The Old Dhakaites (Bengali: পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, romanized: Puran Dhakaiya) are an Indo-Aryan cultural group viewed as the original inhabitants of Dhaka's.

Their history dates back to the Mughal period with the migration of Bengali cultivators and North Indian merchants to the city.

[3][4] It is said that some people living in Greater Dhaka are even unaware of the existence of an Urdu-speaking non-Bihari minority community although their presence dates back centuries.

[6][7] These groups of people lived together and engaged in conversations and addas with their Hindustani counterparts and their main occupation led them to be known as kuttis (other less-common names included kutiyal and hatkutti).

The interactions of Kutti-Bengalis with different migrated north Indian Urdu-speaking people in Old Dhaka led to the birth of an Urdu-influenced dialect of Bengali known as Dhakaiya Kutti, and with that - a new identity.

Originally an Urdu-speaking community, their time in Bengal led to the emergence of a Bengali-influenced dialect known as Dhakaiya Urdu as they were a minority in comparison to the Kutti-Bengalis.

Named as Lalur Maar Dokan (লালুর মার দোকান, Lalu's mother's shop), it was located just beside the 3rd gate of the erstwhile East Pakistan Rifles.

[9] Presently, the Kutti-Bengalis are minority in Old Dhaka following the mass migration of non-Dhakaiya Bengalis from districts all over Bengal during the first and second partitions during the British colonial period.

This division was the source of modern troubles in the identities of the Old Dhakaiyas (who view themselves as original inhabitants) and the post-partition migrant community (who currently form the majority in the city).

Covering ones head in both communities is seen as more respectful, and notable headwear include the tupi, karakul, rumi topi and taqi.

In more recent years, the production of jamdani has witnessed a revival in Bangladesh and in 2013, UNESCO classed it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

[15] Haji biryani is a dish, invented by a restaurateur in 1939, made with highly seasoned rice, goat's meat and number of spices and nuts.

[16] Old Dhaka boasts a variation of the famous pilaf - the Morog Polao - in which the rice is cooked after and the chicken pieces are cut.

[19] Common Dhakaiya beverages include borhani, Rooh Afza, shorbot, traditional fruit juices as well as basil seed-based drinks.

اٹھ تے ہیں پچھلے پھر رات کو کھا کر سحری Uth te hain pichle pahar raat ko kha kar sehri شوق سے رکھیو تو کل روزہ، میں تیرے واری Shauq se rakhiyo tu kal roza, main tere vaari In the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, it was a custom for every household to send a food offering to their local mosque.

Popular toys and gifts, known as eidi, emerged in the Dhakaiya culture such as the bhotbhoti; a motor using kerosene that would spin around in water, as well as the drum-carriage.

[35] The Naib Nazim of Dhaka Nusrat Jang was known to have written a history book titled Tarikh-i-Nusrat Jangi around the late 18th century.