*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!
Dhaka
Overview:
Dhaka is the densest and fastest growing city in the world. Known for its traffic, underneath that chaotic exterior is even more chaos, but also a city full of interest and charm. It might not be as equipped for visitors as many cities, but it is full of the most friendly, welcoming people around. No matter where you are are in Dhaka, there’s something going on. Filled with chaotic streets, markets, old world atmosphere, history, spirituality, and energy, you can’t get bored in Dhaka. While it’s a chaotic, photography friendly place like India, Dhaka brings its own Bangladeshi culture into the mix making it a unique experience all its own. If you’re adventurous, this big city will bring you one welcoming and memorable time with your camera.
Here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Dhaka has to offer you and your camera.
Map:
- Old Dhaka/Shakhari Bazar
- Keraniganj Shipyard
- University
- Karwan Bazaar
- Kamalapur Railway Station
Top 5 Street Spots:
1. Old Dhaka
Old Dhaka is the heart of the city’s chaos and character. It doesn’t feel like too much has changed over the centuries here, with an atmosphere of crumbling homes, historic winding lanes and endless crowds of people. It’s extremely easy to got lost and you’ll find maps and navigation won’t help you out much, so getting lost is just what to do here. There’s a lot of area to explore too, with rickshaws being the transportation if you don’t always want to walk.
The busiest, and most interesting area for me, is by the Sadarghat. The Burgiganga river here at the Port of Dhaka is a sight to see, filled with a variety of boats, from small wooden rowboats to giant ferries. On the banks, the streets are even more crowded with porters unpacking produce and markets selling them. Sometimes you can’t even move here, but in the more open spaces it provides a very unique atmosphere. One that I picture in my memory of Dhaka as much as any place.
Shankharia Bazar, also called Hindu Street, is another recommended spot to check out in Old Dhaka for a different charm, more reminiscent of India. There’s also a district named Armanitola, where early colonial Armenians settlers came. Old Dhaka has many more spots to check out, but its best to just randomly find them on your own. It’s chaos and character around every corner with a very local feeling for street photography.
2. Keraniganj Shipyard
On the outside of Dhaka, just across the River Buriganga, you’ll find the Keraniganj Shipyard. This is definitely one of my favorite spots in Dhaka for photography, but I’m far from the only one as it’s a popular place for street photographers to come. I like unique places that you don’t find in other cities and this fits in that category. Around 15,000 workers are employed here, either busy breaking down gigantic shipping vessels or building them. Welding torches and hammers are seen and heard everywhere while you navigate through the obstacle course of ships and alleys. Many of the large ships are colorful, which when mixed with sunlight can create some interesting shadow and color play in photos. You should be respectful and careful where you walk due to all the work being done, but everyone is very friendly towards photographers. It’s a unique and fun place to explore with your camera. And an added bonus is the wooden boat ride you get to take crossing the river to get here. These rowboats give you a different perspective of the city, while navigating across the busy port.
3. University
A popular area for locals to hang out is around the University of Dhaka. The younger crowd loves to meet up here, but you’ll find all ages along the surroundings. The university itself is the oldest and highest ranked in Bangladesh. Not only is it respected for its prestigious status, but it has a long history deeply set in progressive movements, including the independence of Bangladesh. Today, it still is a center spot for politics. The elaborate campus provides a nice walk to explore, which includes museums and important sites, inside and close-by. Nearby, you’ll also find Ramna Park, with a lake and plenty of green space for relaxing or playing cricket. Along the main streets, pathways and open spaces, you can find busy local activity. As the day starts to cool off, it can get even busier. It’s a good central spot to come for guaranteed activity and a younger, vibrant vibe. From here, you can easily catch transportation to Old Dhaka too.
4. Karwan Bazaar
Karwan Bazar is a business and commercial district in Dhaka, but it’s also home to one of the largest wholesale markets not only in Dhaka, but also South Asia. The wholesale fruit and vegetable sections are some of the most chaotic and interesting, but you can explore this large area of market life for hours. With over one thousand shops in and around the market, you will find an endless variety of goods for sale too. Every night hundreds of trucks come to unload items for the day. It’s messy, busy and crowded with activity packing the streets, but it’s what makes Dhaka a special place. Nearby, you’ll also find the train tracks which are lined with life, including more street sellers. Walking the tracks here makes for an interesting and unique atmosphere too. The best time to explore this area of Karwan Bazar is early in the morning, though, when the action is really going.
5. Kamalapur Railway Station
Kamalapur Railway Station is the central railway station in Dhaka and largest in Bangladesh. It’s known for its unique design by American architect Robert Boughey, who also taught here. The shell shaped structure also provides outside cover for rain, making it a good spot to head to when the Dhaka weather isn’t cooperating for street photography, which can be often.
The railway station provides the activity you’d expect from such a busy hub, while also providing some interesting character. The green trains and windows themselves will attract many photographers capturing all the life they help frame, while walking the multiple platform gives you enough interest to make it a must stop. Outside railway platforms can be great for street photography with the light they provide for an active and interesting setting, and Dhaka’s is one of the better ones.
Sample Street Walk:
For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Dhaka:
- Start your early morning exploring the chaotic Karwan Bazaar (4)
- Then take a rickshaw down to the University of Dhaka (3) and explore this popular area
- Take another rickshaw down to Old Dhaka and explore away, making sure to check out Shankharia Bazar and Armanitola
- Continue down to the Burgiganga River and walk along Sadarghat with your camera
- Here, you can also take a rowboat across the river to the Keraniganj Shipyard (2)
- Finish your day of street photography walking around Old Dhaka or take a rickshaw back home early (traffic will take hours)
3 Things I’ll Remember about Dhaka:
1. Dense & Chaotic
By some measurements, Dhaka is not only the most densely populated city in the world, but also the fastest growing. It definitely feels that way too. People are everywhere. Not just in the busy markets streets or city center, but in any street or neighborhood you go. I talk about traffic in the next section, but foot traffic fills the streets and alleys around every corner too. It’s hard not to compare Dhaka to many of India’s larger cities because there are similarities in the atmosphere, and the street life is one of them. People live outside and there’s enough people in Dhaka to make that outside life very chaotic. You won’t usually have much room to shoot, but you’ll have endless layers and interest to attempt to organize.
2. Traffic
Dhaka, without question, has the worst traffic I’ve ever seen. People from big cities love to complain about the traffic, but I guarantee their city has nothing on this one. It’s no secret, though, as Dhaka has become known for it. Combine the densest population with the fast growing, and then add a severely lacking transportation system with only 7 percent of the city covered by roads, and it gives plenty of reason for all the traffic. Still, it doesn’t make it any less astonishing how slow it moves.
Not only does all that traffic add to Dhaka’s atmosphere, but it also means you really have to prepare your day around it and include many hours for traffic. The layout of the city doesn’t help, either, making places further apart. While there’s not too much you can do about it, leaving early in the morning is the best advice. Traffic doesn’t reach it’s norm until a little later in the morning so at least you can beat some of it. When it’s time to go back home, though, you’ll just have to deal with it. The Dhaka heat mixed with hours in a vehicle at least should help you catch some sleep.
3. Great photography community and the most welcoming experience to date
I have to mention how my impressions of Dhaka are more influenced by the people than any other city I’ve been to. Bangladesh has recently gained a very strong passion for photography and it’s filled with photographers. The passion for photography currently seen here honestly rivals any place in the world. The street photography community, specifically, has become strong lately too, so I’ve had many connections in the city. More than that, though, they’re eager to welcome anyone to their city and show them all they can.
Be sure to check out these talented local photographers below:
3 Non-Street Photography Things To Do in Dhaka:
- Eat: Sabzi, Paratha, Biryani, Curry, and Maach Bhuna
- Drink: Tea and soft drinks
- Visit: Museum of Independence and Bangladesh National Museum
Street Safety Score: 7
*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!
The people of Dhaka are extremely friendly and hospitable towards visitors, but unfortunately crime statistics do paint a different picture. Going off personal experience, it feels as safe as most any large city, but locals and data are something to listen to, especially at night. So, you should be cautious and street smart when exploring this densely packed city, but you’ll probably leave feeling a warm and safe experience.
People’s Reaction Score: 9
Dhaka and Bangladesh bring similar reactions to photography as you might expect in India. In other words, very friendly and very curious. This means you can freely shoot here more than most places and you’ll only receive smiles, but you’ll also have to watch for spectators trying to pose their way into your photos. In a city that surrounds you with so much life, it’s an enjoyable experience being able to photograph anything you like without worry.
Street Tips:
Get up early, traffic is the worst (literally)
As mentioned earlier, prepare your day around hours in traffic and leave as early as possible in the morning.
Haggle
As friendly as the people are, they do see money when they see a tourist. While this is common outside of the west, it’s especially bad here. Even stores regularly ask for more than the real price. I’ve shot in Dhaka with locals and just by them being seen with me, their price goes up too. It can actually be pretty entertaining, but it’s still money. It’s easy to call them out on it, though, especially at the stores. They’ll usually just laugh and give you the real price. You just have to know it. As for things like rickshaws, haggling skills are needed if you want a halfway fair price.
Dhaka brings the heat, but not always the light
Even when Dhaka gets hot, and it gets real hot, it doesn’t always mean you’ll get much sunlight. Dhaka can bring a lot of clouds and haze due to the climate and pollution. This combines to take the light down quite a bit at times. The sun does come out sometimes, but I’d say around only 20% of my time here, which I was told isn’t out of the norm in Dhaka. You might notice that flash is popular with some of the well-known street photographers in Dhaka, and that’s partly because it can come handy to combat the bad light Dhaka can have.
The train station can be a good place to head when the clouds turn to rain, as it provides cover while still being outside with some light. It also can get pretty active and supply a variety of interest. Many of the local street photographers like to head there.
Take a boat ride to shipyard
One of my favorite spots in Dhaka is the shipyard and one of my favorite memories is riding the rowboats across the river to get there and back. It’s a unique experience and sight I’d strongly recommend.
Inspiration:
For some more inspiration, as I mentioned earlier, you can look through the work of local Dhaka street photographers:
And as always, you can check out 33 of my photos taken in Dhaka.
I hope this guide can help you go experience Dhaka… So grab your camera and capture all that Dhaka has to offer for Street Photography!
If you still have any questions about shooting in Dhaka, feel free to comment below or email me!
(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)
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