Telltale signs that you have entered Dhaka city

The holidays are almost over! By tomorrow, the city will revert to its default setting, a busy Dhaka with busy people. Most of the dwellers are either headed towards the capital or will be starting for the metropolis soon. This brings an interesting question to mind: When do you feel like you are in Dhaka?

It can be subjective and the entry points are not the ultimate decider of this feeling. Sometimes you get the vibe long before you enter the place. For some people, it's the presence of factories and skyscrapers that indicates the emergence of Dhaka; for others, it's the people they travel with!

"Do you ever get those fellow travellers who get on the bus with a bunch of ducks, four kids, and way too many bags for any single person to manage? Well, they always get off at the suburbs and as soon as this happens, I know Dhaka is near," said Shahed Hasan, an engineer who lives in Basabo.

"That and the usual traffic jam are usually my indicators for where Dhaka starts," he adds with a smile.

The melodious call that goes "Oi Gulistan-Sadarghat-Gulistan" is an unmistakable one that might as well be an anthem. It's not that Gulistan and Sadarghat are what define Dhaka, rather it's the way these calls for passengers are made and the way the bus conductors basically push you into their dilapidated buses.

"I remember coming to Dhaka on a train ten years ago. As I got down to the station, it was quite an experience full of fear and awe. As I walked along the station to the end of the platform, I found that there was nothing there. I had simply walked in the opposite direction! I know it's silly, but I was new and scared to ask anyone. Since then, Dhaka comes to my mind with a view of the dome-umbrella of Kamalapur Station," shared one Meraz Ahmed from Mirpur who prefers bus rides these days.

There's no denying that many people associate the metropolis with the iconic image of Kamalapur Station. No wonder back in the day, movies would pan out the camera to show the railway station to indicate that our hero, who will most certainly become a rich man by selling chanachur, has arrived in the city.

If you are flying to Dhaka, you may get some of the "vibes" even before landing -- when the commotion starts. However, you will not get the true taste until you are out of the airport and struggling to find a car to get to your destination in the capital.

For newcomers, the "Dhaka feeling" comes in phases. First, it's curiosity as they pass through the outer points of the city. The commotion and traffic will surely pique their interest. Then comes fear when it's time to get off their bus or train. Then comes awe for those visiting the capital for the first time, irrespective of who they are.

Dhaka may not welcome you with a song like "Welcome to New York", but it does shelter you and give you stories that you will never forget.