Dhaka formerly spelled Dacca,
named Jahangir Nagar during Mughal era is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of the
country. It has thrilling history and very rich in culture, it is also known
over the world as the city of Mosques and
Muslin. It is attracted the tourist in all the ages. Dhaka as the capital
of Bangladesh has
grown into a busy city of about 12.3 million (approximately) people with an
area of about 360 km2 (140 sq mi). It is the centre of
business, money-making, enriching, educational & all political activities
for Bangladesh. The
major waterfront of Dhaka is Sadarghat. Sadarghat is on the bank of
the river Buriganga and it is busy with all kinds of river craft, batches,
country boats, motor launches, paddle-steamers, fishermen's boats all bustling
with activity. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from
across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka the fastest growing
city in the world.
Lots of natural and historical places of Dhaka
always attract local and foreign voyager. Some of
the exceptional tourist attractions in the capital of Bangladesh are:
Lalbagh Fort: Lalbagh Fort, an incomplete Mughal Place fortress at Dhaka on the bank of river
Buriganga situated in the southern part of of the capital of Bangladesh.
It is also known asFort Aurangabad.
It was commenced in 1687 AD by the Prince Mohammed Azam (son of one of the
most powerful Mughal emperor Aurangazeb) during his vice-royalty period of Bengal.
The main attractive monuments of the Fort are the tomb of Pari
Bibi (Fairy Lady) who was the daughter of Shaista Khan
(Subahdar and general in the army of the Mughal Empire)
, Lalbagh Mosque located on the west, Diwan-i-Aam and
the Hammam situated on its east side.
A water channel with fountains at regular interval attach with the three
buildings (Diwan-i-Aam and the Hammam,the mosque and the tomb of Pari Bibi)
from east to west and two related channels run from south to north, one through
the center of the ground in between the Diwan-i-Aam and the tomb forming a
rectangle tank with fountains at the intersection with the east-west channel,
and the other from the water reservoir passing through the bottom of the tomb.
Fountains and water channels is a very common feature of all Mughal
architectures
Schedule of Visiting Time: During the summer (1st April
to 30th September) it remains open from 10 am to 6 pm with an interval of
half an hour (1pm to 1.30 pm). Friday it opens at 10 am closes at 3.00 pm with
an interval from 12.30 to 2.30 pm. Rest of the time of the year it remains open
from 9 am to 5 pm with an interval of half an hour (1pm to 1.30 pm). Friday it
opens at 9 am closes at 12.30.
Mosque of Dhaka: Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh also
characterized by a number of ancient and modern mosques. That is why it is also
called the city ofMosque. There are lots of eye-catching mosques in Dhaka. Some of these are: Seven domed
Mosque (Established in 17th century), Atia Mosque (Established in Mugal Era),
Star Mosque (Situated in 18th century), Kosaituly Mosque, Star Mosque, Gulshan
Azad Mosque and Baitul Mukarram mosque which is the national Mosque of
Bangladesh.
Curzon Hall: One of the most
beautiful architecture of Dhaka is Curzon Hall. It was named
after Lord Curzon, once who was the Viceroy of India. Lord Curzon laid the
foundation Curzon Hall in 1904. The building structure of the Curzon Hall is a
compound element of European and Mughal. Curzon Hall is a structure in Dhaka, Bangladesh,
that has an extremely fascinating history. It was significant in many political
battles and today it is a vital part of traditional education. Following the
dissolution of partition in 1911 it was used as a premise of Dhaka College,
and after the establishment of the University of Dhaka in 1921, it became the part of the faculty
of science section of Dhaka University and continuing. Visiting Curzon Hall is not only a
journey into the history, but it is an architectural masterpiece to wonder at.
Ahsan Manzil: Ahsan
Manzil, one of the superlative structures of Bangladesh is situated at Kumartoli along
the banks of the Buriganga River, was the official residential
palace and seat of the Dhaka Nawab Family and a silent spectator to
many events. The construction of this palace was started in the year 1859 and
it was completed in 1869. It is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic Revival
architecture. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen
from miles around. To preserve the cultural and history of the area, the Ahsan
Manzil became the Bangladesh National Museum on
September 20, 1992. It is an example of the nation’s rich cultural heritage.
National assembly
of Bangladesh: Jatiyo Sangsad
Bhaban, the National assembly of Bangladesh,
located in the Shere e Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. It was created by prominent
architect Louis Kahn, has distinctive architectural features and is one of
the largest governmental complexes in the world. It may be called an
architectural speculate of this region. It houses all parliamentary activities
of Bangladesh.
National Martyrs' Memorial or Jatiyo Sriti Soudho: It is a monument
in Bangladesh. It is
the symbol of the sacred memory and the sacrifice of those people, who was
killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought the
independence of the nation of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule.
It is located at Savar, about 35 km north-west of the
capital, Dhaka. It was designed by one of prominent Bangladeshi
architect Syed Mainul Hossain. National Memorial of Bangladesh Plans
for the monument was initiated right after the independence of the country, in
1972. Following the site selection, road and land development, a nation-wide
design competition was held in June, 1978. Syed Mainul Hossain's design was
chosen from that competition. The main structure and the artificial lake and
other facilities were completed in 1982. The whole complex of Jatiyo Sriti
Soudho is spread over an area of 34 hectares (84 acres) which is again wrapped
around by a green belt of 10 hectares (24.7 acre).
Botanical Garden: The garden is
well-planned and provides learning and recreational facilities, located
adjacent to the National Zoo. The garden is divided into 57 sections, and is
managed by the government through the Department of Forestry, Ministry of
Environment and Forests. Spread over an area of 205 acres of land it has a
collection of nearly 100 species of local and foreign plants. Exceptional
attractions are the hundreds of varieties of colorful roses, the multitude of
types of bamboo in the bamboo groves, the sandal wood and old banyan trees
Sonargaon - The Ancient Capital of Bengal: Sonargaon was
the administrative center of medieval Muslim rulers in East Bengal. After the thirteenth century Sonargaon
was made a secondary capital to the main capital of the Sultanate of
Bengal Isa Khan. This subsidiary position that Sonargaon had now
taken, lasted until the arrival of the Mughals. The Mughal Empire originated
in India and
was first founded in 1526 by Babur, a Turco-Persian leader. The colonial Mughal
viceroys ruled Bengal, and thus
Sonargaon, for nearly a century before Bangladesh was
founded in 1608. Sonargaon is
a place where you can see the heritage of Bangladesh. The
most important place to visit at Sonargaon is the Folk Arts and Crafts museum
located inside the Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation premises, and the close by
historical old city – Panam. Sonargaon was known as “The City of Panam”
and was a focal part of the renowned Deva Dynasty until the 13th century.
Mainly middle or upper class people inhabited Sonargaon during that time
period. Now a day’s many people
still visit the significant city of Sonargaon. They
are attracted by its enormous beauty and by the ruins of buildings and relics
that date back to the age of Bengal. The
Goaldia Mosque is situated in the Goaldi village and is a amazing example of an
ancient Sonargaon building. The Folklore Museum is
another attraction, which is visited by many. The Folklore Museum of Sonargaon
houses a variety of artifacts from all over Bangladesh,
representing the many cultural groups that exist in this country.
