Ratargul Swamp Forest : Freshwater Swamp Forest in Sylhet

Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater swamp forest located in Gowain River, Fatehpur Union, Gowainghat, Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is the only swamp forest located in Bangladesh and one of the few freshwater swamp forests in the world. The forest is naturally conserved under the Department of Forestry, Govt. of Bangladesh.

Ratargul Swamp Forest

Its area is 3, 325.61 acre including 504 acre declared as the animal sanctuary in 2015. It is known as the Amazon of Bangla and Sundarbans of Sylhet. This only swamp forest in Bangladesh is located 26 kilometres (16 mi) far from Sylhet. The forest's name comes from the word, "Rata" or "Pati" tree, used by the locals of Sylhet.

The evergreen forest is situated by the river Goain and linked with the channel Chengir Khal. Most of the trees growing here are the Millettia pinnata (Koroch tree). The forest is submerged under 20–30 feet water in the rainy season. For the rest of the year, the water level is about 10 feet deep.

Location

Ratargul is about 26 kilometres from Sylhet. There is a 3,325 acres wetland in Sylhet range-2 under the forest department and in that wetland Ratargul swamp forest is about 504 acres. It is located in Gowainghat. After reaching Gowainghat, tourists reserve local engine boat namely "traller" to reach forest. There are two haors namely shimul bil haor and neoa bil haor in the south part of the forest.

View of the swamp forest from the watch tower

Climate

Tropical air from the north-west of Sylhet causes heavy rainfall. According to Sylhet Weather Centre, average rainfall is 4162 millimetre per year. Highest rainfall occurs in July which is 1250 millimetre. On the other hand, December is the driest season with 74% relative density which jumps up to more than 90% in July–August. The forest is linked with Gowain river through a lake namely chengir khal. In the rainy season, too much water from India enters into the lake through Gowain river and the forest become flooded. This situation prevails from May to early October and the temperature remains 32-degree Celsius which drops to 12-degree Celsius in January. In the rainy season, trees remain 10 ft (somewhere even 15–20 ft) under water but the forest become dry in winter season.

Plant diversity

73 species of plants could be found in the forest till now. 80 percent of the forest area is covered with umbrella of the trees.

Two layers of plants can be seen in the swamp forest. The upper layer consists of trees and the lower one consists of intense Schumannianthus dichotomus. The canopy of the plants spreads up to 15 meters of height.

Though the forest is natural, the Forestry Department of Bangladesh has planted some watery plants like Calamus tenuis, Burflower Tree, Barringtonia acutangula, Calamus tenuis. Banyan Tree is very common in the forest. Besides that, Barringtonia acutangula, Milletia Pinnata, Sacred Garlic Pear or Temple Plant, Alstonia Scholaris can also be seen.

Animal diversity

Snake and worm snake can widely be seen in this water-drowned forest. Mongoose can be seen in dry season. Monkey and Water Monitor also resides in the forest. Heron, Egret, Kingfisher, Parrot, Bulbul, Swan, Dove, Water fowl, Eagle and Kite Bird are some of the birds of the swamp forest. Cotton Pygmy Goose and other Migratory birds and Vulture visit the forest in winter. Name of some local fishes available in the forest are Batasio, Rita, Pabda, Rohu etc.

Ratargul

Tourists’ attraction

Tourists mostly go to see the forest in monsoon. One needs to take permission from the forest office to visit the forest. A local boat needs to be hired to travel through the swamp forest. There is a building tower inside the forest. If you go up there, you can see the whole view of the forest.

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Mosque City of Bagerhat : A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bangladesh

The Mosque City of Bagerhat (historically known as Khalifatabad) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat District, Bangladesh. It contains several mosques built during the Bengal Sultanate in the 15th-century, of which the Sixty Dome Mosque is the largest. Other mosques include the Singair Mosque, the Nine Dome Mosque, the Tomb of Khan Jahan, the Bibi Begni Mosque and the Ronvijoypur Mosque. The mosques were built during the governorship of Ulugh Khan Jahan, a Turkic military officer appointed as governor in the Sundarbans by Sultan Mahmud Shah of Bengal.

 

Mosque City of Bagerhat

The site was a "mint town" of the Bengal Sultanate. Bagerhat has one of the largest concentrations of sultanate-era mosques in Bangladesh. The historic city, listed by Forbes as one of the 15 lost cities of the world, has more than 50 structures built in the Bengal Sultanate style of Indo-Islamic architecture. The mosques of Bagerhat display the simplistic 'Khan Jahan Style' of the Bengal Sultanate variant. These were uncovered after removing the vegetation that had obscured them from view for many centuries. The site has been recognised by UNESCO in 1983 under criteria (IV), "as an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble which illustrates a significant stage in human history", of which the Sixty Dome Mosque with actually 60 pillars and 77 domes, is the most well-known. The mosques feature terracotta artwork and arabesque.

History

The Bengal Sultanate appointed Ulugh Khan Jahan as its governor in the Sundarbans in southern Bengal during the 15th-century. Ulugh Khan Jahan was a person of Turkic-origin. The title of Ulugh was common to rulers from the Turco-Persian tradition. The Bengal Sultanate attracted many immigrants from the Middle East and Central Asia, who brought with them ideas of Islamic architecture. The Bengal Sultanate was based in the capital cities of Pandua and Gauda. In eastern Bengal, Sonargaon was an important administrative center. The Arakan region of Burma was also ruled by the Bengal Sultanate. The Sundarbans forest is located in southwestern Bengal. According to Richard Eaton, the Bengali woodland was a prime target for Islamic missionary and conversion activities. The people who lived in the woodlands were outside the Hindu social hierarchy.[8] Sufism was employed by Muslim missionaries to attract the local population. The high concentration of mosques suggests the rapidity with which the local population converted to Islam.

Ulugh Khan Jahan administered an area covering parts of present-day Khulna Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh. Inscriptions in Bagerhat indicate that the mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah between 1450 and 1459. Interestingly, Mahmud Shah was also responsible for transferring Bengal's capital from Pandua to Gauda. The reign of Mahmud Shah was marked by significant architectural development. In south Bengal, the mosque city of Bagerhat displays the simplistic 'Khan Jahan Style' of Bengali Islamic architecture. Ulugh Khan Jahan was responsible for establishing a planned township with roads, bridges, and water supply tanks (of which the Ghoradighi and Dargadighi still survive), cisterns, and several mosques and tombs. Ulugh Khan Jahan lived in the town and was a Sufi philanthropist.

In 1895, an extensive survey of the area was conducted by the Archaeological Survey of British India, and restoration was put into effect in 1903–04 on the Sixty Dome Mosque. In 1907-8 part of the roof and 28 domes were restored. In 1982–83, UNESCO drew up a master plan for the Bagerhat area and it became a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Architecture

The planning of the city is distinctly dominated by Islamic architecture style; in particular, the embellishments are a combination of various styles, including Bengali, Persian and Arab. The city covered 360 mosques (most of them of identical designs), many public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, network of roads and water reservoirs. The material used in building construction was baked bricks, which over the centuries deteriorated under saline conditions of the soil and the atmosphere.

 

Arches of the Mosque

The layout, revealed after the recent removal of the vegetative growth around the historic city, indicates that the city developed in two distinct zones; the main zone is the Mosque of Shait Gumbaz and its precincts and the other zone to its east is the one encircling the Mausoleum of Khan Jahan. The two zones are separated by a distance of 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi).

The minarets embellish the front corners of the mosques. They stand at double the height of the facade. The towers at the rear corners are also similarly fashioned. The minarets are double storied and round in shape; projecting cornices surround the shafts up to the middle height of the minarets and a window fitted at this mid height provides ventilation and light. A spiral staircase in this minar leads to the top. Artificial tusks of elephants decorate the exterior of the minarets.

Mosques

The following includes a partial list of mosques, tombs or mausoleums, and other monuments which have been restored from among the large number of ruins in the city.

Sixty Dome Mosque

The Sixty Dome Mosque

The Sixty Dome Mosque, on the eastern bank of a water tank or pond (the takur dighi), is one of the oldest mosques in the country and is described as a "historic mosque representing the Golden Era of Muslim Bengal". It is laid is over an area of 160 feet (49 m) by 108 feet (33 m). The mosque is unique in that it has 60 pillars that support 77 exquisitely curved "low squat domes" that have worn away over time; it has seven central domes that are four-sided and built in Bengali style. It was established in 1440 by Khan Jahan Ali.

 

The Sixty Dome Mosque

It was used for prayers, as an assembly hall and madrasa (an Islamic school). Seventy seven domes are over the roof and four smaller ones at the four corners are towers. The large prayer hall has 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and south which provide ventilation and light to the hall. There are 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays in the midst of slim columns made of stone. These columns support the curving arches that are overlaid by the domes. The west wall in the interior has eleven mihrabs that are decorated with stonework and terracotta and the flooring is brickwork. The walls and the mihrabs were affected by sulphates. Most of the damage has been rectified. The arches are 6 feet (1.8 m) thick with a slight taper over the hollow and round walls. The mosque also functioned as the court of Khan Jahan Ali. It now attracts a large number of tourists and visitors. The mosque is decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks.

Nine Dome Mosque

Nine Dome Mosque

The Nine Dome Mosque is located to the west of the takur dighi tank and built in the 15th century. It is located near Khan Jahan Ali's tomb. Its western wall conventionally faces west towards Mecca, where the mihrab is inset; terracotta floral scrolls and flower motifs are the decorations seen around the mihrab. Circular towers are provided in the four corners. The walls of the mosque support a large central dome which has eight smaller domes around it. This structure was also affected by sulphates. It has been since substantially restored. Close to this mosque are the Zinda Pir Mosque and mazar (tomb), which are in ruins.

Singair Mosque

Singair Mosque

The Singair Mosque is across the road from the Sixty Dome Mosque on its southeastern side. It is a square shaped single dome mosque. In what is typical to the Khan Jahan Style, the dome is supported on thick walls and topped with a cambered cornice. The Bigi Begni Mosque and the Chuna Khola Mosque are also single domed but much larger in size.

Ronvijoypur Mosque

The Ronvijoypur Mosque has the largest dome in Bangladesh. It is of 11 metres (36 ft) width supported by arches and pendentives. The corners have tapering circular turrets while the external cornice has a slight curve. The mosque's interior is plain. However, the main mihrabs have decorations of floral patterns. It is located on the opposite side of the Khan Jahan Tomb on the Khulna-Bagerhat Road. It was built in the Khan Jahan style of architecture. It has been renovated many times in the past during the 1960s and 70s. However, it needs further repair work to prevent dampness inside the tomb, and also to the brickwork on the exterior surfaces.

Chuna Khola Mosque

Mihrab in Chuna Khola Mosque

The Chuna Khola Mosque, built in the 15th century, is located in the midst of rice fields in the village of Chuna Khola. It has been identified as representing a transition from the Khan Jahan style monuments. It is a 7.7 metres (25 ft) square building with 2.24 metres (7 ft 4 in) thick walls. It has three entrances on the east and one each on the northern and southern sides also. It has three mihrabs with the central mihrab being the largest in size and projecting outwards. It has a hemispherical dome with frontal arches. There are also squinches and half domes. It is distinctly different from the Khan Jahan style mosque in its exterior decorations, particularly the east façade, which depicts four rectangular panels bordered by foliated scrolls with merlons having plant motifs. It has four turrets with curved cornices. The brick walls, in particular, were damaged due to sulphate effect. It was renovated in the 1980s according to guidelines set by UNESCO.

Tomb of Khan Jahan

The Khan Jahan Mausoleum or tomb is located on the northern bank of a water tank (a pond infested with crocodiles) called thakur dighi in Bengali language. The pond is square in shape and the excavated material from the tank was used to make an embankment over which the Mausoleum has been built. The pond is approached through a flight of broad and steep steps built from the embankment. It has a single domes structure built over a plan of 45 feet (14 m) square. The building was made of brick walls over five layers of dressed stone which forms the basement. From recorded sources of 1866, it is also mentioned that the flooring had been inlaid with hexagonal encaustic tiles of different designs and colours (mostly blue, white and yellow). However, in its present condition such type of tiles is seen only on a few steps on the Mausoleum itself. The tomb has black stones have been used in making the tomb and it is made of three steps. Verses from the Koran are inscribed in Arabic and Persian. There are inscriptions on the walls of the crypt which are inferred as providing historical information about Ulugh Khan Jahan's life. After retirement, Khan Jahan spent his retired life here and after his death on 25 October 1459, his tomb was preserved here. It is now pilgrimage site where people pay homage to the man who dedicated his lifetime to building the city and its monuments. The Pir Ali Tomb (of Pir Ali, a close associate of Khan Jahan) is an annexe building to this mausoleum and is of identical layout. A mosque called the Dargha Mosque is attached to the mausoleum.

Museum

Bagerhat Museum

Bagerhat Museum

A small museum has been established by the Directorate of Archaeology of Bangladesh, in collaboration with UNESCO, in front of the Shait Gumbaz Mosque, where antiquaries collected from the area of the historical site are displayed providing knowledge on the history of Bagerhat. It has three exhibit galleries of antiquaries related to the "Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat", which include inscriptions, potteries, terracotta plaques and ornamental bricks. Pictures of important historic buildings of Bangladesh are also part of the exhibits here.

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Cox's Bazar : Major Tourists' Attractions

Cox's Bazar is a city, fishing port, tourism centre and district headquarters in southeastern Bangladesh. The beach in Cox's Bazar is sandy and has a gentle slope; with an unbroken length of 120 km (75 mi). It is located 150 km (93 mi) south of the divisional headquarter of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa, which translates literally as "yellow flower". Another old name was "Palongkee".

Today, Cox's Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh, although not a major international tourist destination. In 2013, the Bangladesh Government formed the Tourist Police unit to protect local and foreign tourists better, as well as to look after the nature and wildlife in the tourist spots of Cox's Bazar.

Cox's Bazar

Geography and climate

Cox's Bazar town with an area of 6.85 km2 (2.64 sq mi), is located at 21.583333°N 92.016667°E and bounded by Bakkhali River on the north and East, Bay of Bengal in the West, and Jhilwanj Union in the south.

The climate of Bangladesh is mostly determined by its location in the tropical monsoon region: high temperature, heavy rainfall, generally excessive humidity, and distinct seasonal variations. The climate of Cox's bazar is mostly similar to the rest of the country. It is further characterised by the location in the coastal area. The annual average temperature in Cox's Bazar remains at about a maximum of 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) and a minimum of 16.1 °C (61.0 °F). The average amount of rainfall remains at 3,524 mm (138.7 in).

Tourism

The beach is the main attraction of the town. There are several 3 star and 5 star hotels provide exclusive beachside area with accessories for the tourist. Visitors in other hotels visit the Laboni beach which is the area of the beach closest to the town. Other than the beach there are several places of interest near the town which can easily be visited from town centre.

 Sunset

• Himchari National Park: Himchari is located just south of the Cox's Bazar town. It consists of lush tropical rain forest, grasslands and trees, and features a number of waterfalls, the biggest of which cascades down toward the sandy, sun-drenched beach. The National Park was established in 1980 by the Government of Bangladesh as a conservation area for research, education and recreation. Once it was the stomping grounds of herds of Asian elephant. It is still home to a limited number of these mammals.

Himchori Waterfall

• Aggmeda Khyang: A large Buddhist monastery, and a place revered by around 400,000 Buddhist people of Cox's Bazar; and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The main sanctuary is posted on a series of round timber columns. It has a prayer chamber and an assembly hall along with a repository of large and small bronze Buddha images and a number of old manuscripts.

• Ramu: about 10 km (6 mi) from Cox's Bazar, is a village with a sizeable Buddhist population. The village is famous for its handicrafts and homemade cigars. There are monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing images of Buddha in bronze, gold and other metals with precious stones. One of the most interesting of these temples is on the bank of the Baghkhali river. It houses not only relics and Burmese handicrafts but also a large bronze statue of Buddha measuring thirteen feet high which rests on a six feet high pedestal. Weavers ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.

Dead corals at St. Martin's Island

• St. Marin’s Island: St. Martin's Island is a small island (area only 8 km2) in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. There is a small adjoining island that is separated at high tide, called Chhera Island. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar, at the mouth of the Naf River. The local names of the island are "Narical Gingira", also spelled "Narikel Jinjira/Jinjera", which means 'Coconut Island' in Bengali, and "Daruchini Dip". It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

• Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park: Bangabandhu Sheikh MujibSafari Park is the first Safari Park in Bangladesh. The nature of the forest is tropical evergreen and rich with Garjan, Boilam, Telsur and Chapalish along with herbs, shrubs and creepers. Safari Park is a declared protected area where the animals are kept in fairly large area with natural environment and visitors can easily see the animal whenever they visit by bus, jeep or on foot. This park was established on the basis of South Asian model. This safari park is an extension of an animal sanctuary located along the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road about 50 km (30 mi) from Cox's Bazar town. The sanctuary itself protects a large number of wild elephants which are native to the area. In the safari park there are domesticated elephants which are available for a ride. Other animal attractions include lions, Bengal tigers, Crocodiles, Bears, Chitals and lots of different types of birds and monkeys, which is wonderful project to attract the tourist.

Inani Beach

• Inani Beach: Inani is a stony beach near Cox's Bazar.

• Darianagar: Dariangar is plain beach with waterways flowing through it and nice pleasant scenery with beach on one side and mountains on the other. Tourist also can enjoy by parasailing.

The only aquarium in Bangladesh is in Cox's Bazar. Attractions also include parasailing, water biking, beach biking, horse riding, Cox Carnival circus show, Daria Nagar Ecopark, Cox's Bazar Development Authority, numerous architectural atttractions, Shishu Parks and numerous photogenic sites. The largest safaris park in the country, Bangabandhu Safari Park, is nearby. There is a forest reserve at Teknaf which also has a cable car planned.

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Most Popular Tourist attractions in Bangladesh (Division-wise)

Green Bangladesh

Bangladesh's tourist attractions include historical monuments, resorts, beaches, picnic spots, forests and tribal people, wildlife of various species. Activities for tourists include angling, water skiing, river cruising, hiking, rowing, yachting, and sea bathing.

Division-wise Tourist attractions

Chittagong division

Cox's Bazar

Cox's Bazar is known for its wide and long sandy beach, which is considered by many as the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. This beach is an unbroken 125 kilometers (78 mi) sandy sea beach with a gentle slope.

Dead corals at St. Martin's Island

St. Martin's Island

St. Martin's Island is a small island (area only 8 km²) in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. There is a small adjoining island that is separated at high tide, called Chhera island. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar, at the mouth of the Naf River. The first settlement started just 250 years ago by some Arabian sailors who named the island 'Zajira'. During British occupation the island was named St. Martin Island. The local names of the island are "Narical Gingira", which means 'Coconut Island' in Bengali, and "Daruchini Dip". It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

Bandarban

Bandarban is regarded as one of the most attractive travel destinations in Bangladesh. Bandarban town is the hometown of the Bohmong Circle Chief (currently King, or Raja, U Cho Prue Marma) who is the head of the Marma population. It also is the administrative headquarters of Bandarban district, which has turned into one of the most exotic tourist attractions in Bangladesh.

Shubhalang waterfall, Rangamati

Rangamati

Kaptai lake, Shubhalang waterfall, the hanging bridge and Pablakhali reserve forest are some of the notable locations to visit in Rangamati.

Khagrachari

Khagrachari is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Its local name is "Chengmi". Khagrachari is also known as Phalang Htaung or the Mong Circle (of the rest of the three hill districts Rangamati is the Chakma Circle and Bandarban is the Bohmong Circle). There are many tourist places in Khagrachari like Alutila Cave, Alutila Tourists spot, Richhang waterfall, Yonged Buddha Bihar, Dighinala Touduchhori Waterfall and others.

Patenga beach

Patenga is a sea beach located 14 kilometers south of the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. Patenga is a popular tourist spot. The beach is very close to the Bangladesh Naval Academy of the Bangladesh Navy and Shah Amanat International Airport. Its width is narrow and swimming in the seas is not recommended. Part of the seashore is built-up with concrete walls, and large blocks of stones have been laid to prevent erosion. During the 1990s, a host of restaurants and kiosks sprouted out around the beach area. Lighting of the area has enhanced the security aspect of visiting at night. It is guarded by large stones to protect it from tsunamis.

A tourist attraction near Patenga beach is the Butterfly Park.

Foys lake

Foy's Lake

Foy's Lake is a human-made lake in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The lake was once just a lake and spillway constructed by Assam-Bengal Railway engineer. It was dug in 1924 and was named after the English engineer Mr. Foy. The lake is next to Batali Hill, the highest hill in Chittagong Metropolitan area. An amusement park, managed by the Concord Group, is located here.

Heritage Park

There is a heritage park called Shaheed Zia Memorial Complex and Mini Bangladesh at Chandgaon which reflects the most notable structures and instances of Bangladesh. This 71-metre tower in Mini Bangladesh in Chittagong has a restaurant on the top that rotates once every 90 minutes. The museum includes a revolving restaurant. One can perceive of the country's architectural beauty, ethnic traditions and archaeological inheritance through having a glimpse of the heritage park. Replicas of major structures of the country include Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (parliament building), National Memorial of Savar, Ahsan Manzil, Curzon Hall of Dhaka University, Paharpur Monastery, Kantajew Temple of Dinajpur, Lalbagh Fort and Sona Masjid. The park also has different rides for children.

Ethnological Museum of Chittagong

The Ethnological Museum of Chittagong located in Agrabad, established in 1965, is the only ethnological museum in the country, and presents the lifestyles and heritage of various ethnic groups of the country. The museum authority collected rare elements used in everyday lives of different ethnic groups, of which some had already become extinct while others were on the verge of extinction. The museum contains four galleries and a small hall. Three galleries of the museum feature diverse elements of twenty nine ethnic groups in Bangladesh, while the rest of the gallery displays the lifestyles of some ethnic groups of India, Pakistan and Australia.

Chittagong War Cemetery

WWII cemetery

The War Cemetery on Badshah Mia Road contains the graves of 755 soldiers, and is protected and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. There are also a number of museums in Chittagong.

Sylhet Division

Bichnakandi

Bichnakandi is a village in Rustompur Union in Gowainghat Upazila of Sylhet District. In recent years there has been an influx of tourists to its river.

Bichnakandi

Jaflong

Jaflong is a hill station and popular tourist destination in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is located in Gowainghat Upazila of Sylhet District and situated at the border between Bangladesh and the Indian state of Meghalaya, overshadowed by subtropical mountains and rainforests. Jaflong is famous for its stone collections and is home of the Khasia tribe.

Jaflong attracts tourists for its scenery

Ratargul Swamp Forest

Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater swamp forest located in Gowainghat, Sylhet. It is the only swamp forest located in Bangladesh and one of the few freshwater swamp forests in the world. The forest is naturally conserved under the Department of Forestry, Govt. of Bangladesh.

Ratargul Swamp Forest

The evergreen forest is situated by the river Goain and linked with the channel Chengir Khal. Most of the trees growing here are the Millettia pinnata ("Koroch tree"). The forest is submerged under 20–30 feet water in the rainy season. For the rest of the year, the water level is about 10 feet deep.

Madhobpur Lake

Madhobpur Lake is a lake of Srimangal in Maulvi Bazar District of Bangladesh. It is one of the popular tourist spots in Bangladesh.

Tea Garden in Sreemangal

Tea Garden

There are numbers of tea gardens in Sylhet, Moulovibazar and Hobiganj districts in Sylhet Division. Srimangal upozila of Moulovibazar is called the capital of tea. The wonderful scenery of tea garden attracts every tourist of any age.

Tangua Haor

Haors

A big number of haors are located in Sylhet Division as well as some other districts. Largest Tangua haor & Hakaluki haor and almost every haor is enjoyable a lot.

Dhaka division

Dhaka Division is an administrative division in Bangladesh. Dhaka is the largest and capital city of Bangladesh.

Lalbagh Fort

Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This fort (also known as Fort Aurangabad) stands proudly before the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The construction was started in 1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah. For long the fort was considered to be a combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-i-Aam), with two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall. Recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology have revealed the existence of other structures.

Ahsan Manzil

Ahsan Manzil

Ahsan Manzil is a wonderful ancient building, located on the bank of the river Buriganga, in old Dhaka at Kumartoli, Islampur area. It was a residential palace for Dhaka Nawab Family. The structure of this palace was started in the year 1859 and was finished in 1869. It is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture. To preserve the cultural and history of the area, the palace became the Bangladesh National Museum on 20 September 1992.

Shaheed Minar

Shaheed Minar

The Shaheed Minar (English: Martyr Monument) is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952. On 21 February 1952, dozens of students and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal status for their native tongue, Bengali. The massacre occurred near Dhaka Medical College and Ramna Park in Dhaka. A makeshift monument was erected on 23 February by students of University of Dhaka and other educational institutions, but demolished on 26 February by the Pakistani police force. The Language Movement gained momentum, and after a long struggle, Bengali was given equal status with Urdu. To commemorate the dead, the Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor. The monument stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, when it was demolished completely during Operation Searchlight. After Bangladesh gained independence, it was rebuilt. At present, all national, mourning, cultural and other activities held each year, regarding 21 February, have been centred around the Shaheed Minar.

Jatiyo Smriti Soudho

Jatiyo Smriti Soudho

Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho  or National Martyrs' Memorial is the national monument of Bangladesh is the symbol in the memory of the valour and the sacrifice of all those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

Bangladesh Parliament Assembly Hall

Jatiya Sangshad

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban (English: National Parliament) was created by American architect Louis Kahn. Construction was started in 1961 and completed on 28 January 1982 with the total cost was about 32 million dollars. It is situated at Shre-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka. Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban was used for the first time on 15 February 1982 as the venue for the eighth (last) session of the second parliament of Bangladesh. Since then, it has been used for the Bangladesh National Assembly.

Tourist attractions in Dhaka

• Lalbagh Fort
•  Dhakeshwari Temple
• Baitul Mukarram
• Ahsan Manzil
• Shaheed Minar
• Liberation War Museum
• Rickshaw art and rickshaw-riding
•  Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban
• Bashundhara City; etc

Rajshahi and Rangpur Division

Shiva Temple in Puthia, Rajshahi

A wonderful Shiva Temple was constructed in Puthia Rajbari, Puthiya, Rajshahi.

Shiva Temple in Puthia, Rajshahi

Somapura Mahavihara

Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur, Naogaon District is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Somapura Mahavihara

Mahastangar

Mahasthangarh is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Bogra District contains the remains of an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura in the territory of Pundravardhana. A limestone slab bearing six lines in Prakrit in Brahmi script, discovered in 1931, dates Mahasthangarh to at least the 3rd century BC. The fortified area was in use till the 18th century AD.

Behula Lakhindar Basor Ghor at Bogra

Behula Lakshindar Basor Ghor at Bogra

Behula is the protagonist in the Manasamangal genre of Bengali medieval epics. A number of works belonging to this genre were written between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries. Though the religious purpose of these works is to eulogise the Hindu goddess Manasa, these works are more well known for depicting the love story of Behula and her husband Lakhindar.

Kantajew Temple

Kantajew Temple

Kantajew Temple is a late-medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in 1704 CE and ended in the reign of his son Raja Ramnath 1722 CE. It is regarded as one of the greatest examples on Terracotta architecture in Bangladesh and once had nine spires, but all were destroyed during the 1897 Assam earthquake.

Varendra Research Museum

Varendra Museum is a museum, research centre and visitor attraction in Rajshahi town and maintained by the University of Rajshahi.

Bagha Mosque

According to an inscription on the mosque's central entrance, bagha Mosque was Built by Sultan Nusrat Shah in 1523. Bagha Mosque is a richly decorated monument originally roofed over with ten domes which collapsed long ago. It is built of bricks with stone plinth, lintels and pillars. Recently this mosque was rebuilt carefully to its original form.

Barisal Division

Kuakata beach

Kuakata beach

Kuakata is a sea beach on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh. Located in Patuakhali District, Kuakata, a wide sandy beach, is 30 kilometres (19 mi) long and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide. On the eastern end of the beach is Gongamati Reserved Forest, an evergreen mangrove forest and snippet of the original Kuakata. When the Rakhines settled in the area in 1784, Kuakata was part of the larger Sundarbans forest. Sundarbans is now at a distance of one-hour by speed boat. As a mangrove forest, Gongamati, like the Sundarbans, offers some protection against tidal surges, however it too is threatened by logging and deforestation. The forest can be reached by foot or bike along the beach.

Khulna Division

Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is  the largest single block of tidal   halophytic mangrove  forest  in  the  world.  The 

Chital deer

Sunderbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, most of which is situated in Bangladesh with the remainder in India. Sundarbans South, Eastand, West are three protected forests in Bangladesh. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Mosque City of Bagerhat

The Mosque City of Bagerhat is a formerly lost city, located in the suburbs of Bagerhat city in Bagerhat District, in the Khulna Division.

Originally known as Khalifatabad and nicknamed the "mint town of the Bengal Sultanate", the city was founded in the 15th century by the warrior saint Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan.

Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat

The historic city, listed by Forbes as one of the 15 lost cities of the world, has more than 50 Islamic monuments which have been found after removing the vegetation that had obscured them from view for many centuries. The site has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, "as an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble which illustrates a significant stage in human history", of which the Sixty Pillar Mosque (Shat Gombuj Masjid in Bengali), constructed with 60 pillars and 77 domes, is the most well-known. Apart from these monuments, UNESCO also includes the mausoleum of Khan Jahan, the mosques of Singar, Bibi Begni, Reza Khoda, Zindavir among the unique monuments.

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Major Tourist attractions in Bangladesh (category wise)

Bangladesh's tourist attractions include historical monuments, resorts, beaches, picnic spots, forests and tribal people, wildlife of various species. Activities for tourists include angling, water skiing, river cruising, hiking, rowing, yachting, and sea bathing.

Kuakata beach

In the northern part, comprising the Rajshahi division, there are archaeological sites, including the temple city Puthia in Rajshahi; the largest and most ancient archaeological site, Mahasthangarh in Bogra; the single largest Buddhist monastery, Paharpur in Naogaon; the most ornamental terracota Hindu temple, Kantaji Temple, and many rajbaris or palaces of old zamindars.

In the south-eastern part, which is the Chittagong Division, there are natural and hilly areas like Chittagong Hill Tracts, along with sandy sea beaches. The most notable beach, in Cox's Bazar, is a contender for the title of longest unbroken sandy sea beach in the world.

In the south-western part, mainly the Khulna Division, there is the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest of the world with royal Bengal tiger and spotted deer. The historically and architecturally important sixty domed mosque in Bagerhat is a notable site. In the north-eastern part, Sylhet division, there is a green carpet of tea plants on small hillocks. Natural reserved forests are great attractions. Migratory birds in winter, particularly in the haor areas, are also very attractive in this area.

Architecture

Religious

Bangladesh has many places of worship. Capital Dhaka is known as the city of mosques.

Some famous Religious Place of Worships and visitor attractions are: 

• Baitul Mukarram is the national mosque of Bangladesh. Located at the centre of Dhaka, the mosque was completed in 1968. The mosque has a capacity of 30,000, and it is world's tenth largest mosque.
• Mosque City of Bagerhat is a formerly lost city, located in the suburbs of Bagerhat city in Bagerhat District, in the Khulna Division. The historic city, listed by Forbes as one of the 15 lost cities of the world, has more than 50 Islamic monuments.

• Kantojiu Temple built between 1702 and 1752, a nava-ratna (nine-spired) style Hindu temple.
• Dhakeshwari Temple built in the twelfth century, the national temple of Bangladesh.
• Hoseni Dalan a Shia shrine built in the seventeenth century.
• Sixty Dome Mosque is a mosque in Bangladesh, the largest in that country from the Sultanate period. It has been described as "the most impressive Muslim monuments in the whole of the Indian subcontinent."

Ancient ruins

• Wari-Bateshwar ruins, built in 450 BC, 2500-year-old ancient fort city
• Somapura Mahavihara is a Buddhist monastery situated in the Rajshahi District in the north of Bangladesh. Covering almost 27 acres of land, Somapura Mahavira is one of the largest monasteries south of the Himalayas. The design is considered to be greatly influenced by Buddhist architecture found in Java and Cambodia.
• Mainamati is an isolated ridge of low hills in the eastern margins of deltaic Bangladesh, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west of Comilla town. A landmark of ancient history, it represents a small mass of quasi-lateritic old alluvium. The ridge, set in the vast expanse of the fertile lower Meghna basin, extends for about 17 kilometres (11 mi) north–south from Mainamati village on the Gumti River to Chandi Mura near the Lalmai railway station.
• The oldest archaeological site in Bangladesh is outside Bogra, at Mahasthangarh.

Middle Age  

• Sonargaon was the administrative centre of medieval Muslim rulers in East Bengal.

Lalbagh Fort

• Lalbagh Fort Lalbagh Fort or Fort Aurangabad, an incomplete Mughal palace fortress at Dhaka on the river Buriganga in the southwestern part of the old city. The fort was considered to be a combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-i-Aam), two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall.
• Ahsan Manzil was previously the official palace of the Dhaka Nawab family and is currently a museum preserving the culture and history of the area. Ahsan Manzil is considered to be one of the most noteworthy architectural monuments in Bangladesh.
• Bara Katra an architectural relic of Dhaka city. It is situated to the south of Chawk Bazar close to the bank of the river buriganga. The Katra enclosed a quadrangular courtyard with 22 rooms on all of its four sides.

British architecture

• Curzon Hall a hundred years old British style town hall.
• Northbrook Hall a hundred and fifty years old British style town hall.

Modern

• Bangladesh National Museum Located in the suburb of Shahbag, in the city of Dhaka, is the biggest museum in Bangladesh. It has a collection of over eighty five thousand pieces. The four-storey building is home not only to large exhibition halls, but to a conservatory laboratory, library, three auditoriums, photographic gallery, temporary exhibition hall, and an audio-visual division.

Shaheed Minar

• Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban Parliamentary Building of Bangladesh, located in Dhaka. It was created by architect Louis Kahn and is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world. It houses all parliamentary activities of Bangladesh.
• Taj Mahal Bangladesh is a Bangladeshi architecture inspired from original Taj Mahal

Historic monuments

• Greek Memorial is an ancient monument, built in around AD 1900, looks like ancient Greek temples, a small yellow structure on land owned by the Greek Community, which flourished in Dhaka in the 19th century.
• National Martyrs' Memorial is the national monument for the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971
• Martyred Intellectuals Memorial is a memorial built in memory of the martyred intellectuals of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Suhrawardy Udyan formerly known as Ramna Race Course ground is a national memorial located in Dhaka. It is named after Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.
• Mosque City of Bagerhat is a formerly lost city, located in the suburbs of Bagerhat city in Bagerhat District, in the Khulna Division of southwest of Bangladesh and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Ahsan Manzil was the official residential palace and seat of the Dhaka Nawab Family. This building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka.
• Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete seventeenth century Mughal fort complex in Dhaka. The construction was started in 1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah.

Shiva Temple in Puthia, Rajshahi

• Shiva Temple in Puthia consists of a cluster of notable old Hindu temples in Puthia Upazila, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh Last House, the last house of Bangladesh located in the Bangladesh–India border at Jointa Hill Resort, this is a popular tourist destination.

Nature tourism

Bangladesh has geographical diversity, which resulted in varieties of nature tourism.

• The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world and has also been enlisted among the top 14 finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature. Though can't enter into 7 wonders.

Sundarbans

• Hilly area, water falls, cave etc. in Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban.
• Tangua haor, hakaluki haor and many other Haors in Sylhet division and some other surrounding districts.
• Largest swamp forest in Ratargul, Sylhet.

Lakes

• Kaptai Lake

 Kaptai Lake, Rangamati

• Dhanmondi Lake
• Foy's Lake
• Madhobpur Lake

Beaches

Bangladesh offers a wide range of tropical beaches.

• Cox's Bazar is known for its wide and long sandy beach which is considered as the world's longest natural sandy sea beach.

Some of the other famous tourist beaches are:

• St. Martin Island

Patenga sea beach

• Patenga sea beach
• Kuakata sea beach
• Nijhum Dwip

Islands

The islands of Bangladesh are scattered along the Bay of Bengal and the river mouth of the Padma. There are more than 30 islands in Bangladesh. Some famous tourist attractions are:

Sunset at Saint Martin's Island

• St. Martin's Island, St. Martin
• Chhera Island, St. Martin
• Bhola Island, Bhola
• Manpura Island
• Nijhum Dwip, Hatiya, Noakhali
• Sandwip Island, Chattogram
• Sonadia Island, Chattogram

Wildlife in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is home to several well-known mammals including the Bengal tiger, the Asian elephant, the hoolock gibbon and the Asian black bear. The saltwater crocodile found in Sundarbans is the

Bangladesh is the home of royal Bengal tigers

largest of all living reptiles, the king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake and the reticulated python is the longest among all snakes. The country has roughly 53 species of amphibian, 19 species of marine reptiles, 139 species of reptiles, 380 species of birds, 116 species of mammals, and 5 species of marine mammals. In addition to the large bird count, a further 310 species of migratory birds swell bird numbers each year. The vast majority of these creatures currently dwell in an area of land that is approximately 150,000 square kilometers (58,000 sq mi) in size. The dhole, also called the Asiatic wild dog, is now endangered by habitat, prey-species loss, and human persecution. Notable animal species that have disappeared from Bangladesh are the one- and two-horned rhinoceros, the gaur, the banteng, swamp deer, nilgai, Indian wolf, wild water buffalo, marsh crocodile and common peafowl.

The world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans is located in Southwestern Bangladesh. Sundarbans National Parks are UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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