Bargains from Bangladesh

[Zunaid]

Originally Posted by roman
I haven't been to BD in 11 years. I am going there in Feb. I am finding this thread super helpful.

There are two other threads that you might find useful. I am not sure of the Thread title but it was started by someone returning after 10 years and asking for advice...

[mufi_02]

Trousers/Pajamas, T-Shirts from Bongo Bazar. They are really cheap but don't expect them to last for more than a year. Cap/Hats from New Market,

Hajir Biryani, Kabab from Mohdpur, BFC, Shawrma from any good place, Chinese foods.

Most importantly eat lots of chotpoti and fuchka. You won't find that anywhere in the world. Make sure you have orsaline too.

[roman]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
There are two other threads that you might find useful. I am not sure of the Thread title but it was started by someone returning after 10 years and asking for advice...

Thanx Will look it up

[simon]

cheap sandu genjees !

[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by nakedzero
BASSMAN bhai don't miss deshi foods you never gonna get them in UK. Eat as much biriyanis as you can

True man. Few things that I won't miss are: kachi biryani, mughlai paratha, tehari and faluda.

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by mac
Don't buy any DVDs, buy an HDD and ask your uni going cousins to fill that up with good quality English Movies. Saves both money and space.

Hey that's a good idea...*NY idea on prices ,I want a fairly small sized one. Can one connect these hdd using a usb to a TV?

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
I did get some DVD Box sets of TV shows and some movies. I had my college going nephew 'test' them out. He was happy to stay up late nights watching the shows and movies and we did find a few that were screencams or screener issues with the watermark, we returned and got our money back or got more movies. We go to the same dude at the Rifles Square Mall and he is happy to do take back those we didn't care for (some were due to the quality of the movie and not the quality of the recording). I've given him enough of my business. The last two trips in 2010/2011, I must have bought over 200 DVDs. Yeah, my nephew wasn't up to testing all of those and I ended up with a copy of 'How to Train Your Dragon' dubbed in what sounds like Uzbeki, I swear. The print quality was pristine. So,if you know an Uzbek, let him/her know where he can get some Uzbek dubbed movies mighty cheap.

I also go to one shop in rifles square, the first shop when you enter the DVD market and I think is the largest store. They have a good exchange policy as well.

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by Navo
BOOKS:
I would say along with Nilkhet, you should definitely visit Zeenat Book Supply in New Market and the bookstore on the ground floor of Aziz Supermarket. In my opinion, these bookstores are far better than the overpriced Words n Pages, etc. They have great variety, competitive prices and stock used books/comics as well.

You'll find plenty of old Asterix/Tin Tin comics and MAD magazines at Zeenat and the old ones, usually in good condition, are ridiculously cheap. (As in 30-50 taka for an old edition of MAD) Asterix is generally more expensive but cheaper than in UK bookstores (~ Tk.200-300) But just like most things in Bangladesh, the price is always negotiable.

What's also really good about these bookstores is their range of books on the Indian subcontinent, some of which are extremely rare/out of print/unavailable in the West. They're definitely an investment. If you're in Dhaka for a while, these bookstores also accept orders.

FILMS:
Rifles Square is undoubtedly the best for range and price. You'll probably find the Natok you're for here. If you build up a good rapport with the vendor (and keep a receipt), you should be able to return any DVD that isn't of satisfactory quality. If the movie is more than 9 months old, you'll probably get a good quality DVD anyway. If you're into foreign films or box sets of old English/American tv shows, there are some real gems to be found.

FOOD:
Bakorkhani, Biryani, even Bangladeshi Chinese food, you'll not get that in the UK.

DON'T get shoes from Bangladesh. I bought three pairs in January, a formal one, a pair of sneakers and basketball shoes. The sole of the first two broke a couple of days after I started wearing them and the basketball shoes are already starting to tear at the seams.

Many thanks for that indepth advice. Will give shoes a miss.

My mum send me bakorkhani from time to time. Great stuff that. And yes Bangladeshi biryani is so unique. No one outside bd can replicate. And the dohi and rasmali. Sad I can't transport these things.

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[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
There are two other threads that you might find useful. I am not sure of the Thread title but it was started by someone returning after 10 years and asking for advice...

It was started by Electrequiem boss. Here it is:

http://www.banglacricket.com/alochon...ad.php?t=29415

[F6_Turbo]

If you visit lots of relatives and friends as we all do...obviously you can't go empty handed, right?

So when taking the sweets, get your family/driver to take you to Premium Sweets - beautiful sweets, very clean, all very fresh.

I don't eat any sort of misti, but got a lot of love from everywhere, when I took a couple of kilos of misti from Premium(some sort of joint BD/Canadian venture I think). They also have a really nice and light, Potato Chanachur.

Doesn't really help you in terms of bringing anything back...hehe

[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by simon
cheap sandu genjees !

I think I will stick to the under garments in the uk. I might get some tailored shirts though.

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by ZeeshanM
It was started by Electrequiem boss. Here it is:

http://www.banglacricket.com/alochon...ad.php?t=29415

Useful thread. Thank for the info

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
If you visit lots of relatives and friends as we all do...obviously you can't go empty handed, right?


So when taking the sweets, get your family/driver to take you to Premium Sweets - beautiful sweets, very clean, all very fresh.

I don't eat any sort of misti, but got a lot of love from everywhere, when I took a couple of kilos of misti from Premium(some sort of joint BD/Canadian venture I think). They also have a really nice and light, Potato Chanachur.

Doesn't really help you in terms of bringing anything back...hehe

Thanks for the advice, and hey its more constructive than the sando genji and jangia replies!

Yes premium sweets are actually very good. I also used to get cakes from kings in dhanmondi which is also a crowd pleaser.

Back in the 90s igloo ice cream cakes were the standard

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[Equinox]

You can get diarrhea for a bargain.

[Equinox]

Premium sweets? Is that place still open? The last time I went there half their store was a sharir dokan and the quality of their sweets had fallen too. But man when they first opened, their roshomalai was da bomb!

[shaad]

Originally Posted by Ajfar
Zeeshan bhai you missed the most important one, Lungi or does that fall under undergarments?

Er, for lungis, I still prefer the "Shongkho Marka" ones from Kolkata -- khub comfortable; although I gather you can get them in Dhaka nowadays.

[shaad]

Originally Posted by Navo
BOOKS:
I would say along with Nilkhet, you should definitely visit Zeenat Book Supply in New Market and the bookstore on the ground floor of Aziz Supermarket. In my opinion, these bookstores are far better than the overpriced Words n Pages, etc. They have great variety, competitive prices and stock used books/comics as well.

Let me reiterate my support for Zeenat Book Supply too. The owner, Faisal Bhai, is a gentleman -- I used to tutor him a long long time ago -- and someone who both appreciates books and sees his customers as more than just a revenue stream.

[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by shaad
Let me reiterate my support for Zeenat Book Supply too. The owner, Faisal Bhai, is a gentleman -- I used to tutor him a long long time ago -- and someone who both appreciates books and sees his customers as more than just a revenue stream.

Will defo go to zeenat then. Any idea on prices of asterix and mad comics there ?

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[Navo]

@BASSMAN: As I said in my earlier post, you'll get old editions of MAD there for ~50 taka and they'll usually be in pretty good condition. Asterix is more expensive generally but still cheaper than in Europe, especially if you buy in bulk. If I remember correctly, in January this year, good quality, new Tin Tin and Asterix comics went for 200-300 taka/each.

[Navo]

Originally Posted by shaad
Let me reiterate my support for Zeenat Book Supply too. The owner, Faisal Bhai, is a gentleman -- I used to tutor him a long long time ago -- and someone who both appreciates books and sees his customers as more than just a revenue stream.

Zeenat Book Supply is one of the first places I visit, each time I go to Dhaka It stocks a lot of the Oxford India texts, which I found useful for my dissertation

[F6_Turbo]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Premium sweets? Is that place still open? The last time I went there half their store was a sharir dokan and the quality of their sweets had fallen too. But man when they first opened, their roshomalai was da bomb!

What Premium are you talking about?

Dhanmondi has two Premium Sweets, one on Shaat masjid road, opposite to the lake(opened only a few months ago) and they have another in Dhanmondi 4. A couple in Uttara and Gulshan, also one at the airport.

Standards were still impeccable, unless something has changed in the last 3 months. They let you taste everything before you make a purchase(as I said, I don't eat sweets, so I had my wife taste everything, before we bought things )...the stores were clean, staff very professional, and the sweets looked more hygienic than most hospital ORs in Bangladesh.

[nakedzero]

Originally Posted by BASSMAN
True man. Few things that I won't miss are: kachi biryani, mughlai paratha, tehari and faluda.

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I suggest you must try Kachchi from these - Fokruddin, Hanif (old town), Haji (old town), Jhunu (at Narinda-this one is for Morog Polao actually), Super/Star ( Joya Kali Mondir) and Razzaq (old town). Borhani is damn good at Star Kawran bazar branch. Khichuri from Ghorowa hotel and Hirajheel Hotel at Motijheel. And bhai another thing, wake up very early in the morning, go to old Dhaka (at 6-6:30am) and have kaacha chhana, kaacha makhon, and Maathaa (মাঠা).

[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by Navo
@BASSMAN: As I said in my earlier post, you'll get old editions of MAD there for ~50 taka and they'll usually be in pretty good condition. Asterix is more expensive generally but still cheaper than in Europe, especially if you buy in bulk. If I remember correctly, in January this year, good quality, new Tin Tin and Asterix comics went for 200-300 taka/each.

Just getting a second opinion

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by nakedzero
I suggest you must try Kachchi from these - Fokruddin, Hanif (old town), Haji (old town), Jhunu (at Narinda-this one is for Morog Polao actually), Super/Star ( Joya Kali Mondir) and Razzaq (old town). Borhani is damn good at Star Kawran bazar branch. Khichuri from Ghorowa hotel and Hirajheel Hotel at Motijheel. And bhai another thing, wake up very early in the morning, go to old Dhaka (at 6-6:30am) and have kaacha chhana, kaacha makhon, and Maathaa (মাঠা).

Reading about those puran dhaka stores has filled me with nostalgia. thanks for that!

Due to limited time and with the extra parameters of being married and having a son since my last visit I will unfortunately have to restrict myself. I will defo go to star kebab. I might make a covert ops to the tehari shop in nilkhet when I go to buy books.

And most probably I will make an early morning stop at the paratha and egg store under Aziz supermarket. In my last year of uni on many days me and my friends used to have our breakfast there.

However my wife is interested in chicken patties. I remember there were a few near shobanbhag. Any other suggestions in dhanmondi for good chicken patties?

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[BASSMAN]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
What Premium are you talking about?

Dhanmondi has two Premium Sweets, one on Shaat masjid road, opposite to the lake(opened only a few months ago) and they have another in Dhanmondi 4. A couple in Uttara and Gulshan, also one at the airport.

Standards were still impeccable, unless something has changed in the last 3 months. They let you taste everything before you make a purchase(as I said, I don't eat sweets, so I had my wife taste everything, before we bought things )...the stores were clean, staff very professional, and the sweets looked more hygienic than most hospital ORs in Bangladesh.

TBH someone brought premium sweets for us a few months back to the UK and I have noticed the packaging and taste has not changed that much.

Maybe he was referring to one odd branch.

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