Business Traveler's Guide to Dhaka: Navigating Bangladesh's Corporate Hub

Coming from New Zealand and living in Canada, Dhaka's business environment required a significant mental shift. Relationships matter profoundly here—perhaps even more than in my Māori culture, where connection to people (whanaungatanga) forms the foundation of all interactions.

Meetings in Dhaka rarely begin with immediate business talk. Instead, expect extensive personal conversations about family, education, and mutual connections. This isn't mere small talk; it's essential relationship-building that establishes the trust necessary for productive partnerships. As someone who values storytelling and personal connection, I found this aspect refreshingly familiar.

Hierarchy plays a crucial role in Bangladeshi business culture. Senior executives command significant respect, and decision-making typically flows from the top down. When presenting ideas, I learned to direct my main points toward the most senior person in the room while still engaging everyone present.

Time operates differently here too. While punctuality is expected from visitors like myself, local colleagues might arrive 15-30 minutes late to meetings—a phenomenon locals call 'Bangladesh time.' Rather than showing frustration (as some of my Western colleagues did), I embraced this as an opportunity for additional preparation or brief moments of mindfulness amid busy days.

Business attire remains formal despite the heat. Men typically wear suits or dress shirts with trousers, while women opt for business suits or traditional salwar kameez. I packed my wrinkle-resistant dress shirts which proved invaluable given the humidity and limited ironing options at my hotel.

Dhaka's traffic deserves its legendary status. What appears as a 15-minute journey on Google Maps can easily stretch to an hour or more, especially during peak times. This presented a genuine challenge when coordinating multiple meetings across different parts of the city.

For business travelers, I strongly recommend arranging a dedicated car and driver through your hotel or a reputable company for the duration of your stay. While this might seem extravagant by Canadian or New Zealand standards, it's reasonably priced in Bangladesh and eliminates countless headaches. My driver, Kamal, not only navigated the labyrinthine streets with impressive skill but also served as an informal cultural guide, pointing out landmarks and explaining local customs between appointments.

Ride-sharing apps like Uber and local alternative Pathao function in Dhaka, but the language barrier and difficulty in communicating exact pickup locations can create unnecessary stress when you're rushing to meetings. If you do use these services, allow substantial buffer time.

For keeping connected during those long commutes, a reliable mobile data connection is essential. I purchased a local SIM card at the airport (Grameenphone offered the best coverage) and used my portable WiFi hotspot as backup for important video calls and accessing cloud documents when hotel WiFi proved unreliable.

One unexpected transportation highlight: Dhaka's water taxis. When meeting clients near the Buriganga River, I discovered these boats offer a traffic-free alternative and provide a fascinating perspective of the city. Just be sure to negotiate fares before boarding and don't expect the same safety standards you'd find in Western countries.

Finding reliable spaces to work between meetings proved more challenging than I anticipated. While major international hotel chains offer business centers, they're often crowded and lack privacy for confidential calls.

I discovered several coworking spaces that saved my productivity during downtime. Moar Studios in Banani and HubDhaka in Gulshan both offer day passes with reliable WiFi, decent coffee, and the chance to network with local entrepreneurs. These spaces provided fascinating glimpses into Bangladesh's growing startup ecosystem—a welcome contrast to the more traditional corporate environments of my scheduled meetings.

Internet connectivity varies dramatically across the city. Even in upscale hotels, WiFi speeds fluctuated unpredictably. My travel router became my most valued tech companion, allowing me to create a secure connection using either my local SIM or hotel ethernet when available.

Power outages remain common in Dhaka despite improvements in infrastructure. During my week-long stay, we experienced three significant outages during business hours. Most major office buildings and hotels have backup generators that kick in quickly, but smaller venues might leave you in the dark. I never went anywhere without my fully charged laptop and portable power bank.

One unexpected workspace discovery came from Dhaka's luxury malls. Places like Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara City Shopping Complex house quiet cafés with reliable WiFi and comfortable seating—perfect for catching up on emails or preparing for meetings while enjoying a moment of climate-controlled calm amid the city's intensity.

As a Māori New Zealander, I value the concept of whanaungatanga—the process of establishing relationships through shared experiences and working together. This cultural value served me well in Bangladesh, where business is fundamentally relational rather than transactional.

Invitations to meals are central to relationship-building in Dhaka. When a Bangladeshi colleague invites you to dinner, it represents a significant step toward establishing trust. These meals often happen in upscale restaurants or sometimes in family homes, where you'll experience incredible hospitality and authentic cuisine that far surpasses what you'll find in tourist establishments.

During these meals, I found that sharing stories about my Māori heritage and my life in Canada created genuine connections. Bangladeshis deeply appreciate cultural exchange and respond warmly to visitors who show interest in their traditions while sharing their own. My hosts were particularly fascinated by indigenous perspectives on environmental stewardship—a growing concern in rapidly developing Dhaka.

Gift-giving plays an important role in business relationships here. Quality items representing your home country make excellent gifts for key business contacts. I brought small pounamu (New Zealand jade) carvings and maple syrup from Canada, both of which were received with genuine appreciation. In return, I received beautiful handcrafted items that now serve as meaningful reminders of the connections I made.

While English is widely spoken in business circles, learning a few Bengali phrases demonstrates respect. I used a language translation device for more complex conversations outside formal business settings, which often became an interesting conversation starter itself.

All work and no exploration makes for a missed opportunity in a city as culturally rich as Dhaka. As someone who typically seeks wilderness and vinyl records in my travels, I had to adjust my approach—but discovered equally rewarding experiences between business commitments.

Dhaka's Old Town (Puran Dhaka) offers a sensory immersion that counterbalances the corporate environments of the business districts. I carved out two hours one afternoon to explore Shakhari Bazar, where traditional craftspeople continue centuries-old practices. The narrow streets and historic architecture provided a necessary reminder of the deep cultural context underlying modern Bangladeshi business.

Lalbagh Fort, built in the 17th century, offered a peaceful retreat for reflection after particularly intense negotiation sessions. The gardens within its walls provide rare quiet space in this densely populated city, perfect for processing meetings or preparing for upcoming presentations.

Music connects cultures, and as a record collector, I couldn't resist exploring Dhaka's music scene. I discovered Geezer Records in Banani, a small shop with an impressive collection of South Asian classical recordings and contemporary Bengali artists. The owner's recommendations introduced me to Bangladeshi folk-fusion that now features prominently in my collection back home.

For longer stays, consider a weekend excursion to Sonargaon, the ancient capital just outside Dhaka. This day trip provides perspective on Bangladesh's rich history and architectural heritage. I used my compact travel camera to capture the stunning folk-art museum and abandoned merchant houses that tell stories of the region's past prosperity.

These cultural interludes weren't mere tourist activities—they provided valuable context for understanding my Bangladeshi colleagues and enriched subsequent business discussions with cultural reference points that demonstrated my genuine interest in their country.