The Capital city of Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh.
The existence of a settlement in the area that is now Dhaka dates from the 7th century. The area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa and the Pala Empire before passing to the control of the Hindu Sena dynasty in the 9th century. The Islamic Mughal Empire soon seized control of the city and turned it into a center of trade and governance. In the years of their vigorous rule, the successive governors and princely viceroys who ruled the province adorned it with many noble monuments, mosques, tombs, fortifications and 'Katras', often surrounded with beautifully laid out gardens and pavilions. The city passed through another phase under the rule of the British, until it became the seat of the eastern division of Pakistan after Indian partitioning. The Liberation War of 1971 gave Bangladesh its independence and Dhaka was declared the country's capital.
Since then, Dhaka has been developing fast as a modern city and is the country's centre of industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activity. The gap between rich and poor is widening throughout the country, but it's at its most glaringly obvious here. Depending on where you start from, a thirty minute rickshaw ride can take you from impossibly crowded shantytowns near Old Dhaka to the glitzy high-class neighbourhoods of Gulshan and Banani where a meal costs more than most people earn in a week.
Motijheel is the main commercial area of the city. Dhaka's main waterfront, Sadarghat, is on the banks of the river Buriganga in Old Dhaka and is crowded with various ferries, yachts, paddle steamers, fisherman's boats and floating dhabas all bustling with activity.

By plane

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (formerly known as Zia International Airport) (ICAO: DAC) is the primary airport serving both the city and the country. There are international flights available from most continents. Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the flag carrier of Bangladesh, and is connected to approximately 18 international destinations, including London and Rome. Although, these services change frequently due to financial issues. Most flights to Dhaka depart from Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Kolkata. There is also significant traffic from Middle Eastern cities including Muscat, Jeddah, Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait.
There are frequent services from surrounding countries. Biman operates flights to most of these. Indian carrier Jet Air has direct flights from Kolkata, Dehli and Mumbai. Pakistan International Airlines has flights from Karachi. Biman and United Airways offer flights from Kathmandu, and Druk Air has flights from Paro, Bhutan. Dragonair operates flights from Hong Kong. As of 2012, there are surprisingly no flights from Myanmar, although both governments are investigating reopening the route. A diversion via Bangkok is the shortest route to Yangon.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is modern and reasonably efficient. However, excessive numbers of mosquitoes seem to inhabit the baggage reclaim area, so be sure to wear long sleeves and cover your legs and feet. Immigration can take a notoriously long time during peak hours (45 minutes plus) as the system is manual and there are only 2 lines for foreign passport holders.

By train

Dhaka's central railway station, Kamalapur, is a hub for all regional and intercity trains within the country. Most major cities are served with 2-3 daily departures.
International trains are limited to the Maitree Express, a direct service from Kolkata, India which was reopened in 2008 hiatus of several decades. Departures from Kolkata to Dhaka are on Tuesdays and Saturdays and the reverse departs Wednesdays and Fridays. Unlike other trains in Bangladesh occupancy is quite low meaning that it can be possible to find tickets shortly before departues. Journey time is between 11–12 hours with a long wait at the border crossing. Notice that this trains terminates at Cantonment station in the northern suburbs of Dhaka.

By bus

Being the capital and geographical center of the country, Dhaka is the natural hub for the country's bus companies. There are several bus stations around Dhaka, each of them serving a different region of the country. The stations are not for the faint of heart, being extremely crowded and noisy.

• Sayedabad bus station is for buses to and from the eastern half of the country, including Sylhet Division and Chittagong Division.

• Gabtali bus station is for buses to and from the western half of the country, including Jessore, Rajshahi Division and Khulna Division.

• Mohakhali bus station is for buses to and from areas north of Dhaka, including Tangail and Mymensingh. There are occasionally services to and from cities in the north-western portion of the country, such as Bagura.

Luxury buses serve locations dotted all over the country. These private buses are air-conditioned, spacey and usually have reclinable seats. Popular operators include Green Line, Shyamoli, Silk Line and Shohagh.
They all have ticket offices around town, the most well-known being those at the Pantapath. Green Line serves many major cities, with approximate times and fixed prices listed.

From India, there are a number of entry points for buses. The most common method is the air-conditioned buses from Kolkata to Dhaka, via the Haridaspur/Benapole border crossing. The private bus companies listed above also run cross-border services from India. Public buses run under the label of the state-owned West Bengal Surface Transport Service Corporation (WBSTSC) and the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC). WBSTSC and BRTC both operate buses from Kolkata every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 05:30, 08:30 and 12:30, while from Dhaka they leave Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 07:00 and 07:30. The normal journey time is around 12 hours, with a one-way fare of Indian Rs 750 or Tk 600-800 (roughly US$12–20). The journey just to the Indian border town of Haridaspur will take 2 and a half hours, with a fare of approximately Rs 86, or Tk 116.
There are no travel options from Myanmar, as the border is closed.

By car

It is possible to cross from India via private vehicle. There are many border crossings, but the most popular is the one at Haridaspur/Benapole, located on the highway between Dhaka and Kolkata. Visa formalities take a notoriously long time.
The border with Myanmar is closed and heavily militarised with land mines.

By boat

Most ferries arrive at and leave from the port in Sadarghat of Old Dhaka. This area and the streets surrounding it are unbelievably hectic, so allow plenty of time and keep an eye on your valuables. If arriving at the port, fight your way to the left on the frontage road and then make your first right; this turns into Nawabpur Road and leads north to the hotels. Even if you aren't staying in this area, it's easier to walk several hundred meters north to catch an onward rickshaw or taxi; the ones near the port are at a constant standstill.
The Rocket Steamers (named P.S. 'Tern', 'Masud' and 'Ostrich') depart to Barisal and Khulna several times per week, leaving from Sadarghat around 6pm. To Barisal is Tk 480 and Tk 300 in first and second class respectively, while the ride to Khulna will run Tk 1010 for first class and Tk 610 for second. The Khulna trip takes 26–30 hours. Tickets should be booked at the BIWTC office in Motijheel, just east of Dilkusha Circle I. It's open until 5PM Sunday to Wednesday, until 2PM on Thursdays and closed on Fridays.
Chandpur is a second major river station, located 3–4 hours from Dhaka and 5–6 hours from Barisal.
Numerous other boats are available for short and long distances. Head to Sadarghat or Badam Tole ghat (about 1 km further west) and ask around. Tickets cannot be pre-booked and bargaining is likely necessary.