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Published : 29 Apr 2025, 05:51 PM
If someone had told me thirty years ago that Dhaka is expensive, I would have laughed!
In 1995, Dhaka was a city where one could easily be a king for a day with Tk 1,000 in their wallet.
It’s true!
Well, one can still have a comfortable day with that amount, but she or he will certainly not be in the lap of luxury.
For a thousand bucks, you will be able to manage three comfortable meals at a desi restaurant with a friend, but no fancy drinks.
Nowadays, one has to be strategic with one’s plans if one is to have a day out for only Tk 1,000.
In fact, the best option is not to go out at all!
With that amount, one can easily get 1 kg beef or three medium-sized chickens.
Get a few tips from an aunt, cook at home, head for the roof with a few homemade yoghurt drinks, marvel at the stars, enjoy the summer evening breeze and the night can still be quite memorable!
However, if you are climbing the walls at home and are desperate to get away, here is a guide on how to stretch taht Tk 1,000 for entertainment, food, and even a touch of nature while leaving enough for a smoke or two.
WATCH A MOVIE AT A TRADITIONAL CINEMA HALL
Just a week after Eid-ul-Fitr, while the Cineplex was doing brisk business, a large number of cine lovers bemoaned that just one outing at a movie with a friend set them back nearly Tk 2,000.
The price of tickets has seen a sharp rise recently.
With a box of popcorn, two drinks, ticket prices and transport cost, quite a bit more money is needed for a relaxing few hours at the movies for two.
So, to cut down on the price, head for a more traditional cinema hall. The Modhumita is still available, along with the Ananda and Chondo.
And two tickets cost only Tk 300.
Two cups of machine vended coffee, crisps and a smoke during intermission will add another Tk 100 to the bill.
It might not have the extravagance of the Cineplex, but it retains an inimitable feel as posters from forty to fifty years ago provide an unmatched experience of celluloid history and evolution.
The disadvantage? No air conditioning. But the fans do work quite well.
At Modhumita, if you are not in a rush, take time and go from one poster to another, and appreciate the keen artwork that gives a glimpse into the star-studded film landscapes of eras past.
The thrill isn’t to be taken lightly. After all, in the decade after liberation, a major film genre was the extravagant costume drama, featuring sumptuous kingdoms, complex palace intrigue, swashbuckling heroes, mysterious sorceresses and enchanting princesses.
That template has all but disappeared!
But that may be a story for another time.
TWILIGHT AMIDST NATURE OR HISTORY
If you want a more culinary flavour to your excursion, there are two great options for those on a tight budget. To really cut down on expenses head for the Dhaka University campus.
The “VC Chottor” - the open space opposite the vice-chancellor’s residence - has been turned into a park with soft lights and sitting arrangements.
And, to cater to all the growing students, a smorgasbord of street food is on offer!
For that essential cup of piping hot milk tea, you should try the Tong Tea shop inside the business faculty premises.
For an even more memorable evening, you can head to Old Dhaka and spend a few hours at Beauty Boarding, the historical home now turned into a boarding house cum restaurant that serves delicious luchi and vegetables in the evening.
Surrounded by greenery, the Old Dhaka institution is a time capsule with very few touches of modernity.
The walls whisper rebellious sentiments of the pre-independence period and the thrumming energy of the anti-autocracy movement of the 80s.
For Tk 200, you and your date can have a very hearty meal.
No one will ask you to leave, so sit back and enjoy a touch of Bohemian twilight.
Acquaintance with a renegade poet or a staunch socialist may be the icing on the cake.
End the evening at Nazira Bazar at Kazi Alauddin Road with tea from the several stalls offering a wide variety of brews from the regular milk tea to tea with cream on top.
For some added thrills, try a delicious sweet betel leaf filled with an assortment of spices.
Those with more daring taste buds can go for the betel leaves that are set on fire and then placed inside the mouth.
A flaming end to a fabulous day and all done with a Tk 1,000 note.
Truly, with strategic planning, a whole day can be made into a unique experience.
Instead of going to the cinema, you can always head towards Sadarghat for a boat trip, eat at a floating restaurant, and then, on the way back, stop at Wari for tandoori tea.
So, instead of splurging money for an hour at a swanky, overpriced eatery, a little planning may give you a day to truly remember.
With all these options, you must wonder what I would do with a Tk 1,000 to spend in Dhaka.
Well, I would visit the Lalbagh Fort or the Narinda Christian Cemetery, eat Nehari at Arsalan in Lalbagh and then sip tea at the VC Chottor.
I invite you to take the Tk 1,000 challenge yourself and let me know what particular Dhaka delights you uncover.
[Towheed Feroze is a former journalist!]
