In the ancient time, Dhaka was flourished in trade and culture. Specifically, it was the hub of the worldwide muslin and silk trade. It was also described as the Venice of the East. The city was home to various Eurasian merchant groups. At that time, Dhaka was regarded as one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world.
Dhaka is famous for its cottage industries and handicrafts. It is renowned for producing the world's finest muslin. It is also known for ready-made garment industries. A strong export-oriented garment industry emerged in the late 20th century. On top of that, having a historical background, the old part of the city, known as Old Dhaka or Old Town, is home to a broad range of architectural heritages. Dhaka is the cultural and economic hub of the country.
Traditional products include jamdani (fine-quality muslin), embroidery, silk and jewelry. Among the city’s major industries are jute processing and the manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather goods, ceramics and electronic products.
Dhaka is located in the central part Bangladesh. More specifically, it stands on the east bank of the Buriganga River. The city is within the monsoon climate zone. It gets a lot of sunshine, and no harsh winters. That means, no snow to deal with. It has a subtropical monsoon climate. During the monsoon season, the city turns into lush green. This time of year is the coolest, quietest and most relaxing.
The cost of life is for all economic conditions, and you find almost everything you need. The city is full of small and quality shops near you. Here, people are really friendly. If you need to ask someone a question on the street, you can always do that.
Dhaka has one of the finest transportation systems in the country---by road, railway and waterway. There is a good network of transport. You can go wherever you want to go without requiring your private car. Buses are the most common form of transport. They are easily available, and run to a wide range of destinations. Dhaka is known as the rickshaw capital of the world because of a large number of cycle-rickshaw. It is very cheap and convenient for short distance journeys.
Dhaka has good links to the rest of the country. Intercity trains operate to the most common distant destinations. All major cities of the country are connected to Dhaka by rail lines. Major cities are connected by airways, too. Water transportation is popular in the southern part of the city, and connects to the southwest part of the country.
The majority of low income people work in garment factories. Beside, they work as day labor, shopkeeper or vendor. Transportation is another job sector for this group of people. Middle income group of people include those who work in industries or the professional practitioners such as doctors, engineers layers and so on. Other people work in academic sector or are government employees. Most of the high income people are the business persons.
Bengali, the national language, is spoken by the predominant majority of the residents. English is the principal second language and is used for law, commerce and education. There is a minority Hindi and Urdu speaking population from India and Pakistan.
As the most densely populated and one of the fastest growing megacities in Asia, it faces some challenges common to a developing world metropolis, including traffic congestion, urban pollution and poverty.