Dhaka epitomises a long history of urbanisation influenced by various natural and cultural phases, at times hostile to its natural trend of evolutionary journey. Natural environment, the local culture, and the way of life of the people living there have together modified the urban landscape by adopting, adapting, and innovating in response to challenges posed and opportunities thrown open. A series of superimposed or juxtaposed layers of interventions due to these responses, sometimes beyond recognition, when unfolded, reveal an archetype deep beneath. In order to understand the contemporary urban morphology of Dhaka or to predict its future, it is essential to understand the process and context of its evolution.

GEO-ECOLOGICAL SETTING

The geography of a place has a profound effect on the settlement pattern, architecture, society, and thinking of the people living there. In the case of the People's Republic of Bangladesh this is more pronounced perhaps due to a low technological development and weak natural resources base, which have combined to force urban and traditional architectural developments along strictly modern and functional.