dhaka. Distances are fairly short but the striking heat can make walking quite a challenge.

See

Religious sites

Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection, Armanitola Rd, Old Dhaka, 23.712667°, 90.403167°, +880 2 731 6953. A small, cosy church built in 1781 by Armenian missionaries. Mass is conducted only a few times throughout the year, usually during Christmas and Good Friday. Tours are informal, and could be organised by the caretaker, Mr Martin. Free, but tipping the caretaker is a friendly gesture 2018-11-17
St Thomas Church. Anglican church built in 1821. 2021-03-20
Chawk Mosque, Chowk Bazaar, Old Dhaka, 23.716045°, 90.39571°. A mosque in Old Dhaka that dates from the 17th century, most likely built by the Mughals. 2018-11-17
Sitara Mosque (Star Mosque), Armanitola Rd, Old Dhaka, 23.715629°, 90.401728°. Built in the early 18th century, it has since been redecorated with hundreds of tiles with star patterns. Tourists are welcome to visit outside of prayer times. 2018-11-17
Dhakeshwari Temple (Dhakeshwari Jatiya Mandir), Dhakeswari Rd, Dhaka, 23.723056°, 90.389722°. National Temple of Bangladesh, built in the 12th century. 2018-11-17
Hussaini Dalan Mosque, 23.722419°, 90.397911°. Built during the 17th century by the Mughals as a house for the imam, a religious leader. Its architecture possesses a mix of Mughal and British influences. 2018-11-17
Saat Masjid (Seven-domed Mosque), 23.757736°, 90.358956°. A mosque built during the 15th century; it is characterised by its seven white domes that peek upwards from the structure.
Dhanmondi Eidgah, 23.743055°, 90.373888°. Built in 1640 the Dhanmondi Eidgah, is the oldest surviving Mughal monument in Dhaka. It was used for Eid prayers for both Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Zoha. The Eidgah consists of an open courtyard measuring 45 m by 40 m, and is surrounded by a 5-m-high wall. Entrance is through a arched gateway in the East. The Western wall contains an arched semi octagonal Miharba.

Buildings

Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace), Ahsanullah Road, Dhaka (on the banks of the Buriganga River), 23.708611°, 90.406111°, +880 2 7391122, dgmuseum@yahoo.com. Apr-Sep: Sa-W 10:30-17:30, F 14:30-19:30; Oct-Mar: Sa-W 09:30-16:30, F 14:30-19:30; Ramadan: Sa-W 09:30-15:30. A British Raj-era building that served as a residence for the Nawab of Dhaka. It lies on the banks of the Buriganga River, and is famous for its pink stonework. There are 31 rooms within, and the huge dome on top can be seen from miles around. It has been renovated into a museum with displays concerning its history, with a beautiful garden accompanying the building. Foreigners: Tk 75, under-12s: Tk 2, locals and SAARC citizens: Tk 5, disabled persons: free
Lalbagh Fort (Bengali: Lalbagh Kella), Lalbagh, Old Dhaka (best method is to ask a rickshaw driver for 'Lalbagh Kella'; the streets surrounding it are a maze), 23.719033°, 90.388058°. Su-F 10:00-17:00. Built in 1678 AD by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. The fort was the scene of many bloody battles, including those during the Mughal era, a revolt against the British during the time of the Raj and protection for the revolutionary forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Monuments of the Lalbagh site include the Tomb of Pari Bibi, Lalbagh Mosque, the Audience Hall and the Hammam of Nawab Shaista Khan, which now houses a museum. There are separate fees for locals and tourists; both are fairly cheap
Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, Road #32, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 23.751599°, 90.376724°. Th-Tu 10:00-18:00. Former residence of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It has been transformed into a museum and contains a rare collection of personal effects and photographs of his life and times. He was assassinated in 1975 along with most of his family members.

Monuments

1857 Memorial, Sadarghat (In Bahadur Shah Park), 23.709357°, 90.412379°. Built to commemorate the martyrs of the first Liberation War (1857-1859) against British rule. It was here that the revolting sepoys and their civil compatriots were publicly hanged. A large park surrounds the memorial, with various other monuments.

Parks

Baldha Garden, Wari, Old Dhaka, 23.71704°, 90.41942°. A unique creation of the late Narendra Narayan Roy, the landlord of Baldha. Established in 1904, the garden with its rich collection of indigenous and exotic plants is one of the most exciting attractions for botanists, naturalists and tourists.

Do

Sadarghat River Front, 23.705251°, 90.409778°. A huge river port on the banks of the Buriganga River. Catch a ride on a boat here and cruise along the river, soaking in the surrounding chaos and sites.

Buy

New Market, Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi (just west of Dhaka University), 23.73409°, 90.38397°. W-M 10:00-21:00, closed Tu. This is the largest market in the city and it has more class, more room, and more choice. Prices may be a little higher because the stall rents are more expensive than elsewhere in the city, but it is very affordable compared to Western prices. In addition to clothing, there is leather, linen, jewellery, household goods, CDs, DVDs, and food. 2019-11-03

Eat

Restaurants are crammed throughout the narrow alleys and along the main streets - duck into one of them and you'll likely not be too disappointed. A full meal will usually cost around Tk 70, although fish costs more.

Bismillah Kabab, 104 Kazi Alauddin Rd (next to Nazira Bazaar), 23.720292°, 90.406217°.
Hajjee Beryani, 70 Kazi Alauddin Road (in Nazira Bazar, close to Bango Bazar), 23.720660°, 90.405892°. Old Dhaka was famed for its lines of biryani restaurants. Some of the more famous outfits are still going and Hajjee Beryani is one of them. It revels in its eccentric reputation for opening only at certain times and only cooking a certain amount (well-below demand).
Hotel Al-Razzaque, 29/1 North South Road (Nazira Bazaar), 23.718263°, 90.408855°, +880 2 956 1990. On the ground floor of the hotel is a large and popular restaurant, busy anytime of the day with Bangladeshi families and businessmen. Food is pretty darn good, if unpredictable in its timing. Sometimes you'll have a choice of chicken and mutton curries, fish and vegetables, other times it's chicken biryani or the highway. Fish will double the price of a meal, at least. It is located between a clean and well-stocked fruit juice bar and a clean and well-stocked sweet shop. Each plate cost Tk 80. Tk 50-150
Hotel Star, Taher Bagh Lane (Thatari Bazaar), 23.720914°, 90.413308°. Does fantastic biryani and goat leg roast.
Beauty laccha faluda, 30, 1 Kazi Alauddin Road (near Shakhari Bazar), +880 1823181180. 2015-03-20
Xindian Restaurant, Road No 16 (old 27), 23.75192°, 90.36815°, +880 2-8123830, xindian@x-grouprestaurant.com. High-end Chinese restaurant 2015-08-13
BBQ Tonight, Road No 16 (old 27), 23.75222°, 90.36789°. Kebab and Mughlai food. Mouth-watering and unbelievably tasty. 2015-08-13
Star Hotel and Restaurant, Dhanmondi Road 2 (near the corner of Road 3), 23.73932°, 90.38101°. Very inexpensive local food, famous for Kacchi Biryani and kebabs. A meal for one can run you Tk 50-300. Tk. 50-300 2019-11-02
Star Kabab, Shat Maszid Road (opposite of Abahani Club playground and on Shat Maszid Road), 23.74739°, 90.37032°. Famous for its beef and mutton kebab. Different from the other Star Hotel listed here also. 2019-11-02

Drink

Nope. Not in Dhaka.

Sleep

Budget: under 1,000 taka, mid-range: 1,000 taka to 2,500 taka, splurge: over 2,500 taka (standard double room).

Old Dhaka lacks high-end hotels, those can be found in Central and North Dhaka.

Budget

Hotel Al-Razzaque, 29/1 North South Rd (Nazira Bazaar), 23.718316°, 90.408645°, +880 2 956 1990. A moderately priced hotel popular with Bangladeshi men, it's got decent clean rooms with attached bathrooms with squat toilets and a popular restaurant. From Tk 160
Hotel Grameen, 22 Nawabpur Rd, 23.716364°, 90.411292°, +880 2 956 2422. A big hotel on busy Nawabpur Rd, just south of Bangsal Rd. Tk 60-150
Hotel Sugandha, 24 Nawabpur Rd, 23.716401°, 90.410980°, +880 2 955 6720. It's cheap and it's what to be expected of a cheap hotel, not very exciting or hygienic. Tk 100-350

Mid-range

Ambrosia Guest House, 23.739908°, 90.380970°, +880 2 966850, +880 2 9665760. In Dhanmondi Residential Area. Tk 2,876 per night, with breakfast and free broadband Internet connection from the rooms.

Splurge

Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden, Airport Rd, +880 29834555, sales.dhaka@radisson.com. Check-in: 24 hr, check-out: 24 hr. 2020-03-17

Dhaka/Old Dhaka - Region of Dhaka, Bangladesh