DHAKA : THE PRIDE OF BANGLADESH

Dhaka,The capital city of Bangladesh is a thriving, colorful and congested metropolis of some 18 million people, and growing steadily. Given the number and density of people that live there, Dhaka is one of the most frenetic places on Earth.

The streets and rivers are filled with colorful chaos. It also plays host to the highest number of rickshaws in any city, totaling around 400,000; you certainly won't miss them. Experiencing the city for the first time can often seem overwhelming.

 

The existence of a settlement in the area that is now Dhaka dates from the 7th century. The city area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of Kamarupa and the Pala Empire before passing to the control of the Hindu Sena dynasty in the 9th century.Dhaka has been developing fast as a modern city and is the country's center of industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activity. The gap between rich and poor is widening throughout the country but it's at its most glaringly obvious here. Depending on where you start from, a thirty minute rickshaw ride can take you from impossibly crowded shantytowns near Old Dhaka to the glitzy high-class neighborhoods of Gulshan and Banani where a meal costs more than most people make in a week.

Motijheel is the main commercial area of the city. Dhaka's main waterfront, Sadarghat, is on the banks of the river Buriganga in Old Dhaka and is crowded with various ferries, yachts, paddle steamers, fisherman's boats and floating dhabas all bustling with activity.

The weather is tropical - hot and very humid during the monsoon season (April-August) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March). Visitors from colder countries might want to visit in the winter when temperatures are around 20C and humidity is low (around 60-70%).

Visa extensions are available at the Immigration and Passport Office on Agargaon Rd in Central Dhaka. Most drivers know where it is. An auto-rickshaw from Old Dhaka will cost about Taka (BDT)150.

WHAT TO SEE

Dhaka, predominantly was a city of the Mughals. In the years of their vigorous rule the successive Governors and princely Viceroys who ruled the province, adorned it with many noble monuments, mosques, tombs, fortifications and 'Katras' often surrounded with beautifully laid out gardens and pavilions. The Parliament building designed by, Louis Kahn, is definitely something to see along with numerous memorials, parks and mosques. Places worth visiting include: Ramna Park, Lal Bagh Fort and museum, Old Dhaka, the Shahid Minar memorial, the Shadarghat port, Ahsan Manjil, Bangabandhu Memorial, National Poet's Graveyard, Suhrawardy Uddyaan, National Leader Mausoleum, Banga-Bhaban, Shadhinota Stambha, Curzon Hall, Old High Court and 1857 Memorial, the Botanical Gardens, Baldha Garden, Sitara Mosque, Baitul Mukarram Mosque as well as Hindu, Buddhist and Christian churches and temples.

Ahsan Manjil:, the pink palace, has a Tk 2 entrance fee and a small exhibition about the history of the palace and a garden.

Mosques around Dhaka: Dhaka has several hundred mosques. Prominent are Baitul Mukarram-National Mosque, the Seven Domed Mosque (17th century), Star Mosque (18th century) inlaid with mosaic and tiles , Chawkbazar Mosque and Huseni Dalan Mosque.

Hindu Temples: Dhakeshwari Temple (11th Century), Ramkrishna Mission.

Churches: Armenian Church (1781 A.D.) St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Church of Bangladesh or former Holy Rosary Church (1677A.D.) at Tejgaon.

Buddhist Temples: Dhammarajika Bouddha Maha Vihar [1], Atisha Dipankar Sarak, Kamalapur. Tel:+88 2 841-162. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . International Buddhist Monastery, Merul Badda, Gulshan. Tel:+88 2 881-2288. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The National Memorial:, located at Savar, 35, km. from Dhaka city. The memorial designed by architect Moinul Hossain is dedicated to the sacred memory of the millions of unknown martyrs of the war of liberation.

Pari Bibi's Tomb

Lalbagh Fort: It was built in 1678 A.D. by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. The fort was the scene of bloody battle during the first war of independence (1857) when 260 sepoys stationed here backed by the people revolted against British forces. Monuments of the Lalbagh which are outstanding include the, tomb of Pari Bibi , Lalbagh Mosque, Audience Hall and Hammam of Nawab Shaista Khan now housing a museum. The fort is closed on Saturday but open until 5pm every other day.

1857 Memorial: ( Bahadur Shah Park) Built to commemorate the martyrs of the first liberation war (1857-59) against British rule. It was here that the revolting sepoys and their civil compatriots were publicly hanged.

Curzon Hall: Beautiful architectural building named after Lord Curzon. It now houses the Science Faculty of Dhaka University.

Old High Court Building: Originally built as the residence of the British Governor, it illustrates a happy blend of European and Mughal architecture.

National Park: Situated at Rejendrapur, 40 km. north of Dhaka city , this is a vast (1,600 acres) national recreational forest with facilities for picnics and rowing etc.

Central Shahid Minar: Symbol of Bengali nationalism. This monument was built to commemorate the martyrs of the historic Language movement of 1952. Hundreds and thousands of people with floral wreaths and bouquets gather (most march barefoot) on 21 February every year (designated by the UN as International Mother Language Day) to pay respect to the departed in a solemn atmosphere. Celebrations begin at midnight.

 

National Poet's Graveyard: Revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam died on the 29 August 1976 and was buried here. The graveyard is adjacent to the Dhaka University Mosque.

Suhrawardy Uddyan (Garden): A Popular Park. The oath of independence of Bangladesh was taken here and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman gave the clarion call for independence on the 7th March 1971. The place is famous for its lush greenery and gentle breezes. An eternal flame in remembrance of the martyrs of the war of Liberation burns here.

Mausoleum of National Leaders: Located at the southwestern corner of Suhrawardy Uddyan, it is the eternal resting place of great national leaders, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy and Khaja Nazimuddin.

Banga Bhaban: The official residence of the President, located in the city. One can have an outside view of this grand palace.

Baldha Garden: Unique creation of the late Narendra Narayan Roy, the landlord of Baldha. Year of establishment was 1904. Located in Wari area of Dhaka city, the garden with its rich collection of indigenous and exotic plants is one of the most exciting attraction for botanists, naturalists and tourists.

Ramna Green: A vast stretch of green garden surrounded by a serpentine lake near the Sheraton Hotel.

Parliament House: Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House) located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar has distinctive architectural features. Designed by the famous architect Louis I. Kahn, it may be called an architectural wonder of this region.

Sonargaon

If you feel the need to escape and take a break from the chaos of Dhaka, Songargon, about 29 km. from Dhaka offers you the chance to do just that. The town has a few worthwhile sights that are separated from one another and whilst going from sight to sight, you have the opportunity experience rural life and take in the less chaotic surroundings.

Sonargaon is one of the oldest capitals of Bengal. It was the seat of Deva Dynasty until the 13th century. From then onward till the advent of the Mughals, Sonargaon was a subsidiary capital of the Sultanate of Bengal. The main places of interest in Sonargaon are the ruins of Panam Nagar, the local crafts museum or the Lok Shilpa Jadughar (charges an entrance fee), the tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin, the Goaldi Mosque, and the shrines of Panjpir and Shah Abdul Alia. The first two lie on one side of the Dhaka-Chittgong Highway and the rest lie on the other side. Once at Mograpara, a rickshaw may be hired for sightseeing. It is best to hire the same rickshaw for a fixed amount (BDT 200-250) to visit all the places in Sonargaon. Most rickshaw pullers know the more popular destinations like Panam Nagar, the Lok Shilpa Jadughar, etc. Some may not know of the tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin or the Goaldi Mosque and the shrines. Usually rickshaw drivers who are locals from the village know all of these places.

 

Frequent bus services to Sonargaon operate from Gulistan, Saidabad and other bus stands in Dhaka. Tickets may be bought on roadside counters. Mention your destination as Mograpara as you might end up at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel instead. The price of the ticket from Gulistan bus stand is Tk 35.

 

Hajiganj is another place of historical interest, situated about 10 kms from Mograpara bus stand. However, the above mentioned places usually take up most of the day and it is best to return to Dhaka before evening. Sonargaon and Hajiganj may be combined into a single day if one sets off very early from Dhaka.

 

Dhaka has several museums on offer as well as a Zoo and Botanical gardens. In the surrounding areas you can enjoy a picinic in one of the designated 'picinic areas' whilst en route to a near by village to take a look at local arts and crafts.

 

Bangabandhu Memorial Museum: The residence of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi (Road 32) has been turned into a museum. It contains a rare collection of personal effects and photographs of his life and times. He was assassinated in 1975 along with most of his family members.

 

Liberation War Museum: Situated at Segun Bagicha area of the city (close to National Press Club) the museum contains rare archival photographs and items used by the freedom fighters during the nine-month long Liberation war in 1971.

 

Ahsan Manzil Museum: On the bank of the river Buriganga in Dhaka the pink majestic Ahsan Manzil has been renovated and turned into a museum recently. It is an example of the nation's rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. The renovated Ahsan Manzil is a monument of immense historical beauty. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab.

 

Dhaka Zoo: Popularly known as Mirpur Zoo. Colorful and attractive collections of different local and foreign species of animals and birds including the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger are available here.

 

Botanical Garden: Built on 205 acres of land at Mirpur and adjacent to Dhaka Zoo. You can do both the zoo and the botanical garden in one trip.

 

National Museum: Located at the central point of the city Shahbag, the museum contains a large number of interesting collections including sculptures and paintings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim periods. Next to the Museum is the popular public library and the Charukola (Arts and Crafts) Institute under Dhaka University.

 

Science Museum: The museum is a modern learning center related to the latest scientific discoveries. It is situated at Agargaon.

 

Institute of Arts and Crafts: Situated in the picturesque surroundings of Shahbagh the Institute of Arts and Crafts (Charukola Institute) has a representative collection of folk-art and paintings by artists of Bangladesh.

 

Other attractions in and around Dhaka include: Aparajeya Bangla monument, picnic spots such as Chandra and Salna, industrial estates of Tongi, Narayanganj, Demara, Tejgaon and cruising by country boat in the nearby river or a visit to a village to see jute cultivation, weaving and pottery making.

 

Last but not least, a rewarding experience is simply traveling by a horse driven cart or rickshaw along the busy Dhaka streets and observing the local everyday scenes.