Kawran Bazar, Wholesale market in central Dhaka, Bangladesh

Kawran Bazar is a wholesale market in central Dhaka with separate sections for vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, grains, electronics, and poultry. The different zones sit side by side, allowing retailers and traders from across the city to source a wide range of goods in a single stop.

Markets have existed in the Karwan Bazar area since the 17th century, when a Mughal customs check post stood nearby. In the late 18th century the Marwari trader Karwan Singh established a market here, and the area gradually came to be named after him. By the late 19th century it was known for household goods such as pottery and crockery.

Kawran Bazar is one of those places where the daily trading life of Dhaka is most visible and direct. Traders from across Bangladesh come here to buy and resell goods, and the constant back-and-forth between sellers and buyers gives the place a raw commercial energy you can feel just walking through it.

The market is most active in the early morning hours when fresh goods arrive, so that is the best time to get a full sense of how it works. Wear comfortable shoes, as the paths between stalls can be narrow and the ground wet or slippery.

Although the market mainly serves traders, individual buyers are welcome too and can often find goods at prices much lower than in a regular shop. The fish section stands out in particular because it carries freshwater species sourced directly from rivers and ponds across Bangladesh.