This study evaluates land use/cover changes and urban expansion in Greater Dhaka,Bangladesh, between 1975 and 2003 using satellite images and socio-economic data.Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes were quantified using threeLandsat images, a supervised classification algorithm and the post-classification changedetection technique in GIS. Accuracy of the Landsat-derived land use/cover maps rangedfrom 85 to 90%. The analysis revealed that substantial growth of built-up areas in GreaterDhaka over the study period resulted significant decrease in the area of water bodies,cultivated land, vegetation and wetlands. Urban land expansion has been largely driven byelevation, population growth and economic development. Rapid urban expansion throughinfilling of low-lying areas and clearing of vegetation resulted in a wide range of envi-ronmental impacts, including habitat quality. As reliable and current data are lacking forBangladesh, the land use maps produced in this study will contribute to both the devel-opment of sustainable urban land use planning decisions and also for forecasting possiblefuture changes in growth patterns.