The Urban Study Group is not actually a tour operator in the traditional sense – the group is composed of architects who conduct the most interactive and lively tours of Old Dhaka. Puran Dhaka, as it is more commonly known, is a seething hive of cultural and economic activity. Hundreds of thousands of people live in its warren of twisting alleyways and narrow side streets, making a wander through the neighbourhood both a fascinating adventure and a colourful discovery.
 
Tours here are not for the faint of heart. As the most densely populated area of Dhaka, in the most densely populated country in the world, the streets absolutely hum with activity from mid-day well into the night. You might find yourself dodging speeding rickshaws or load-bearing workers as they shout their way past you; or you might find the most quiet bit of solace from the madness at a friendly tea stall. Where ever you look in Puran Dhaka, there is something happening, an experience that might take some visitors to sensory overload.
 
But thankfully, with the guidance of Homaira Zaman and Taimur Islam, this experience is much more manageable and even makes much greater sense with their helpful guidance. The architect duo started their tours in 2008, under the hope that they would eventually find a sponsor willing to fund the restoration of the most precious buildings Puran Dhaka had to offer. The tours quickly became quite popular among Dhaka’s expatriate community, and they attracted a sizeable following with people coming out for multiple tours or even repeating the same tours over and over again.
 
The tours are suitable for those wanting to experience ‘the real Bangladesh’ up close and personal. By choosing Homaira and Taimur’s tours, travellers are supporting those who want to see the beauty of Puran Dhaka (which is ordinarily well hidden under its layers of frenetic energy and commercial activity) preserved for future generations. In a city that serves up heaping mounds of crowded conditions and crazy traffic jams, it is both inspiring and enlightening to meet people who take deep pride in what their city does have to offer.
 
 

Short Program
07.00-08.00 meeting time
-3 hour tour
-10.00-11.30 finish