Directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) has been the major strategy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set for tuberculosis. Higher and faster detection of case is imperative for reaching the goal of halving the incidence of this disease by 2015. Although the overall cure rate is satisfactory, the rate of case detection is often a cause of concern. This study assessed the determinants of smear-positive PTB cases being detected and the factors associated with the lag time between onset of symptom and detection. Using primary data, this study focused on the socioeconomic determinants of tuberculosis case detection and its speed in the rural areas of Dhaka division in Bangladesh. The results suggest that patients who were relatively older had both lower and slower detection. Similar pattern was observed among smoker-patients. Health vibrancy, in terms of having had alternative formal health providers, of patients’ locality could have positive influence on detection. No apparent difference in gender or economic status for accessing DOTS services was observed though the disease was more prevalent among the poorer people. Finally, the process of programme implementation had influenced the detection of cases.