The restaurant industry of Dhaka can safely be regarded as the most widespread entertainment option in town. Over the past few years, various types of restaurants have mushroomed in every corner and alley of the city, from busy dim sum houses to quiet cafes.

Once upon a time, Dhaka used to put on a celebratory face every time Abahani played a game of football against Mohammedan. Those days are long gone but our love for the game remains.

Rafan Razzak was born with Down syndrome. Soon after his birth, little Rafan suffered from breathing difficulties, and later, through the karyotyping test, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

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.

Over the course of my career, I have spent a significant amount of time in Dhaka, Bangladesh and various other locations in the country.

Ikebana started its journey in 1992 and the boutique has evolved through the years -- from a small shop in Dhanmondi to doing prestigious government events, award-winning landscaping projects, and the recently opened plant sales centre, where taking in the green experience is of paramount interest rather than purchases.

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.

Nizamuddin, the old man, is 81 years old. He calls the toy “feska pakhi” in his colloquial tongue.

The wholesale spice market of Chawkbazar is not a fancy, spice souk you see in the Middle East; it is a messy place, with extremely narrow, mucky lanes snaking through filth. Even manoeuvring a rickshaw is a challenge on these roads which are further piled up with sacks of assorted spices, herbs used in Ayurveda and Unani, and of course dry fruits from all over the world.

On a Friday afternoon, you sit there in one of the most comfortable chairs you have ever sat on. Your eyes are closed as you relax after a long week of school or work, with the only noise in the background being a 30-year-old Bollywood film and the relentless snip-snip-snap, almost like ASMR.

Hence, first abandoned by a prince, and then shunned away as inauspicious, Lalbagh Kella remained a work-in-progress, forever incomplete!

Bamunshur is a sleepy hamlet tucked inside the belly of the bustling Keraniganj. While many may hardly visit this part of the city outskirts, they might, however, cross this odd place while driving towards the Bosila river point from the popular Ati bazaar at the Keraniganj end.

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.

Life, in all its shades and colours, can often become too overwhelming for me, and this is why I let myself escape into a green space. Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park, a serene oasis at Gulshan-2, holds a special place in my heart — and here, my scattered thoughts find peace.

Eating out in the late 70s usually meant going to Chinese restaurants, typically run by Chinese couples.

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.

There are too many people in Dhaka. So many that it’s choking the city. However, every person here is here for a reason.

Before he became an emperor, he actually came to our city in 1624. 

The song “Top of the World” by The Carpenters was the only way for me to describe my euphoria upon reaching my work place in Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue at Farmgate in just under 35 minutes.

A quarter of a boiled egg stuffed inside a tiny handful of spicy potato mash – this deep-fried breaded croquette is just Tk 10. You could easily gobble up at least six of these egg chops, as the soft yolk gets addictive with that hint of burnt dry chilli.