Dhaka Motor Show returns, but not for the gearheads

The Dhaka Motor Show came back to its old home at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) from May 1 to 3, reclaiming all four halls after a brief relocation to the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre. The venue was packed with cars, bikes, trucks, scooters, lubricants, helmets, tool vendors, accessory peddlers, and food stalls—but not much in the way of actual enthusiasm for driving.

Passenger cars were given the spotlight in Hall 4. MG, once British and now unapologetically Chinese, made a splash with a retina-searing yellow Cyberster—the only convertible on the site. Their MG5 sedan and HS crossover, both wearing blackout badges like they were trying to sneak past immigration, rounded out the booth. Proton brought out the graceful S70 sedan, the locally assembled X70, and the seven-seat X90. Mitsubishi returned with the same kitted-out Xpander from last year, added two more locally assembled Xpander variants, and tossed in an Outlander Sport, an L200 pickup, and an Eclipse Cross.

GAC made its official debut in the country with the Enzoom, Emkoo, and the massive E9 MPV. The Emzoom R-Style was mysteriously absent on day one, briefly appeared on day two, and then vanished again—reportedly sold within hours. Deepal showed up with a pair of electric S07 crossovers and the sleek black L07 liftback. Changan kept things minimal with a single blue Alsvin sedan, priced at Tk 17 lakh, making it the cheapest new car at the show. Honda, meanwhile, brought two of everything except the Civic, which turned up solo in blue. The rest of Hall 4 was a mix of banks, lubricant firms, and aftermarket vendors, all competing for attention in what felt more like a trade fair than a motor show.

Hall 3 was more chaotic. Suzuki had the Grand Vitara, Brezza, and the Jimny, posed awkwardly on fake rocks in an unsubtle attempt to inject toughness into what remains a tiny, overpriced box. The XL6 appeared the next day like someone had forgotten it in the parking lot. The remaining floor space became a blur of tool stands, scooter sellers, lubricant brands, and snack stalls, all making equal noise and offering little cohesion.

Motorcycles took over Hall 2. QJ Motor made its local debut with a naked bike and cruiser, while GPS returned with familiar models, including the Demon and its Generic café racer. Bajaj launched the new F250 Adventure Sport and bought their full model range. Dongjin Motors brought a scattered display of electric bikes and giant portraits of what may have been its founder or a senior executive, though no one seemed entirely sure. United Bike Station, known for its grey-market bikes, again assaulted the senses with constant, deafening revving. Elsewhere, RCB maintained a large booth selling performance parts, Royal Enfield accessories shop showed off their wares, and helmet sellers like Spedoz stocked brands, including MV, Torque, and Origine. Motul, Petronas, and Castrol clones filled the oil aisle.

Heavy-duty and commercial vehicles filled Hall 1. Foton Trucks led the charge with a 1-ton pickup turned into a mobile throne room. At night, they hosted what can only be described as a trucker-themed DJ rave. More usefully, they also had a freezer van and a 1.2-ton light truck. BanglaMark and Dongfeng displayed basic lorries in the 1.3-ton to 1.5-ton range, focusing on practicality. Isuzu's pair of D-Max pickups were as honest as they come—manual gearboxes, blank switch panels, and hose-down interiors, powered by 2.0-liter turbodiesels that emphasised utility over flair.

Despite the range and size, the 2025 show failed to deliver anything meaningful for performance car fans. Carmart BD maintained a small presence, but there was no sign of any serious enthusiast brands or activities. The usual makeshift motorcycle test tracks were notably absent, and the loosely arranged car meet held outside Hall 4 did little to lift the mood—its potential was drowned out by obnoxious revving and adolescent posturing.

In the end, the Dhaka Motor Show returned to its original home with all the chaos, crowds, and clashing noise the event is known for. But for the shrinking audience that still comes to see interesting cars, the 2025 edition felt more like a missed opportunity than a celebration.