Adabar: A neighbourhood that quietly became a city within a city
Adabar’s rise is a quiet but clear example of how Dhaka changes: a patch of lanes and low-rise houses becomes a dense, mixed neighbourhood where families live, businesses expand, and restaurants compete for weekend trade
The first thing Tashfia Tasneem noticed after moving to Adabar in 2023 was the energy. Not the usual Dhaka chaos, but a steady, confident buzz rising from the streets — as if the neighbourhood had quietly decided it was done being overlooked.
She had moved just days before Eid-ul-Adha, which meant her family was already on edge about getting their shopping done. Back in her old neighbourhood in North Badda, Eid shopping could feel like a military operation: hours stuck in traffic, tense arguments about which mall was "worth it", and the familiar cycle of exhaustion that always ruined the mood.
But in Adabar, things unfolded differently.
On her second morning in the new flat, her mother casually announced, "Let's finish our Eid shopping today." Tashfia mentally prepared herself for a day-long expedition across Dhaka. Then her father said something she never expected, "Let's just walk."
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Walk? For Eid shopping?
Before she could question it, they stepped onto Ring Road. But it wasn't the Ring Road she remembered from childhood drives. This one felt transformed — wider, brighter, lined with glass-fronted showrooms and brand signs that belonged in major commercial hubs. Apex, Infinity, Artisan, Yellow — an entire cluster of mid-range and upper-mid-range brands stood within a few minutes' walk.
Within an hour, the whole family's Eid shopping was complete. No traffic. No waiting. No exhausted sighs.
By the time they walked home, the neighbourhood was slipping into its evening rhythm. Food carts appeared like small restaurants on wheels. The smell of fuchka mixed with grilled kebabs filled the air. Someone was experimenting with waffles. Teenagers queued for neon-coloured iced drinks.
Standing by her window later, watching the whole Adabar area glow under the city lights, Tashfia realised something simple: she had not just moved homes — she had moved into a neighbourhood that was reinventing itself right before her eyes.
Adabar's rise is a quiet but clear example of how Dhaka changes: a patch of lanes and low-rise houses becomes a dense, mixed neighbourhood where families live, businesses expand, and restaurants compete for weekend trade.
The transformation did not happen by accident. It emerged from a combination of planned housing projects, new housing societies, and improved transport corridors — especially Ring Road — that collectively reshaped where people wanted to live and where businesses saw opportunity.
Adabar itself is relatively new in administrative terms. It became an official thana in 2007 when Dhaka reorganised its urban management. Geographically small but densely populated, Adabar had roughly 215,000 residents within a 2.448 km² area when the 2022 census was conducted — a density high enough to sustain dozens of shops, banks, healthcare facilities and service businesses within walking distance.
"I moved to Adabar from my hometown Dinajpur in the 1980s, when it was still mostly empty. From my house — one of the first six-storey buildings in the area — you could see all the way to Beribadh and the Buriganga river. Almost every plot around us was vacant, like Purbachal or the other future-development zones we see today. Ring Road was just a narrow two-lane road. There were brick fields where Japan Garden City now stands."
History entwined with that of Mohammadpur
To understand today's Adabar, it helps to look at the history of Mohammadpur, the broader area that frames it. Mohammadpur was conceived in the 1950s as one of Dhaka's earliest planned residential zones.
The area offered broader streets and land set aside for government quarters and middle-class housing. Over the decades, Mohammadpur maintained much of its residential character while adapting to commercial growth, new apartment towers and informal lanes.
For long-time residents, the transformation is striking.
"I moved to Adabar from my hometown Dinajpur in the 1980s, when it was still mostly empty," said Abdus Samad, a resident who has lived here for over four decades. "From my house — one of the first six-storey buildings in the area — you could see all the way to Beribadh and the Buriganga river. Almost every plot around us was vacant, like Purbachal or the other future-development zones we see today. Ring Road was just a narrow two-lane road. There were brick fields where Japan Garden City now stands."
That picture began to shift dramatically in the late 1990s and 2000s as large housing projects started taking shape in the area.
Japan Garden City, just beside Adabar, remains one of the most visible markers of that shift. Its concept of a gated, self-contained living space with internal roads, shops, and playgrounds was novel in west Dhaka at the time. Thousands of middle-income and upper-middle-income families moved in, changing the economic momentum of the neighbourhood.
"After Japan Garden City became fully functional and a wave of middle- to upper-middle-income families moved in, that's when real development began," said Mohiuddin Taher, chairman of PC Culture Housing Society, established in 1974.
"Back then, if you stood near the Shia Mosque, all you could see were vast stretches of wetlands," Taher recalled. "Where Ring Road runs today, there was nothing but water and scattered patches of lowland. Even the areas now taken over by Mohammadia Housing Society and Mohammadia Housing Limited were once considered impossible to develop. People didn't believe these places could ever turn into residential zones. What you see today is the result of decades of steady land filling, planning, and the confidence of families who were willing to take a chance on Adabar."
Around the same period, other housing societies such as Baitul Aman Housing began attracting steady streams of residents. Developers built dozens of mid-rise and high-rise buildings across Baitul Aman, and property platforms now list a constant supply of flats for sale and rent.
BTI's "Resonance" project in Baitul Aman is one of several branded developments signalling a more polished housing market.
PC Culture Housing Society grew into another popular residential community. Many families prefer its semi-gated environment, walkability and proximity to Ring Road and major bus routes. Mansurabad, along with smaller pockets of residential projects, add to Adabar's increasing density and socioeconomic diversity.
Ring Road's contribution
All of these housing clusters helped push Adabar onto the map as a desirable residential zone, but the real catalyst for its transformation — the part that shaped both economic and social life — has been Ring Road.
Running from Shyamoli to Mohammadpur and connecting the area to major employment hubs like Mirpur, Tejgaon and Agargaon, Ring Road acts as a civic spine. Over the last decade, traffic upgrades and ongoing road works have improved movement, attracting more commuters and businesses.
But better roads also come with complications.
"We've often had to close certain roads — with permission from traffic authorities — and even though the diversions make the route slightly longer, the overall flow of traffic remains normal," said one local traffic coordinator. "But people still complain. And when a road stays closed for a while, vendors quickly move in and set up their stalls. Once they're established, removing them becomes extremely difficult."
Even with these challenges, Ring Road's convenience has changed daily life. Delivery services operate more efficiently. Small businesses thrive due to increased footfall and visibility. Banks, restaurants and brand shops now cluster along the corridor, feeding a commercial ecosystem that didn't exist even 15 years ago.
The effects are visible everywhere. Smaller groceries have expanded into supermarkets. Laundries, salons, repair shops and pharmacies have multiplied. Streets that once had a handful of tea stalls now host cafés and boutique eateries. Real-estate listings show rising rents, rising demand and rising density.
Lifestyle changes followed.
Quality of life at Adabar
In previous years, many young residents travelled to Dhanmondi or Gulshan for gyms, cafés or entertainment. Now, those amenities have arrived in Adabar.
"I used to go to Dhanmondi just for the gym," said Rezwan Shuvo, a young resident who works out regularly. "Now there are several really good options here. I go to Multi Gym Premium on Ring Road. It's fully equipped and unisex. There are a few others too — some cheaper, but all good. I don't have to travel far anymore."
The same goes for markets. The Mohammadpur Krishi Market remains one of Dhaka's busiest kitchen markets, offering affordable groceries, spices and household supplies. But for those who prefer something quicker or more convenient, Adabar now has multiple branches of Shwapno, Agora, and Prince Bazar.
These changes have upgraded the area's quality of life — but they have also introduced new pressures.
Infrastructure has struggled to keep up with private construction. Inner roads are often narrow and congested. Drainage systems clog during monsoon rains, causing temporary flooding in certain pockets. Water pressure fluctuates, especially in older buildings. And the area still lacks sufficient public green spaces; children often play in tight lanes or on rooftops.
However there is a persistent worry about public safety around certain pockets of Mohammadpur and Adabar, particularly near Geneva Camp.
"Still, there's a lingering anxiety about safety in some corners of Mohammadpur and Adabar, especially around the Geneva Camp area," Shuvo added. "If you look at police records or news reports, you'll often see mentions of joint operations, sudden raids, arrests tied to mugging rings, illegal firearms, or drug networks. Many of these incidents technically fall within Adabar's administrative boundary — and even if they don't affect most residents directly, they end up shaping how outsiders view the entire neighbourhood."
Security concerns push some families toward gated housing complexes and private security arrangements. For others living in older lanes, the choices are more limited, leaving them dependent on street-level policing and community vigilance.
This duality — opportunity on one side, pressure on the other — defines Adabor today.
These conveniences have undeniably raised the area's standard of living, but they have also brought new pressures. Infrastructure still struggles to keep pace with private construction. Many inner lanes remain narrow and congested, drainage clogs easily during monsoon rains, and water pressure fluctuates in older buildings. And while Adabar has grown denser, taller and more commercially active, one thing has not grown with it: public green space.
For many long-time residents, this is the part of Adabor's transformation that feels most incomplete. "Buildings have gone up everywhere — but not a single proper park has been built for the people who actually live here," said Samad. "When I first came to Adabar, there were open fields, stretches of green, even trees along the small roads. Now you can walk for kilometres without finding a playground or a space where children can run. Everything is concrete."
He believes the absence of greenery quietly shapes daily life. "Thousands of families live in Adabar now, but most children grow up without any fresh air or open space. Even the small empty plots we once relied on for breathing room have disappeared into construction. Development is good — but a neighbourhood can't be truly liveable without trees."
On one hand, the neighbourhood is thriving. Residential societies like Japan Garden City, PC Culture, Baitul Aman and Mansurabad continue to draw new families. Connectivity via Ring Road brings convenience and commerce. Banks, restaurants and brand stores follow the crowds. Evening food stalls create a lively street culture. A dense cluster of supermarkets, boutique shops and fitness centres shows a neighbourhood rising like a city within a city.
