Shakhari Bazar

About Shakhari Bazar

Shakhari Bazar takes its name from the shankharis, the conch-shell workers whose craft has been passed down in these families for centuries. The street is barely wide enough for two rickshaws, and the houses rise three or four storeys on plots only a few metres wide, with small shrines tucked into doorways and upper floors leaning over the lane.

Walk slowly and you will see artisans cutting and polishing shell into bangles, alongside shops selling puja items, kites, drums and brightly painted idols. Many visitors find it the most atmospheric street in Dhaka, and it feels very different from the mosques and Mughal monuments a few minutes away.

The lane is busiest and most colourful around Durga Puja in autumn, when pandals and lights fill the street. It sits close to Ahsan Manzil, the Armenian Church and Star Mosque, so it fits easily into an Old Dhaka walk. Evergreen Bangladesh Tours includes it on private Old Dhaka tours with a local guide who can introduce you to the families at work.

Getting there

From central Dhaka: take a car or CNG to the Sadarghat or Johnson Road area, then walk or ride a rickshaw into the lane. Traffic is heavy, so allow plenty of time.

Cars cannot really enter the street itself, so it is best explored on foot as part of an Old Dhaka walk.

Where to stay

Most travellers stay in Gulshan, Banani or Dhanmondi, where international and boutique hotels are found, and visit Old Dhaka as a day trip.