Rangpur Goli: Gulshan’s street food alley that becomes alive after dark
Street food has never been what Gulshan is known for, but that changed last year, when this alley in North Gulshan 2, now gaining fame as Rangpur Goli, began attracting night owls, alongside other popular late-night hangouts in the capital city
As night falls, Dhaka's upscale Gulshan neighbourhood sheds its glitzy houses, five-star hotels, fine-dining restaurants, and corporate offices. Yet a narrow alley near Gulshan 2 roundabout comes alive with the aroma of tea, kebabs, fuchka, nehari, and all kinds of street food one can imagine.
Footfall thickens after midnight, drawing night owls not just from Gulshan but from across the city, who linger for hours in this nocturnal hangout. One can find everything – fuchka, chotpoti, kebab, chaap, seafood, tehari, burgers, pizza, noodles, singara, samosa, momo, salad, and more. For dessert, there's juice, cakes, coconut pudding, ice cream, and countless other treats in here.
Street food has never been what Gulshan is known for, but that changed last year, when this alley in North Gulshan 2, now gaining fame as Rangpur Goli, began attracting night owls, alongside other popular late-night hangouts in the capital city, such as Old Dhaka's Nazirabazar, several streets of Mohammadpur and Purbachal's Neela Market.
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But Rangpur Goli wasn't always its name. How did the name come about, and who first brought food to this alley?
From Rangpur Tea Stall to Rangpur Goli
This alley had no name until about 15 years ago, when the Rangpur Tea Stall opened on Plot 17, North Gulshan 2. Over time, it grew beyond just tea and is now a full-fledged shop called Rangpur Confectionery, offering around 30 varieties of tea, from milk tea at Tk20 to saffron tea at Tk200. Seasonal fruit juices are also available.
The stall's owner, Abu Sayed Selim, hails from Gaibandha but named it Rangpur Tea Stall in celebration of Gaibandha being part of the Rangpur Division.
At first, the stall became popular among students from nearby private universities, as well as office-goers looking for a place to unwind. Soon, the name "Rangpur Tea Stall" spread by word of mouth.
Sipping tea there, a regular customer recalled, "After class, we'd hang out here. If anyone asked where we were, we'd say, 'in front of Rangpur.' Maybe that's how the alley came to be known as Rangpur Goli. Even now, I come almost every day with colleagues and friends."
From the start, the tea stall stayed open late into the night, becoming a favourite spot for Gulshan residents. But tea alone wasn't enough for night wanderers. Expensive restaurants weren't an option for everyone, and so began the demand for affordable late-night kebabs.
How late-night Kebab changed the alley
Rater Kebab (Night's Kebab), a small eatery, opened to feed Gulshan's night owls. Entrepreneurs Masud Rana and his patron Mohammad Nur Islam were already in the grill business when they saw an opportunity here for all-night trade.
In 2023, they launched Rater Kebab in a tin-shed setup with plastic chairs and dim lighting. From the outside, it looked like a rural roadside shack, but the crowds made it nearly impossible to find a seat.
The menu features fish and chicken kebabs, grills, and chaap, with BBQ tilapia, coral, and rupchanda fish being most popular. They also serve chicken hariyali kebab, reshmi kebab, tikka, shik kebab, and more, alongside parathas, homemade sauces, and salad.
Their unique marketing trick? Two fans placed over the coal grills spread the smoky aroma through the alley, luring customers with the irresistible scent of roasted fish and meat.
Masud Rana said, "When we started, there were no other stalls. Customers kept coming all night. Soon after, a fuchka stall, "Viral Fuchka Mama", opened, and the place really took off. From evening until 3 or 4am, the stoves stay lit."
Fuchka is a very popular street snack in Bangladesh, consisting of hollow, crispy fried balls (puri) filled with a mixture of spiced mashed potatoes, chickpeas, and tamarind water.
Viral Fuchka Mama's stall is perhaps the most popular spot in Rangpur Goli. His fuchka, doi fuchka, raj kachori, and bhel puri attract massive crowds, with doi fuchka being the star attraction. On holidays, customers wait 30–40 minutes for a plate.
Nurul Haque, known as Fuchka Mama, shared, "On weekends, sales reach Tk80–90,000 in one night. Doi fuchka sells out so fast that many customers go home disappointed."
Viral Fuchka Mama is right next to another stall, Gulshan Nehari Ghar, serving traditional dishes like beef and mutton nehari, haleem, khichuri, tehari, rice, duck, chicken, and beef.
Owner Rubel Mia said, "People come for simple meals like rice and lentils, but nehari [a slow-cooked, spicy stew traditionally made with beef shank or lamb/mutton] is the best seller."
Restaurants on wheels
Rajon, who works at a buying house, and his wife Ratri, who works at an ad agency, also show up at Rangpur Goli after work – but not to eat, to sell food.
Their car trunk doubles as a restaurant named Car Khana (literally, "Food Car"). It's stocked with packets of chips, chicken, salad, sauces, and peppers to make their special dish – Chips Makha. Customers can even bring their own chips, inspired by the foreign concept of "BYOB" (Bring Your Own Bag).
Rajon said, "We started Car Khana as a hobby. We cook everything at home and come here a few nights a week. It's been a hit – now we make around Tk100,000 a month."
They're not alone. From Uttara, entrepreneur Tahsin Jahan also brings his car filled with homemade tehari and jali kebab, staying from 9pm to 2am. By day, he sells in Uttara, and he also runs a catering service under the Facebook page Tasu's.
"I used to work a regular job," Tahsin said. "But I loved cooking, so I turned it into a business. Since last Eid-ul-Adha, I've been coming here too, and the customer response has been great."
Food trucks are already popular in the West, and the trend is catching on in Bangladesh. In Rangpur Goli, many sell from cars or simply set up tables with homemade food – everything from tehari, kebab, pitha, payesh, cakes, coconut pudding, juices, and more.
Asked if they face any trouble running stalls all night, Rajon said, "So far, no political harassment or extortion. Once, police asked us to leave, but the new officer-in-charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station set a rule – no stalls after 2 am. If we follow that, he promised full support and even gave us his number for emergencies. We're all grateful to him."
