Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh and the tenth largest city in the world. It has an estimated population of more than 15.5 million people in the Greater Dhaka Area. Dhaka is one of the major cities of South Asia, being Bangladesh's seat of government and an important cultural and financial centre, alongside Chittagong. It stands on the east bank of the Buriganga River in the central Bengal delta. Dhaka was historically called the City of Mosques and the Venice of the East. It is also known as the Rickshaw Capital of the World, due to its daily traffic of over 600,000 cycle rickshaws.

Dhaka is the administrative seat of an eponymous division and district. The Old City of Dhaka served as the Mughal capital of Bengal in the 17th century. Modern Dhaka is one of the fastest growing megacities in the world. Although it has a diverse economy, a high literacy rate and rapidly developing infrastructure, the city faces major challenges of poverty, pollution, crime, congestion and political violence; and is continually ranked among the most unlivable cities in the world.

As the most populous city of Bangladesh, Dhaka has a vibrant cultural life. Annual celebrations for Independence Day (26 March), Language Martyrs' Day (21 February) and Victory Day (16 December) are prominently celebrated across the city. Dhaka's people congregate at the Shaheed Minar and the Jatiyo Smriti Soudho to remember the national heroes of the liberation war. These occasions are observed with public ceremonies and rallies in public grounds. Many schools and colleges organize fairs, festivals and concerts in which citizens from all levels of society participate.

Dhaka has the largest number of schools, colleges and universities of any Bangladeshi city. The education system is divided into 5 levels: Primary (from grades 1 to 5), Junior (from grades 6 to 8), Secondary (from grades 9 to 10), Higher Secondary (from grades 11 to 12) and tertiary.

Cricket and football are the two most popular sports in Dhaka and across the nation.