Must-see attractions in Dhaka

  • Sadarghat

    Dhaka

    Running calmly through the centre of Old Dhaka, the Buriganga River is the muddy artery of Dhaka and the very lifeblood of both this city and the nation…

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    Shankharia Bazar

    Dhaka

    Clouds of incense and a bursting paintbox of colours signal a welcome to so-called Hindu Street. Lined on either side with old houses, garlands of lurid…

  • National Museum

    Dhaka

    The excellent National Museum, sprawling over several floors, begins with the geological formation of Bangladesh, whisks you through a rundown of the…

  • Lalbagh fort

    Lalbagh Fort

    Dhaka

    The half-completed Lalbagh Fort and its well-tended gardens are an excuse to escape Old Dhaka’s hustle and bustle for an hour or so. The fort is…

  • Ahsan Manzil

    Ahsan Manzil

    Dhaka

    Dating from 1872, the must-see Pink Palace was built on the site of an old French factory by Nawab Abdul Ghani, the city’s wealthiest zamindar (landowner)…

  • Botanical garden in water and two little frog.

    Botanical Gardens

    Dhaka

    The shady, tranquil botanical gardens, stretch over 40 hectares and contain over 1000 species of local and foreign plants, as well as lots of birdlife…

  • Liberation War Museum

    Dhaka

    Housed in a beautiful whitewashed colonial-era building, this small museum chronicles the 1971 War of Independence, one of the 20th century’s more deadly…

  • National Assembly Building

    Dhaka

    In 1963 the Pakistanis commissioned Louis Kahn, a world-renowned American architect, to design a regional capitol for East Pakistan. Due to the liberation…

  • Dhakeswari Temple

    Dhaka

    Dhakeshwari Temple is the centre of the Hindu faith in Bangladesh. It is dedicated to Dhakeswari, the protector of Dhaka and an incarnation of the goddess…

  • Dhaka University

    Dhaka

    Dating from 1921, Dhaka University, or just DU, has some fine old buildings. The architectural masterpiece is the red-brick Curzon Hall, a highly…

  • Curzon Hall

    Dhaka

    The quasi-Gothic red-brick Curzon Hall, erected in 1905 after the first partition of Bengal is Dhaka University's architectural masterpiece. It's a highly…

  • Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts

    Dhaka

    Bangladesh's home of fine arts, this gallery was established in 200 by the Bengal Foundation, and holds regular exhibitions of art and photography as well…

  • Bara Katra

    Dhaka

    This dilapidated Mughal-era structure is one of the oldest buildings in Dhaka, although searching for it among the high-walled, pinched alleyways of this…

  • Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection

    Dhaka

    This small area is known as Armanitola, and is named after the Armenian colony that settled here in the late 17th century. The white- and lemon-painted…

  • Hussaini Dalan

    Dhaka

    A block north of the central jail is Hussaini Dalan, looking more like a Hindu rajbari (landowner’s palace) than an Islamic building. It was built in 1642…

  • Khan Mohammed Mridha’s Mosque

    Dhaka

    Erected in 1706, this Mughal structure is stylistically similar to Lalbagh Fort. It is built on a raised platform, up a flight of 25 steps. Three squat…

  • Star Mosque

    Dhaka

    This unusual mosque, with its striking mosaic decoration, dates from the early 18th century, although it has been radically altered. It was originally…

  • Baldha Gardens

    Dhaka

    At the eastern end of Tipu Sultan Rd, and a block south of Hatkhola Rd, the Baldha Gardens are a relaxing corner in busy Dhaka. The two walled enclosures,…

  • Baitul Mukarram Mosque

    Dhaka

    West of Motijheel on Topkhana Rd, this enormous modern mosque is designed in the style of the holy Ka’aba of Mecca and is a hard-to-miss landmark. The…

  • Old High Court

    Dhaka

    The imposing old High Court, once the governor’s residence, is just north of Dhaka University’s main campus. It is the finest example in Dhaka of the…

  • Gulshan Central Mosque

    Dhaka

    Gulshan's main mosque, this is a striking white example of 1960's futurism, with rocket-like minarets and a geometric prayer hall evoking the optimism of…

  • Sat Gumbad Mosque

    Dhaka

    Dating from 1680, Sat Gumbad Mosque is a white-washed onion-dome mosque, and the finest example of the pure Mughal-style mosque in Dhaka.

  • Faculty of Fine Art

    Dhaka

    Hosts art exhibitions, housed inside Dhaka University's Institute of Arts and Crafts.

  • DRIK

    Dhaka

    Gallery specialising in photography

  • Suhrawardi Park

    Dhaka

    Beginning near the Old High Court and stretching all the way to the National Museum, Suhrawardi Park covers an enormous area. This was once a racecourse,…

  • Chota Katra

    Dhaka

    This run-down Mughal-era structure dates from 1663, and was a caravanserai for visiting merchants. It was similar in design to nearby Bara Katra, but…

  • Ramna Park

    Dhaka

    One of Dhaka's largest green areas – a great escape if the traffic is getting too much. The Mughals first set aside the area for recreation; the British…

  • Zia Uddyan

    Dhaka

    Park near Bangladesh's National Assembly, home to the lakeside mausoleum of Zia Rahman, former prime minister of the country who was assassinated in 1981.

  • Kartalab Khan's Mosque

    Dhaka

    This historic mosque, founded in the 18th century, makes an architectural nod to the Bengali 'hut' style of temple building.

  • St Thomas Church

    Dhaka

    Small gothic-style church built in 1819, home to the Anglican church in Bangladesh.

  • Mosque

    Dhaka

    A small local mosque.