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About
Bangladesh |
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Bangladesh is a country in South Asia which is located on the
fertile Bengal delta. It is bordered by the Republic of India
to its north, west and east, by the Union of Myanmar (Burma)
to its south-east and by the Bay of Bengal to its south. It is
separated from the Democratic Republic of Nepal and the
Kingdom of Bhutan by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor. It
makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal together with
the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal. The name
Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali
language.
Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country with a
population of more than 160 million people in a territory of
56,977 sq mi, as well as one of the world's most densely
populated countries. The Bengalis form the country's major
ethnic group, whereas the indigenous peoples in northern and
southeastern districts form a significant and diverse ethnic
minority. The Bengal delta region has a rich and diverse
cultural heritage. The four largest religions in the country
are Islam (89%), Hinduism (9%), Buddhism (1%) and Christianity
(0.5%).
Bangladesh is a pioneer and founding member of SAARC. It is
the world’s largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping
operations. It is a founding member of the Developing 8
Countries and BIMSTEC and a member of the Commonwealth, the
OIC, the NAM and the G-77. |
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Festivals
of Bangladesh |
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The Muslim holidays of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, the
Bengali New Year, Independence day, and Durga Puja by the
significant Hindu community of Bangladesh, are the most
prevalent celebrations in the country.
Other major Hindu festivals are Krishna Janmashtami, Saraswati
Puja, and Kali Puja; alongside the Buddhist festival of Buddha
Purnima, which marks the birth of Gautama Buddha, and
Christmas, called Borodin ("Great day"), are all national
holidays(except Saraswati and Kali Puja)
Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali new year, is the major festival
of Bengali culture and sees widespread festivities. Pohela
Boishakh is about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the
Bengal. Other cultural festivals include Nabonno, and Poush
porbon (festival of Poush), both Bengali harvest festivals.
Alongside these are national days like the remembrance of 21
February 1952 Language Movement Day (International Mother
Language Day), Independence Day and Victory Day. On Language
Movement Day, people congregate at the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka
to remember the national heroes of the Bengali Language
Movement, and at the Jatiyo Smriti Soudho on Independence Day
and Victory Day to remember the national heroes of the
Bangladesh Liberation War. These occasions are watched with
public ceremonies, parades, rallies by citizens, political
speeches, fairs, concerts, and various other public and
private events celebrating the history and traditions of
Bangladesh. |
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Tourist Attractions in Bangladesh |
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Ethnological Museum of Chittagong
The Ethnological Museum was founded in 1965 and the museum
opened to the public in 1974. The Ethnological Museum of
Chittagong is the only ethnological museum in Bangladesh and
it is situated in Agrabad, Chittagong. The Museum contains
exhibits featuring the history of Bangladesh's tribal people.
Two rooms were added to the museum during 1985-1995. In 1996,
a gallery with folk articles of Bangla speaking people was
added.
Foy's Lake
Foy's Lake is next to Batali Hill, the highest hill in
Chittagong Metropolitan area. Foy's Lake is a human-made lake
in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The lake was once just a lake and
spillway which was founded by Assam-Bengal Railway engineer.
It was dug in 1924 and was named after the English engineer
Mr. Foy. An amusement park, managed by the Concord Group, is
situated here.
Taj Mahal Bangladesh
Taj Mahal Bangladesh is a Bangladeshi artictecture inspired from original Taj Mahal.
Heritage Park
There is a heritage park called Shaheed Zia Memorial Complex
and Mini Bangladesh at Chandgaon which reveals the most
prominent 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. One
can perceive of the country's architectural beauty, ethnic
traditions and archaeological inheritance through having a
glimpse of the heritage park.The park also has different rides
for children.
Shaheed Minar
The Shaheed Minar is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh
which was founded to honor those who were killed during the
Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952.
Jaflong
Jaflong is a natural tourist spot in the Division of Sylhet,
Bangladesh. Jaflong is famous for its stone collections and is
home of the Khasi tribe.
It is situated in Gowainghat Upazila of Sylhet District and is
located at the border between Bangladesh and the Indian state
of Meghalaya. It is just below the mountain range.
Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban Parliamentary Building of Bangladesh
It is situated in Dhaka. It was founded by architect Louis
Kahn and it is one of the largest legislative complexes in the
world. It houses all parliamentary activities of Bangladesh.
Varendra Research Museum
Varendra Museum is a museum, research center and popular
visitor attraction which is situated at the heart of Rajshahi
town and maintained by Rajshahi University in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh National Museum
Bangladesh National Museum is
the biggest museum in Bangladesh, it is located in the suburb
of Shahbag, in the city of Dhaka. It has a collection of over
eighty five thousand pieces. The four-storey building is home
not only to large display halls, but to a conservatory
laboratory, library, three auditoriums, photographic gallery,
temporary exhibition hall, and an audio-visual division.
Lalbagh Fort
Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex
in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Patenga beach
A tourist attraction near Patenga beach is the Butterfly Park.
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Religious Places of Bangladesh
Dhakeshwari Temple
Dhakeshwari Temple was founded in the
twelfth century. It is a a hindu temple.
Mosque City of Bagerhat
Mosque City of Bagerhat is a
formerly lost city which is situated 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.
Baitul Mukarram
Baitul Mukarram is the national mosque of
Bangladesh. Baitul Mukarram is situated at the center of
Dhaka, the mosque was completed in 1968. The mosque has a
capacity of 30,000, and it is world's tenth largest mosque.
Kantojiu Temple
Kantojiu Temple was founded between 1702
and 1752, a nava-ratna (nine-spired) style hindu temple.
Sixty Dome Mosque
Sixty Dome Mosque is a mosque in
Bangladesh .It has been described as "the most impressive
Muslim monuments in the whole of the Indian subcontinent."
• Ancient ruins of Bangladesh
Mainamati
Mainamati is a remote ridge of low hills in the
eastern margins of deltaic Bangladesh which is 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 area 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.
Somapura Mahavihara
Somapura Mahavihara is a Buddhist
monastery which is located in the Rajshahi District in the
north of Bangladesh. It Covers almost 27 acres of land,
Somapura Mahavira it 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.
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Beaches of Bangladesh
Kuakata sea beach
Kuakata is a panaromic sea beach on the
southernmost tip of
Bangladesh.It is situated in the Patuakhali district, Kuakata
has a wide sandy beach from where one can see both the sunrise
and sunset. It is about 320 Kilometres south of Dhaka, the
capital, and about 70 Kilometres from the district
headquarters. The Kuakata beach is 30 km long and 6 km wide.
On 13 September 2007 government had announced a red alert in
Kuakata as caution for a possible Tsunami.
Patenga sea beach
Patenga is a sea beach which is located
about 14 kilometres south of the port city of Chittagong,
Bangladesh. It is near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River.
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Islands of Bangladesh
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:
St. Martin's Island
St. Martin's Island is a small island in
the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal which is 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.. It is the only coral
island in Bangladesh.
Chhera Island
St. Martin Chhera island also called
Cheradia Island or Cheridia Island, is an extension of St.
Martin's Island but divided by sea during tides. During low
tide period, the Chhera island can be reached by walking for
about two and a half hours from St. Martin's Island. Most
popular medium is by local motorboat or tourist boat. Corals
can be found all over the island. Island's has a beautiful
small bush area which is also the only green region of it. No
permanent settlement is established except for tourists.
Sonadia Island, Chittagong
Sonadia Island is a small
island of about 9 km2 offshore of the Cox's Bazaar coast in
Chittagong Division, Bangladesh.
Bhola Island
Bhola Island is the largest island of
Bangladesh with an area of 1441 km˛. It is located at the
mouth of the Meghna River. It is a district under Barisal
Division. There are ferry services from Maju Chowdhury Ghat,
Lakshmipur Districtand from Barisal town.In 1995, half of the
island became flooded, leaving 500,000 people homeless.
Manpura Island
Manpura Island is an island in the northern
Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, at the mouth of the Meghna river.
The island has an area of 373 km2.
Sandwip Island, Chittagong
Sandwip is an island along the
south eastern coast of Bangladesh in the Chittagong District.
It is part of the sub-district of Sandwip Upazila. |
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Cities
of Bangladesh |
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Barisal
Barisal is the Southern city which is
well-known for Paddy growing and many
rivers, best reached by a slow-paced and relaxing boat ride on
the Rocket Steamer.
Khulna
Khulna is situated on the Rupsha River, famous for shrimp and
a starting point for journeys into the Sundarbans.
Jessore
Jessore is a bustling district town, and convenient transit
point to or from Kolkata, well-known for Gur, a form of cake-like
molasses produced from the extract of the date tree.
Mymensingh
Mymensingh is a historic city which is situated by the side of river Brahmaputa,it has got a rich cultural and political history
dating back to more than 200 years.
Sylhet
Sylhet is the largest city in the northeast, it is
famous for the temple of Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal, one of the holiest
sites in the country.
Rangpur
Rangpur is a significant city in the north-west, with
agriculture and trade.
Dhaka
Dhaka is the hectic capital city, an intense and thriving
metropolis of some 12 million people that's growing by the day
Chittagong
Chittagong is a bustling commercial center and the largest
international seaport in the country.
Rajshahi
Rajshahi is the silk city. |
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Flora and fauna |
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A main part of the coastline is marshy jungle, the Sundarbans,
the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to varied
flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger. In 1997,
this region was declared endangered. The national flower of
the country is white-flowered water lily, which is known as
Shapla. The national fruit is jackfruit (Artocarpus
heterophyllus), which in Bengali is known as Kathal. The
Magpie Robin is the National Bird of Bangladesh and it is
common and known as the Doyel or Doel . It is a widely used
symbol in Bangladesh, appearing on currency notes and a sign
in the city of Dhaka is named as the Doyel Chatwar (meaning:
Doyel Square). In late 2010, the Bangladeshi government
selected the Mango tree as the national tree. |
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Architecture
of Bangladesh |
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The architecture of Bangladesh bears a extraordinary impact on
the tradition, lifestyle and cultural life of Bangladeshi
people.Bangladesh has attractive architecture from historic
treasures to modern landmarks.The architecture of Bangladesh
has a long history and is rooted in Bangladesh's culture,
history and religion. It has evolved over centuries and
assimilated influences from social, religious and exotic
communities. Bangladesh has many architectural artifacts and
monuments dating back thousands of years. |
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History
of Bangladesh |
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Bangladesh is now a part of the historic region of Bengal, the
northeast portion of the Indian subcontinent. Bangladesh
consists mainly of East Bengal (West Bengal is part of India
and its people are primarily Hindu) plus the Sylhet district
of the Indian state of Assam.
The initial reference to the region was to a kingdom called
Vanga, or Banga. Buddhists ruled for centuries, but by the
10th century Bengal was primarily Hindu. In 1576, Bengal
became part of the Mogul Empire, and bulk of East Bengalis
converted to Islam. Bengal was ruled by British India from
1757 until Britain withdrew in 1947, and Pakistan was founded
out of the two predominantly Muslim regions of the Indian
subcontinent. For almost 25 years after independence from
Britain, its history was part of Pakistan's .
West Pakistan and East Pakistan were united by religion
(Islam), but their peoples were separated by culture, physical
features, and 1,000 miles of Indian territory.
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Dress
of Bangladesh |
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The Sari is by far the most widely worn dress by Bangladeshi
women. A union of weavers in Dhaka is renowned for producing
saris from superb Jamdani muslin. The salwar kameez is also
quite famous, particularly among the younger females, and in
urban areas some women wear western clothes. Western clothing
is more widely adopted among men. Men also wear
thekurta-paejama combination, often on special occasions, and
the lungi, a kind of long skirt for men. |
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Geography of Bangladesh |
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Bangladesh, on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal, is
enclosed by India, with a small common border with Myanmar
in the southeast. The country is low-lying riverine land
passed through by the many branches and tributaries of the
Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Tropical monsoons and
frequent floods and cyclones inflict heavy damage in the
delta region. |
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How to Reach Bangladesh |
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By Rail
There are no direct trains that can get you to Bangladesh from
any neighbouring country. However, the border is accessible
from West Bengal and Assam (India) by train and then cycle
rickshaws and buses provide the cross border connections.
By Road
You can drive into Bangladesh from India from two points on
the border – Benapol (from Calcutta) and Chilihati (from
Darjeeling). These are the only two entry points on the
India-Bangladesh border open at the moment. The roads are,
however, best avoided during the monsoons (rainy season). The
entry from Myanmar is no longer open.
By Air
Bangladesh can be reached by air from any part of the world.
You can take a direct flight into Dhaka, the capital city,
from 27 major cities in the world. In addition the national
carrier, several international airlines also fly in and out of
the country. The national airport is at Dhaka, 20km from the
city. You can rent a car, take a cab or bus to get you to the
city.
By Sea
The main seaport is Chittagong. Ferries from Myanmar and India
connect to the southern coastal ports of Bangladesh. |
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