Few would consider Bangladesh an expensive country to go to, but an unbeatable aspect of visiting Dhaka – compared to a number of other cities in South Asia – is that a lot of its top sights and activities still remain totally free to explore. From people watching at the ferry terminal to going to the city's most beautiful mosques, here's our pick of the best free things to do within the Bangladesh capital.
1. People-watch from the jetties of Sadarghat
One of the very most atmospheric places in Dhaka is the main ferry terminal of Sadarghat, a number of jetties extended across the banks of the Buriganga River. A wonderful place for people-watching, Sadarghat comes alive in the early mornings, when hulking launch boats connecting Dhaka to other towns in the southern deltaic regions moor in the docks – disgorging thousands of commuters using their wood-and-metal innards – and late evenings, when throngs of passengers board the same vessels departing on overnight cruises for their respective destinations.
Technically, you need to buy a 'platform ticket' to gain access to the piers for any meagre Tk 5 (6 US cents), but the return on your charges are disproportionately tilted in your favour.
2. Seek blessings at Dhakeswari Temple
The nerve centre from the Hindu faith in Bangladesh, Dhakeswari Temple was thought to have been founded nine centuries ago. Popular opinion unanimously converges on the assumption that the city took its name in the temple's resident deity, Dhakeswari, an incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess.
The temple welcomes people all faiths; you can visit the main shrine to find the deity's blessings, and light a bunch of incense sticks or candles in a sand bunk across the main courtyard like a symbolic offering. Each year in September and October, the temple – as well the market area surrounding it – comes alive inside a riot of festivities when the four-day-long Durga Puja festival is held here with much ritual and public fanfare.
