Dhaka is home to all sorts of businesses. It is a city of millions, where numerous business centers and offices have mushroomed over the years. There was a time when Motijheel used to be the commercial hub of this city, since the area was full of banks and offices. However, things gradually changed with time. The commercial zones shifted from Motijheel to Gulshan 1 and Gulshan 2 and its nearby areas. So how did the commercial hub Gulshan become so popular? Let’s get into the further details of the entire scenario.
Location
Back when the areas of Gulshan and Banani got planned out, they lied at the edge of Dhaka city. With time, the city expanded, and as a result Banani and Gulshan got placed right in the middle. The North side of Gulshan faces Uttara and Bashundhara R/A. On the Southern side there is Motijheel and Puran Dhaka. To the west lies Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, and the eastern side consists of Banasree, Aftab Nagar. No matter which area is considered, Banani and Gulshan fall somewhat in the middle. This crucial factor helped greatly towards turning this place into a successful commercial area.
Transportation
While mentioning the commercial hub Gulshan, the need to discuss transportation facilities becomes important. Strong connectivity is a crucial component of any commercial hub, since a huge number of people commute through the place on a daily basis. The Gulshan area has a great communication network. Apart from the internally connected roads, the Gulshan Avenue road mostly helps in connecting Gulshan to other areas. Areas like Mohakhali and Badda Link Road are right next to Gulshan 1. The southern side of Gulshan 1 leads to Niketon, Hatirjheel, or Tejgaon areas. Near the Gulshan 2 circle there are Banani, Baridhara, and other areas. Gulshan is also connected to some of the major roads and avenues of Dhaka city. In terms of transportation, Gulshan has always remained updated. The bridge built over the lake at the edge of Banani 11 has further helped in transforming Gulshan into a great commercial place.
Part of Long-term Plan
RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha) is responsible for transforming Dhaka into a planned city. Under its control and supervision, Banani and Gulshan are the oldest and the complete areas. The Gulshan area was formed in 1961, before the 1971 Liberation War. Back then it was only a municipality. After independence, the commercial hub Gulshan gradually came under the jurisdiction of Gulshan thana and RAJUK. As a result, the area witnessed developments in terms of roads, parks, commercial and residential real estate in a comprehensive manner. With the gradual expansion of Dhaka city, the commercial hub Gulshan turned into the most planned areas. At present, DNCC (Dhaka North City Corporation) has introduced the first ever municipal bond in Bangladesh, which will encourage more construction of high-rise commercial buildings in Gulshan.
Diplomatic Area
Embassies are one of the greatest ways a country can foster foreign and diplomatic relations with other nations. In Bangladesh, almost the entire diplomatic zone is contained within Gulshan, Baridhara and its nearby areas. All the major embassies are located in these areas. Gulshan is also one of the best areas for expats to live in Dhaka. This one particular factor has played a major role in making Gulshan a great commercial hub. Keeping the presence of the foreign nationals and embassies in mind, several offices, banks, and institutions have been established in these areas.
A place where the well-off reside
The commercial hub Gulshan, as well as the Banani area, are undoubtedly the area for upscale individuals. Most of the residents of these areas are businessmen or hold top positions such as Chairman and Directors in banks or institutions. They wanted to have their offices within close proximity and such thoughts eventually led to the establishment of tall buildings in Gulshan and transformed it into what we see today.
Though initially planned as a residential area, the commercial hub Gulshan is the new home for offices. As per our observation, these were some of the possible reasons behind how Gulshan transformed into a commercial place. Feel free to share your valuable thoughts on this also in the comments section below and for more such blogs keep an eye on our Bproperty blog.
