Dhaka City Tour

Dhaka is the capital and largest cosmopolitan city of Bangladesh. With its colorful history and rich cultural traditions, Dhaka is known the world over as the city of mosques and muslin fabric. Its fame attracted travelers from far and near throughout the ages. Today it has grown into a mega city of about 8.5 million people, with an area of about 1353 sq. km. becoming the hub of the nation's industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activities. Thousands of tourist come across the city from worldwide to discover true Bengali Tradition and Culture. Herewith you will find top attractive place to visit in Dhaka. 

1. Curzon Hall, University of Dhaka.

Curzon Hall is a structure in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that has an extremely fascinating history. It was significant in many political battles and is today a vital part of traditional education. The University of Dhaka has a School of Science division, of which the Curzon Hall is a part thereof. Its massive structure stands as a monument to the heritage of education in the city.

The Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, had a vision – wanted to create a spectacular town hall for the city. In the year 1904 the foundation for this breathtaking building was laid, but due to the partitioning of Bengal, the Curzon Hall became Dhaka College in 1911. It took up its position as part of the science division of the Dhaka University in 1921.

2. Bangladesh National Museum

Bangladesh National Museum is a national institute, focused on collection, preservation, research and interpretative display of historical documents, archaeological artifacts, decorative arts, ethnological materials and specimens of natural heritage of Bangladesh.

BNM officially known as Bangladesh Jatiya Jadughar, owes its origin and growth to the Dhaka museum. The museum is located at Shahbag in Dhaka city occupying 8.63 acres land, with a magnificent building, containing 44 galleries, a large library, three auditoriums and two exhibition halls. There are four other branch museums under the control of Bangladesh National Museum- these are ahsan manzil Museum (Old Dhaka), Osmani Museum (Sylhet), Zia Smriti Museum (Chittagong) and Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala (Mymensingh).

BNM was originally established on 20 March 1913, albeit under another name (the Dhaka Museum), and formally inaugurated on 7 August 1913 by Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael, the governor of Bengal. In July 1915 it was handed over to the Naib-Nazim of Dhaka.

3.Dhakeshwari Temple

The Dhakeshwari temple was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen, a king of the Sena dynasty, and it is said that the city was named after the Goddess. The current architectural style of the temple cannot be dated to that period because of the numerous repairs, renovations and rebuilding which have taken place over time. It is considered an essential part of Dhaka’s cultural heritage.

Dhakeshwari National Temple is a Hindu temple in Dhaka city. It is state-owned, giving it the distinction of being Bangladesh’s ‘National Temple’. The name “Dhakeshwari” means “Goddess of Dhaka”. Since the destruction of Ramna Kali Mandir in 1971 by the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Dhakeshwari Temple has assumed status as the most important Hindu place of worship in Bangladesh.

It is widely believed that the Queen, wife of King Bijoy Sen, went to Langolbond for bathing. While coming back, she gave birth to a son, known to historians as Ballal Sen. After ascending to the throne, Ballal Sen built this temple to glorify his birthplace. Legends say that Ballal Sen once dreamt of the deity covered under the jungle. Ballal Sen uncovered the deity from there and built a temple, named for Dhakeswari. Whatever the legends describe, Hindu religious consider Dhakeswari to be the presiding deity of Dhaka, which is an incarnation or form of Goddess Durga the Adi Shakti . The idol of Durga is called Dhakeswari.

4.Armenian Church, Dhaka

In 1781 the now famous Armenian Church was built on Armenian Street in Armanitola, then a thriving business district. The church bears testimony to the existence of a significant Armenian community in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries.In Dhaka, Armenian merchants traded in jute and leather, and profitability in these businesses convinced some to move permanently to Bangladesh. The area where they lived became known as Armanitola. Mother Teresa stayed in the church compound during a 1996 visit to Dhaka.

It was a subject of BBC and AFP documentaries before it was declared as a religious and historical heritage by the government of Bangladesh and put under supervision of the Department of Archaeology, Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh that has taken measures to restore and safeguard the cultural heritage. Government of Armenia has shown interest to cooperate in the effort of the Bangladesh government. Now the site is open during daytime for the visitors

5. Hussaini Dalan, Dhaka

Hussaini Dalan was originally built during the latter half of the Mughal rule in Dhaka. It was built as the Imambara or house of the imam of the Shia community. Well worth a Visit, the interior is full of interesting Islamic design features and history. Place for Shia Believers. Some people pronounce as Hosaini Dalan, is another edifice from Dhaka. This is located beside the Nazimuddin Road of Old Dhaka. It is believed as a Shia Shrine, and was built during 17th century. There is a pond in front of the building.

It was built by Syed Murad during the governorship of Shah Shuja to commemorate the martyrdom of Al-Hussain, the grandson of our holly prophet Muhammad. Shah Shuja was a Sunni Muslim, but he had a predilection for Shia and patronized several such institutions.

6. Lalbagh Fort Dhaka

Lalbagh Fort (Fort Aurangabad) is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex that stands before the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh.^[1] The construction was started in 1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah who was son of Emperor Aurangzeb and later emperor himself. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not continue the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688.

The fort was never completed, and unoccupied for a long period of time. Much of the complex was built over and now sits across from modern buildings Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex that 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 who was son of Emperor Aurangzeb and later emperor himself.

His successor, Shaista Khan, did not continue the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688. Shaista Khan was the new subahdar of Dhaka in that time, and he did not complete the fort. In 1684, the daughter of Shaista Khan named Iran Dukht Pari Bibi died there. After her death, he started to think the fort as unlucky, and left the structure incomplete. Among the three major parts of Lalbagh Fort, one is the tomb of Pari Bibi.

After Shaista Khan left Dhaka, it lost its popularity. The main cause was that the capital was moved from Dhaka to Murshidabad. After the end of the royal Mughal period, the fort became abandoned. In 1844, the area acquired its name as Lalbagh replacing Aurangabad, and the fort became Lalbagh Fort.

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 of Bangladesh have revealed the existence of other structures.

7.Star Mosque

Star Mosque, is a mosque located in Armanitola area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The mosque has ornate designs and is decorated with motifs of blue stars. It was built in the first half of the 19th century by Mirza Golam Pir. When the Star Mosque (or Tara Masjid in Bengali) in Dhaka was first built in the first half of the 19th century, the original Mughal design included a large dome in the center and two smaller ones on each side. Through the years, additions were built and the interior was decorated—changes that were met with criticism, as they subverted the architectural sensibilities of the Mughal style.

8.Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace), Dhaka

Ahsan Manzil situated at Kumartoli of Dhaka on the bank of the Buriganga, was the residential palace and the kachari of the nawabs of dhaka. It has been turned into a museum recently. It was said to be the Rang Mahal of Sheikh Enayetullah, a zamindar of Jamalpur pargana (Barisal) during the time of the Mughals. Having purchased it from his son Matiullah, the french made it their trading centre. Khwaja alimullah bought it from the French in 1830 and converted it into his residence, effecting necessary reconstruction and renovations.

Nawab Khwaja abdul ghani engaged Martin and Company, a European construction and engineering firm, to make a master plan for their residence. The construction of the palace was begun in 1859 and completed in 1872. Abdul Ghani named it Ahsan Manzil after his son Khwaja ahsanullah. At that time the newly built palace was known as Rang Mahal and the earlier one was called Andar Mahal.

Ahsan Manzil was pertly damage by a terrible tornado On April 7, 1888, particularly the Andar Mahal of the palace. Nawab Ahsanullah rebuilt the Andar Mahal and repaired the Rang Mahal using good quality bricks that were brought from Raniganj. The exquisite dome of the present Rang Mahal was interposed. Ahsan Manzil was badly damaged again by the earthquake of 12 June 1897. However, Nawab Ahsanullah had it repaired again.

09. Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban 

The decision to construct Jatiya Sangsad Complex at Dhaka was originally taken in 1959. Then Martial Law Administration planned to build the present Sangsad Bhaban as the second seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan (before 1971) in the proposed second capital area, which was designated as Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Louis I Kahn, was initially selected for designing the Jatiya Sangsad complex. He was not commissioned out-right but was asked to present preliminary ideas and outline for the complex, and eventually, in March 1962 he was formally commissioned for the job.

A sprawling area of 208 acres of land to the north of present Manik Mia Avenue was acquired in 1961 for the project of the second capital and the master plan was ready in 1962. The construction started in 1964 with an initial estimated cost of about $15 million. The construction of the complex along with all services and facilities was completed in 1982 at a revised cost of $32 million.

The complex includes the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, hostels for members of Parliament, ministers and secretaries, hospitality halls and community buildings all linked by roads and walkways. Jatiya Sangsad was designed by Louis I Kahn, then enlisted his former teacher at Yale. Construction was halted during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and was completed on 28 January 1982.

Price For Dhaka City Tour 
1 Pax $100 or BDT 8000/-
2 Pax $70 PP or BDT 5600/-
3 Pax $60 PP or BDT 4800/-
4 Pax $50 PP or BDT 4000/-
5 Pax $40 PP or BDT 3200/-
6 Pax or More $35 or BDT 2800/-

Inclusions 
1) All Admission Fee and Taxes.
2) Hotel/Airport Pickup and Dropoff.
3) Lunch at Local Famous Restaurant.
4) English speaking easygoing tour guide. 

Remark: 
# National Museum and Ahsan Manzil close on Thursday. 
# Lalbagh Fort close on Sunday

Please feel free to contact me for customising your tour package. Thank you