Bangladesh, in full, People's Republic of Bangladesh, republic of southern Asia, in the north-eastern portion of the Indian subcontinent, bordered on the west, north, and east by India, on the south-east by Myanmar (Burma), and on the south by the Bay of Bengal. The area of the country is 143,998 sq km (55,598 sq mi).

Hiding behind the cyclones and floods is a strikingly lush and beautiful land with a rich history and a variety of attractions unusual for a country this size. For a start, you can visit archaelogical sites dating back over 2000 years; check out the longest beach and the largest littoral mangrove forest in the world; and see decaying 'Gone With The Wind' mansions of 19th-century maharajas.

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh sits on the north bank of the bustling Buriganga River, roughly in the centre of the country. If you’ve arrived in Dhaka from South-East Asia, you’ll probably be struck by the lack of hype and commercial activity. Here the lights are as bright as they get in Bangladesh, and there’s a range of goods and services lacking elsewhere in the country.

The oldest section of the city runs along the north bank of the waterfront and was developed when Dhaka was a significant Moghul trading centre. A must-see in the Old City is the area between the two main water transport terminals, Sadarghat and Badam Tole where the panorama of river life on the Buriganga is particularly fascinating.

Dhaka’s premier attraction is Lalbagh Fort, an unfinished fort dating from 1678 located in the Old City. The area also contains a couple of attractive mosques, including Hussain Dalan. The National Museum is north of the Old City in the old European zone known as Modern City. It has fascinating displays of Bangladesh’s Hindu, Buddhist and Moghul past and an extensive collection of fine folk art and handicrafts.

The second largest city in Bangladesh sits on the bank of the Karnapuli River and has an interesting old waterfront area known as Sadarghat which reflects the importance of river trade to the city’s growth. Nearby is the old Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta which remains mostly Christian. The Shahi Jama-e-Masjid and Qadam Mubarak Mosque are two of the most impressive buildings in the city.

It’s also worth visiting the Ethnological Museum in the Modern City which has interesting displays on Bangladesh’s tribal peoples. There are good views and cooling breezes from Fairy Hill in the British City in the north-western sector of the city.

Bangladesh’s only beach resort is near the Myanmar border in an area where Rohingya refugees have settled to escape persecution in Myanmar. It has a Burmese Buddhist flavour and few amenities to service the visitors attracted by its enormous expanse of shark-free beach. Even modestly clad bathers, especially females, should expect to be gawked at by locals and Bangladeshi holidaymakers.

Mainimati Ruins are famous as an important centre of Buddhist culture from the 7th to 12th centuries, the buildings excavated here were made wholly of baked bricks. There are more than 50 scattered Buddhist sites, but the three most important are Salban Vihara, Kotila Mura and Charpatra Mura. Salban Vihara was a well-planned, 170sq m (182sq ft) monastery facing a temple in the centre of the courtyard.

Nearby is a museum housing the finds excavated here, which include terracotta plaques, bronze statues, a bronze casket, coins, jewellery and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions. Kotila Mura comprises three large stupas representing Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the ‘Three Jewels of Buddhism’. The most important discovery at Charpatra Mura were the four royal copper-plate decrees, three belonging to Chandra rulers, the other to Sri Viradhara Deva, a later Hindu king.

The 8th-century Somapuri Vihara at Paharpur was formerly the biggest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya. It’s by far the most impressive archaeological site in Bangladesh, and covers some 11 hectares (27 acres). Although in an advanced state of decay, the overall plan of the temple complex is easy to figure out and includes a large quadrangle with the monks’ cells forming the walls and enclosing a courtyard.

The Sundarbans are the largest littoral mangrove belt in the world, stretching 80km (50mi) into the Bangladeshi hinterland from the coast. The forests aren’t just mangrove swamps though, they include some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles which once covered the Gangetic plain. The Sundarbans cover an area of 38,500 sq km, of which about one-third is covered in water.

Tag: Bangladesh