Dhaka’s Halloween haunts and happenings

While Halloween celebrations are still new to our city, the idea of mingling with spirits is not. Just like other cultures have their Halloween traditions, Bangalees have Bhoot Chaturdashi, a day to remember departed ancestors before the sacred Kali Puja.

On this dark night, families light 14 pradips to guide their forefathers' souls' home, with the flickering flames chasing away evil spirits from every corner.

Though Bhoot Chaturdashi holds a different meaning, the connection to spirits and memories of ancestors adds a haunting depth to the Halloween spirit.

Halloween celebrations in Dhaka have taken on diverse forms, from small gatherings and costume parties to fully immersive experiences.

This year, ISHO store in Baridhara, where Dhaka Comicon collaborated to create a haunted house, was both thrilling and eerie. Though, ISHO's haunted house took on a different theme, one steeped in horror, suspense, and Western Halloween lore.

Photo: ISHO x Dhaka Comicon

And so, without the glow of pradips, the store set a different scene, a haunted house meant to thrill and unnerve, pulling Dhaka's curious and daring into its spooky grip.

Burdening the air with mystic fog and dark lanterns, the orchestration meshed a mysterious unsettling ambience that pierced through the anxious nerves. Each room carried a unique theme, draped with macabre details. Dimly lit hallways to guide deeper, where mannequins draped in ghostly attire and eerie dolls sat as silent spectators.

Disturbing props -- a severed hand here, a bloodied finger there, lay scattered on a dining table, an unsettling nod to the morbid. Around every corner, twisted shadows and horror movie characters waited to send chills down the spine with jump scares and scary gazes.

One of the visitors said with a nervous laugh, "That Grim Reaper scare was spot on. I wasn't ready!"

But it wasn't all about the frights, the event had something for everyone. Outside the haunted house, families gathered around the tarot reader's table, their faces tense with curiosity as she revealed fortunes.

In another corner, a caricature artist transformed guests into Halloween characters with quick strokes of charcoal, capturing ghoulish grins and devilish smirks on sketch paper.

Photo: ISHO x Dhaka Comicon

For many, the themed photo booth became a favourite spot, with friends and family capturing memories of the night against dark backdrops and creepy props. Then, of course, there were the costumes. From tiny tots dressed as mischievous devils to adults channelling classic horror characters, Dhaka Comicon's costume contest added a festive spirit to the eerie night.

Like this event, cafes, restaurants and a few venues across Dhaka hosted their own spooky nights. Cafes hosted themed dinners with dimmed lights, cobwebbed decor, and carefully crafted menus, complete with Halloween treats.

Social media was filled with snaps from smaller gatherings where groups of friends celebrated in costumes that turned the ordinary into a night of mystery.

It's a far cry from Dhaka of even a decade ago, when the idea of Halloween seemed foreign and perhaps out of place. Yet, Halloween has found unexpected synergy with Bengali traditions like Bhoot Chaturdashi, turning it to more than an import.

It's a cultural exchange that layers the city's modern, global identity. And perhaps, with each passing year, Dhaka's Halloween will grow more attuned to its heritage, allowing us to embrace both the past and the supernatural mystery of Halloween's allure.