Jamuna Resort opens its doors to tourists next month
February 1, 2006

Tangail : The Jamuna Resort Limited (JRL) is expected to open its gate to tourists in March with promise to become the biggest riverside resort in the subcontinent by 2010.

The resort located on the eastern bank of mighty river Jamuna and near the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge here, in expected to open officially in the middle of next month.

JRL Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo hopes to invest about Tk 300 crore to develop the resort and shopping malls, open-air theatre stage, shooting spots for the film industry, setting up another museum to highlighting Bengali heritage, arrangements for water sports, a golf course and an air-conditioned river cruiser. He may outsource some of them, he said.

Being developed over 1,200 bighas of land about 100 kilometres from the capital, the resort has 130 air-conditioned suites in 70 cottages, auditorium, conference rooms and dining facilities.

Recreation facilities include three tennis courts, swimming pool, five motor boats including a mechanised country boat and a riverside spot for picnics. What sets it apart is a museum housing a rich collection on bio-diversity of the area.

The suites and other facilities occupy only 130 bighas of land leaving visitors the whole expanse to enjoy the embrace of fresh air and the mighty Jamuna as well as go speed boating on the fast flowing river.

A Deluxe Suite costs Tk 4250 a night, Royal Suite Tk 5850, Imperial Suite Tk 6,000, three-bedroom Cottage Tk 7,500, two-bedroom Cottage Tk 6,000 and Standard Room Tk 3250 a night.

If one wishes to come with a helicopter, there is a helipad. The railway station is only a few minutes' walk away. But if one wishes to go there he or she will have to book suites or picnic spots at least a week earlier at JRL's Dhaka office at Pragati-RPR Centre at Kawran Bazar in the city.

JRL took the land on 30 years' lease from the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) in 1998, but was able to start the development work only in 2004 after resolving some agreement-related complexities.

With the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge being an important installation of the country, he will not have to worry about security. Already guarded by army personnel, a cantonment is expected to be set up nearby.

"Bangladesh's tourism potentials is yet to be realised," Mintoo said adding, the Jamuna Resort would be able to meet the desire of the tourists of both home and abroad providing all kinds of international-standard amusement and tourism facilities.

Abdul Awal Mintoo hopes for a good response as his resort will be marketed abroad by Godavari Resorts of Nepal, which has offices in Japan and Germany.

http://www.bangladeshmonitor.net/tourism_story.php?recordID=89

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Cottages and Suites

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Sports and Recreational Facilities

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Nice idea for Dhaka residents wanting to get out of the city for a bit. Two concerns though - first, at this price its clientele is going to be rather limited - will the numbers be enough to keep it in business? Also - if it is very close to Jamuna, what are the chances that it will be under water during the monsoon? As always, thanks for the pics Tmac, nice to see the goings-on in the Old Country.

Amazing pics Tmac! Thanks for making the life of the non-resident Bangladeshis better by posting these inspiring developments..

Very nice.

Cruise ship Sarina launched

Sarina, a luxurious cruise ship, has been launched to entertain local and foreign tourists.

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At a press conference on the ship at Ashulia BIWTA landing station on Wednesday, Executive Director of Sarina Group Shahid Hamid said the ship is fully air-conditioned and equipped with modern facilities. It is capable of carrying 310 passengers.

"Bangladesh is known for its rivers and the ship has been put into service with a motto to sail for fun," he added.

Managing Director of the group Golam Sarwar said to ensure safety of the ship, seven watertight double bottom tanks have been added to its structural design.

Besides, radar and global positioning system (GPS) have been installed in the ship, he added.

Director of Sarina Group Neena Sarwar and General Manager of Sarina Cruise KS Alam were present at the press conference.

Initially the ship will sail on every Friday and Saturday on a seven-hour cruise from Ashulia landing station to river Padma and back.

The fare for adults and children under 12 has been fixed at Tk 2000 and Tk 1500 respectively. It is inclusive of morning and evening tea, coffee, cookies, buffet lunch and live cultural programme.

The ship will stay at BIWTA landing station every night to be used as floating restaurant for dinner.

Built at Western Marine Shipyard in Chittagong, the ship also sailed for two hours with guests on board to mark its launching ceremony.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/04/14/d60414061562.htm

Nice idea for Dhaka residents wanting to get out of the city for a bit. Two concerns though - first, at this price its clientele is going to be rather limited - will the numbers be enough to keep it in business? Also - if it is very close to Jamuna, what are the chances that it will be under water during the monsoon? As always, thanks for the pics Tmac, nice to see the goings-on in the Old Country.


good point....i was thinking that and was going make that exact same comment...until i saw yours :)

bangladesh seriously needs ways of controlling the flow of its rivers...

David Chang, a tourist who came and fell in love with Bangladesh

Dhaka : When 55-year-old David Chang, a tourist from Taipei, first landed at Zia International Airport he thought this country would be one of the forty countries he is visiting. But when he was about to leave, he said he would visit this country again, if possible every year. Before I came, all I knew about Bangla-desh were natural disasters like hurricane, cyclones, floods and train accidents. But I am very impres-sed with what I experienced after I came here in the eight days I have been in Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, said this translator, who was a teacher and tour guide.
I visited a few homes. I tasted the food. I rode the rickshaws. I explored these three cities, a thing I like to do most. Cox’s Bazar is an interesting place. People are nice. The beach is properly managed. I was not harassed. Local people briefed me where not to go. The Chittagong city is spread out. The Shah Amanat International Airport is beautiful as is the old railway station and the new one is modern, he commented. He suggested construction of an airstrip on St Martin’s Island so that foreign tourists could go and come back the same day. He also suggested availability of folded maps at airports, hotels and book shops for convenience of the tourists.
Some of what the Western press report like population density may be true but they do not report the generosity, the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people, he said. They have not written about the progress in the country’s tourism sector. The country’s tourism potentials have been under-reported. So I think not only Bangladeshis but visitors like us should do more to promote Bangladesh abroad - aspects like religion, culture, people’s customs, the country’s scenic spots, Chang added. More foreign travel writers should visit Bangladesh.
He suggested that crimes against tourists, though there is nothing much here now, should be cracked down when they occur before it takes the scale of India or Nepal. Tourists do not mind paying a bit more, but they should not be fleeced as done by Kolkata cabbies, he said giving an example. I found some cabs in Bangladesh using metres, some not. This also should be looked into, opined Chang.

http://www.bangladeshmonitor.net/tourism_story.php?recordID=139

These are some of the luxary boat cruises in Bangladesh.

Royal Tour Boat operating in Sunderban.

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Aboshar Tour operating in Sunderban

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Keari Sinbad - operating between Cox's bazar and Teknaf

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i like the ships a lot

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very goooood

Bangladesh: An attractive tourist destination

Reading the world's press you could be forgiven for thinking that Bangladesh is a disaster zone rather than a travel destination. But hiding behind these images of cyclone and flood is a strikingly lash and beautiful land with a rich history and a variety of attractions unusual for a country this size situated in South Asia" as the "Lonely Planet" described.

This is agreeable, Bangladesh is not a tourist haunt place like others in the tourist's map and She always offered her actual beauty & charm rather than the material facilities of traditional tourism, that might be reason why Bangladesh has not been highlighted as a tourist's destination. The facilities are really not poor as often pictured; but if you have an independent streak, it's definitely worth avoiding the crowds heading to India or Nepal and following the old slogan of Bangladesh tourist bodies - "Come to Bangladesh before the tourists".

Despite its, Bangladesh is a land of miracles and heroic accomplishment, the story of civilization, which is a happy melange of a proud past. For a start you can visit archaeological sites dating back over 2000 years; check out the longest beach in the world at Cox's Bazaar, Sundarbans -the largest littoral mangrove forest in the world- one of the last strong holds of The Royal Bengal Tiger and see decaying 'Gone with the wind'- mansion of 19th century Maharajas.

Beside these, The largest tea garden in the world at Sylhet, Chittagong Hill Tracts -where the nature are still virgin, the tribal people of hill tracts, the mighty rivers, Kaptai lake- one of the biggest man maid lake in the world are few of attractions of Bangladesh and many other unique feature to offer to her tourists.

Rural Bangladesh feels relaxed, spacious and friendly, travelers from India have been agreeably surprised to find border official offering them cups of tea rather than reams of form to fill in.

So, if you have a plan to visit South or South-east Asia, Please visit to this beautiful country within easy reach of visitor from anywhere in the world to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh with a few extra efforts.......for without trying, who knows how far we succeed.

We are waiting for welcome you to discover Bangladesh - one of the last Nations to remain untouched by tourism using this.

As you fly over Bangladesh a mosaic of green farmlands and streaks of meandering rivers offer themselves in an unforgettable kaleidoscope of colours. A placid Bangladesh where shapla (water lily) blooms among the ripple on serene lakes, rivers and ponds that dot the countryside, is one of a many splendoured tale.

Here the pages depict some main places of attractions of Bangladesh and this is the out come of our sincere intention to highlight the attractions of tourists before those people who indeed are very much willing to spend their time in a worthy manner. Please visit the palces or attractions here below and find the brief description and our offer/package on each attraction or place. when you click any link , it will open a new window.

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Dhaka

The capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka with its exciting history and rich culture. Known the world over as the city of mosques and muslin. It has attracted travellers from far and near through ages. It has history dating back to earliest time. But the exact date of its foundation is not known. However, according to recorded history it was founded in 1608 A.D. as the seat of the imperial Mughal Viceroy of Bengal. Dhaka as the capital of Bangladesh has grown into a busy city of about eight million people with an area of about 1353 sq. km. Having a happy blending of old and new architectural trends, Dhaka has been developing fast as a modern city and is throbbing with activities in all spheres of life. It is the center of industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activities for Bangladesh. Motijheel is the main commercial area of the city. Dhaka's major waterfront Sadarghat is on the bank of the river Buriganga and is crowded with all kinds of river craft, yatchs, country boats, motor launches, paddle - steamers, fishermen's boats all bustling with activity. Colorful rickshaws (tricycle) on the city streets are common attractions for the visitors. Some of the outstanding tourist attractions of Dhaka are :

Mosques: Dhaka has several hundred mosques. Prominent are the seven Domed Mosque (17th century), Baitull Mukarram-National Mosque, Star Mosque (18th century), Chawkbazar Mosque and Huseni Dalan Mosque. Hindu Temples: Dhakeshwari Temple (11th Century), Ramkrishna Mission. Churches: Armenian Church (1781 A.D.) St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Church of Bangladesh or former Holy Rosary Church (1677A.D.) at Tejgaon. Lalbagh Fort: It was built in 1678 A.D. by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. The fort was the scene of bloody battle during the first war of independence (1857) when 260 sepoys stationed here backed by the people revolted against British forces. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh are the tomb of Pari Bibi , Lalbagh Mosque, Audience Hall and Hammam of Nawab Shaista Khan now housing a museum. 1857 Memorial: ( Bahadur Shah Park) Built to commemorate the martyrs of the first liberation war (1857-59) against British rule. It was here that the revolting sepoys and their civil compatriots were publicly hanged. Bangabandhu Memorial Museum : The residence of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi has been turned into a musuam. It contains rare collection of personal effects and photographs of his lifetime. Mukti Juddha(Freedome fight) Museum : Situated at Segun Bagicha area of the city the museum contains rare photographs of Liberation war and items used by the freedom fighters during the period. Ahsan Manzil Museum: On the bank of the river Buriganga in Dhaka the pink majestic Ahsan Manzil has been renovated and turned into a museum recently. It is an example of the nations rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. The renovated Ahsan Manzil is a monument of immense historical beauty. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab Curzon Hall : Beautiful architectural building named after Lord Curzon. It now houses the Science Faculty of Dhaka University. Old High Court Building: Originally built as the residence of the British Governor. It illustrates a happy blend of European and Mughal architecture. Dhaka Zoo: Popularly known as Mirpur Zoo. Colourful and attractive collections of different local and foreign species of animals and birds including the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger are available here. National Museum: Centrally located, the museum contains a large number of interesting collections including sculptures and paintings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim periods. Botanical Garden: Built on an area of 205 acres of land at Mirpur and adjacent to Dhaka Zoo. One can have a look at the zoo and the botanical garden in one trip. National Park : Situated at Rejendrapur, 40 km. north of Dhaka city. This is a vast (1,600 acres) national recreational forest with facilities for picnic and rowing etc. Central Shahid Minar : Symbol of Bengali nationalism. This monument was built to commemorate the martyrs of the historic Language movement of 1952. Hundreds and thousands of people with floral wreaths and bouquet gather on 21 February every year to pay respect in a solemn atmosphere. Celebrations begin at zero hour of midnight. Buddhist monastery: Kamalapur Buddhist Monastery. National Poet's Graveyard: Revolutionary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam died on the 29 August 1976 and was buried here. The graveyard is adjacent to the Dhaka University Mosque. Suhrawardy Uddyan (Garden): Popular Park. The oath of independence of Bangladesh was taken here and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman gave clarion call for independence on this occasion on the 7th March 1971. The place is famous for its lush verdure and gentle breezes. Eternal Flame to enliven the memory of the martyrs of our Liberation war has been blown here recently. Mausoleum of National Leaders: Located at the southwestern corner of Suhrawardy Uddyan it is the eternal resting place of three great national leaders, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, Hossain Shahid Suhrawardy and Khawja Nazimuddin. Banga Bhaban : The official residence of the President, located in the city . One can have an outside view of this grand palace. Baldha Garden: Unique creation of the late Narendra Narayan Roy, the landlord of Baldha. Year of establishment was 1904. Located in Wari area of Dhaka city, the garden with its rich collection of indigenous and exotic plants is one of the most exciting attraction for naturalists and tourists. Ramna Green: A vast stretch of green garden surrounded by a serpentine lake near the Sheraton Hotel. National Assembly: Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, designed by the famous architect Louis I. Kahn, has distinctive architectural features, It may be called an architectural wonder of this region. Science Museum: Located at Agargaon, the museum is a modern learning center related to the latest scientific discoveries. National Memorial: Located at Savar, 35, km. from Dhaka city. The memorial designed by architect Moinul Hossain is dedicated to the sacred memory of the millions of unknown martyrs of the 1971 war of liberation.

Chittagong

With a picturesque hinterland of large hill-forests and lakes, Chittagong is a good vacation spot. It is the second largest city of Bangladesh and the biggest International seaport. Its green hills and forests, broad sandy beaches and fine cool climate always attract holidaymakers. It combines the hum of a restless seaport with the pleasure of a charming hill-town with its undulating topography. Chittagong is the main site for the establishment of heavy, medium and light industries. Bangladesh's only steel mill and oil refinery are also located here. Chittagong is connected with Dhaka by rail, road, air and water. It is also connected with Cox's Bazar, Calcutta and Dubai by air.

Places of interest:

Shrine of Bayazid Bostami :This holy shrine attracts a large number of visitors and pilgrims. At its base there is a large pond with several hundred tortoises floating in the water.

World war II Cemetery: In this well-preserved cemetery at quiet and picturesque place lie buried over 700 soldiers from commonwealth countries and Japan.

Foy's Lake: Set amidst panoramic surroundings, this ideal spot for outings and picnics is thronged by thousands of visitors.

Ethnological Museum : A unique treasure house of variety of tribal culture and heritage of Bangladesh and the world. Court Building: Situated on the Fairy Hill, this building commands a magnificent bird's eye view of Chittagong city, particularly at night.

Patenga Beach : Sandy beach at the meeting place of the roaring sea and the river Karnaphuli.

Sitakunda : About 40 km. from Chittagong. This is famous for the Chandranath Hindu Temple -one of the oldest temple in the subcontinent and the Buddhist Temple having a footprint of lord Buddha. The Hindus and Buddhists regard these places particularly the hilltops as very sacred. Shiva Chaturdashi festival is held every years in February when thousands pilgrims assemble for the celebration which lasts about ten days. There is a hot water spring 5/km. to the north of Sitakunda.

Other important places of interest include shrine of Shah Amanat, Shahi Jame Mosque, Chandanpura Mosque, Portuguese Arsenal, Port Area, Marine Academy and Biponi Bitan.

Cox's Bazaar

Seventy-five miles (120 Kilo miters) of uninterrupted beach make Cox's Bazaar one of Bangladesh's best-known tourist destinations and the perfect place for holiday makers and sun-seekers to relax. The resort area also boasts of exotic Arakanse Buddhist temples. The main reason to visit Cox's bazaar is, of course, the beach, which is shark-free. Cox's Bazaar is the world's longest and broadest beach sloping gently down to the blue water of the Bay of Bengal against the picturesque background of a chain of hills covered with deep green forests.

Explore the peaceful pagodas and Khyangs, just a short walk from the bustling Burmese Market. The Khyangs are elevated upon pier-like stilts in Arakanese style. Ramu is another Arakanese community, a fourteen-kilometer drive north of Cox's bazaar. It is noted for its khayangs and, in particular, one monastery containing images of the Buddha in bronze, silver, and gold inlaid with precious and semi- precious stones. Near Ramu you'll also find the Bara khayang at lama Bazaar. The Khayangs consists of three buildings. One of them houses reliquaries and handicrafts along with the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in Bangladesh.

Maheskhali and Sonadia islands are both just a short county and speedboat ride away. Sonadia Island is a sanctuary for migratory birds such as petrels, snipe, shanks, lapwings, geese and ducks.

Saint Martin's island southernmost point of the country, is reached via a scenic two hour drive south to Teknaf (a border town with Burma) and then a breezy 14 km launch/boat journey. It is a small; sparsely populate Coral Reef Island with a single hotel and plenty of vacant beaches and coconut tree.

Sylhet

This sanctuary of migratory birds where millions of flying creatures congregate every winter will give you pleasure. Known as " the land of two leaves and a bud", its terraced tea gardens, rolling countryside, colorful tribesmen, eye-catching orange groves and pineapple plantations, tropical jungles and exotic flora and fauna will attract you. Also known as the land of saints and savants including Hazrat Shah Jalal, its people are known for their hospitality and craftsmanship. And topping it all, the famous Manipuri dance will enliven your evenings out in the open-of course, by prior arrangement. Exquisite handmade Manipuri fabrics and bamboo products are the popular souvenirs.

Srimangol, known as the tea capital of Bangladesh, is the main tea center of the area. For miles and mils around, the visitor can see the tea gardens spread like green carpet over the plain land or on the sloping hills. A visit to the tea plantation is a memorable experience. Sylhet and Srimangol, the tea granary of Bangladesh, not only has over 150 tea gardens but also proudly possesses three largest tea garden in the world both in area and production.

Sundarbans

In the southwestern part of Bangladesh, in the district of greater Khulna, lies the Sundarbans, means "the beautiful forest". It is a virgin forest, which until recently owed nothing to human endeavor and yet nature has laid it out with as much care as a planned pleasure ground. For miles and miles, the lofty treetops form an unbroken canopy, while nearer the ground, works of high and ebb tide marked on the soil and tree trunks and the many varieties of the natural mangrove forest have much to offer to an inquisitive visitor.

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world's. And as it is the unusual forest, UNESCO listed it as World Heritage Site

Here land and water meet in many novel fashions. Wild life presents many a spectacle. No wonder, you may come across a Royal Bengal Tiger swimming across the streams or the crocodiles basking on the riverbanks. With the approach of the evening herds of deer make for the darkling glades where boisterous monkeys shower Keora leaves from above for sumptuous meal for the former. For the botanist, the lover of nature, the poet and the painter this land provides a variety of wonders for which they all crave.

The Sundarbans is a cluster of islands with an approximate area of 6000 sq. km. forming the largest block of littoral forests. It's beauty lies in its unique natural surrounding. Thousands of meandering streams, creeks, rivers and estuaries have enhanced its charm. Sundarbans meaning beautiful forest is the ritual habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, jungle fowl, wild boar, lizards, rhesus monkey and an innumerable variety of beautiful birds. Migratory flock of Siberian ducks flying over thousands of sail boats loaded with timber, golpatta (round-leaf, fuel wood, honey, shell and fish further add to the serene natural beauty of the Sundarbans.

This is indeed a land for the sportsmen, the anglers and the photographers with its abundance of game, big and small, crocodile, wild boar, deer, pythons, wild birds and above all the Royal Bengal Tiger, cunning, ruthless and yet majestic and graceful. For the less adventurously inclined, there are ducks and snipes, herons and coots, yellow-lags and sandpipers. It is also the land for the ordinary holiday makers who desire to rest or wander around at will to refresh their mind and feast their eyes with the rich treasure that nature has so fondly bestowed.

Main attractions:

Wild life photography including photography of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, wild life viewing, boating inside the forest, wild call recordings, nature study, meeting fishermen, wood-cutters and honey-collectors. peace and tranquility in the wilderness, seeing the world's largest mangrove forest and the riverine beauty.

Famous spots: Hiron Point (Nilkamal) for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles, birds and natural beauty. Katka for deer, tiger, crocodiles, varieties of birds and monkey, morning and evening symphony of wild fowls. Vast expanse of grassy meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) provides opportunities for wild tracking. Tin Kona Island for tiger and deer. Dublar Char (Island) for fishermen. It is a beautiful island where herds of spotted deer are often seen to graze.

—Aviation Desk

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/may...052006ft.htm#A1

Bangladesh: The sleeping beauty

Venture beyond the steamy, compressed capital of Dhaka and you'll discover a land of ancient palaces and shining rice fields. Christian Walsh took to the road with his in-laws - who better to reveal their homeland's attractions

By Christian Walsh

'This is just like home at 10 times the cost," said my wife repeatedly, as we drove through Bali's picturesque paddy terraces. "Next year we'll make a road trip across Bangladesh. You'll see, it's just as beautiful as Bali!"

I scoffed. Having once visited Dhaka, the steamy and compressed capital of Bangladesh, I couldn't believe it was the gateway to a pastoral idyll. The following February, I was literally on the road to conversion. But this wasn't your classic road trip. My companions were not grizzled, whooping deadheads, but my parents-in-law, possibly the nicest people I've ever been related to.

Leaving Dhaka is an involuntary experience. It spits you out. Gigantic crumpled buses charge through the city's half a million rickshaws like tractors ploughing a field of garishly painted tin cans. Not yet the glorious open road and endless horizons. Instead, a windscreen permanently pushed up the backside of a snarling Tata truck, the air infused with fumes and the incessant bleating of hyperbolic horns and trilling bicycle bells.

With heart-stopping precision, our driver Babul careened through the traffic, his right thumb hammering the horn like a PlayStation, until we were ejected into the glowing rice fields of rural Bangladesh. Over the mighty Meghna River we drove, above ragged-sailed fishing boats and barges laden with fresh-baked bricks. The flat watery horizon was punctured by dozens of tiny islands - tufts of trees and earth that sheltered small villages. Come the monsoon, they would become isolated from the mainland. It was a charming scene, particularly in the late afternoon light. But it wasn't Bali. Not yet.

We were heading south- east, towards the ship-breaking port of Chittagong, where decommissioned hulks are brought to be dismantled by bare hands. Our final destination was Rangamati, a lakeside town in a hilly area close to Burma.

There are recommended tour groups that can provide a much more luxurious form of transport than being jammed into the back seat of a Toyota Corona. But as a way of getting on intimate terms with your in-laws, I couldn't fault it. I was soon grappling with key dates in Bangladesh's war of independence, a subject never far from local lips, particularly as the prime minister and the leader of the opposition constantly cash in on their association with the liberation movement to win votes.

A few miles from Dhaka we pulled off the highway on to a track that led past dusty shacks, to the semi-deserted dwellings of Sonargaon. This was once the seat of power in south Bengal. But little attempt has been made to preserve the splendid nawab palace or 16th-century mosques. Particularly evocative is a short high street of sumptuous merchants' mansions which are built in the colonial style, with wrought-iron balconies and rococco trimmings. This once wealthy quarter - which resembles a decaying Venetian boulevard - is almost overcome by jungle, and is the only evidence of Sonargaon's boom time as an exporter of fine muslin. We reflected on why so little had been done to preserve the country's heritage.

Our spirits were lifted by a short stop at the excavated seventh-century Buddhist monastery at Mainamati. We weren't the only ones in good cheer, and we were quickly reminded that it was Valentine's Day as nearly every one of the 115 monk's cells revealed a furtive couple, trying to find some privacy behind the 2ft high walls. It was all quite innocent, and the cultivated gardens chirruped with the sounds of giggling girls looking like exotic birds in lime green, turquoise and red saris, while groups of young men strutted self-consciously in smartly laundered shirts. This carefree scene suggested a generation of Bangladeshis who appear unaffected by poverty and the segregation of the sexes.

In the silky, late afternoon light we explored the country lanes north of Feni, through a serene landscape of banana trees, bamboo huts and fields glowing with the iridescent gold green of young rice shoots. There the landscape was in that perfect pitch between the cultivated and the wild, a tamed Eden. My conversion was well under way.

The next morning our drive took us close to the Bay of Bengal. Roadside shacks were piled high with pickings from the Chittagong ship-breaking yards. Forecourts were strewn with fluorescent orange life-jackets; copper portholes hung from the eaves of roofs; huge segments of machinery stood collecting dust among the fruit trees. This was recycling on a massive scale, co-ordinated flotsam from around the world - toilet seats, emergency flares, soft furnishings, and piles of delicate instruments, presumably for mapping the ocean floor and avoiding icebergs.

Heading east, we entered the border area named the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Only 20 years ago this region of forested valleys sheltered tigers and elephants. As the terrain changed for the first time on our trip, so did the look of the people, many of whom are Chakma, a tribe of Mongoloid descent.

The town of Rangamati is distributed haphazardly and prettily over islands and lagoons, on the edge of the huge Kaptai lake. We decanted from our car into a speedboat, which took us past a honeycomb of wooden houses clustered around the shore's edge. The boat thumped across choppy waters towards the shore where six bamboo huts constituted the eco resort of Peda Ting Ting.

We ate an excellent lunch of indigenous specialties - chicken baked in bamboo and grilled fish fresh from the lake - a menu that reminded us that we were far removed from the predominantly Bengali culture of the delta. Looking out across the lake, the neatly terraced hillsides fell into shimmering waters, palm trees standing like windmills on the cliff-edge. I could have been in Bali.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyl...sp?story=685360

National Museum opens Switzerland corner

Visitors to the newest gallery of the National Museum were trying to guess the utility of some ceramic artefacts in the shape of small statues on display.

Looking at the tag, all of them were amazed knowing the statues were not decoration pieces. They are everyday utensils. They are tureens of soup.
The few girls present there gathered in front of the showcase displaying a set of masks. The guests to the function were more interested in some lithograph prints, or small tapestries resembling the motifs of jamdani sari and showpieces made of brass.

There were ceramics and pewter figures, fabrics, masks and toys and objects of daily use, some of which are still in use in Switzerland, such as the cow bells and the fancy potteries.

It was the Switzerland Corner of the National Museum formally opened on its international floor on Wednesday.

The exhibits of the corner feature rural and urban objects from Switzerland, strongly influenced by the German and French culture.
The rural objects of art have evolved from the peasant way of life in Switzerland and the urban art exhibits have been adapted by the Swiss bourgeoisie, often under the influence of different cultural currents which originated in European cultural centres like London, Munich, Paris or Rome.

The Swiss ambassador to Bangladesh, Dora Rapold, handed over the artefacts to the museum and the state minister for cultural affairs, Selima Rahman, opened the corner.

The objects displayed in the corner are part of an earlier touring exhibition, Arts and Crafts from Switzerland. The exhibition toured about 20 countries since 1998 and found its place to the museum, said Dora Rapold.

Switzerland donated the exhibition to Bangladesh as a mark of friendly relations, she said.

The corner features a collection of arts and crafts, around 150 objects, developed through centuries in the various regions in Switzerland.

The Swiss ambassador said the initiative was aimed to facilitate cross-cultural dialogues among Bangladesh and Switzerland.

The museum’s director general Mahmudul Haque said the museum was enriched through the opening of the new corner, paving ways for the people to know about European culture.

http://www.newagebd.com/met.html

River cruising around Dhaka....

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Bandarban to have cable car for tourists

The government is going to introduce cable car in hill district to attract tourists and has decided to allocate Tk 4 crore for the project, said deputy commissioner Sheikh Alauddin Saturday. The cable rope will connect the 2,200-feet high tourist spot ‘Nilachal’ with the district administration run ‘Meghla’ tourist center in the outskirts of the district town. The ministry of the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs has also taken a number of projects for beautification of the Nilachal and Meghla and some preliminary works have already been completed at a cost of Tk 50 lakh.

http://www.newagebd.com/busi.html

Bandarban to have cable car for tourists

Introduction of cable car will be the latest addition for attracting more tourists to this picturesque hill district, reports BSS.
The government has decided to allocate Taka 4 crore for the project, said Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Alauddin today.
The cable rope will connect the 2,200-feet high tourist spot ‘Nilachal’ with the district administration run ‘Meghla’ tourist center in the outskirts of the district town.
A survey team has visited the project site last week, said Sheikh Alauddin while talking to newsmen.
The ministry of the Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs has also taken a number of projects for beautification of the Nilachal and Meghla and some preliminary works have already been completed at a cost of Taka 50 lakh.
A bituminous road is being constructed from Nilachal to tourist spots like ‘Shoylaprapat’ and ‘Chimbuk’ through zigzag hill trails to facilitate the tourists to have a comfortable travel.

http://www.newstoday-bd.com/business.asp?newsdate=8/6/2006#116

Over the past few years, the banks of Jamuna River have become the attractive spot for tourists. The trend started after the opening of the Jamuna Bridge when people started to drive down to see the bridge, and ended up spending the rest of the day on the scenic banks of the river. Two major resorts have come up since— the Jamuna Resort and the Elenga Resort— which provide the visitors with a variety of options. Like in the regular picnic spots, visitors could come over and spend a night at the resorts. The restaurants at both the resorts are good enough for the visitors to spare the trouble of cooking. The swimming pools are also an added attraction. In addition to this, Jamuna Resort also has speedboats for hire. A splashing boat-ride through the waters of the river would calm the stresses or cool the tiredness of anyone on a cruise, though the rides come at quite a high price.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/elengaresort2.jpg Elenga Resort

http://www.ipsslgroup.com/serv-elenga.htm

Located approximately 90mins from Dhaka, it has 8.5 acres of land covered with lush green grass, uncountable plants and various trees of seasonal fruits and colorful tropical flowers. The resort caters to individual family needs as well as corporate demands.

Elenga Resort Ltd. started its operation in 2001 as one of the country's largest comprehensive tourist complexes.

Located approx. 90 minutes from Dhaka city by road, and 10kms away from the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge - the 4th longest bridge in Asia, it has a total area of 8.5 acres covered with lush green grass, uncountable plants and various trees of seasonal fruits & colorful tropical flowers.

Visitors to the resorts have the advantage of sight-seeing in its vicinity. Specialties of Tangail sweets are easily available. One can enjoy pollution free air and nature's tranquility to nurture one's soul along with the friendly tradition of Bangladeshi hospitality.

The resort caters to individual family needs as well as corporate demands for workshop, retreats, and meetings. Come and enjoy Bangladeshi hospitality where the warmth of the sun is matched by the smile of our staff.

Resort facilities include:

* 5 Luxurious Independent A/C Cottages of different sizes
* 10 Deluxe A/C rooms in Dormitory style for Budget travelers
* 18 non-A/C rooms in Dormitory style for Budget travelers
* Multi-Cuisine restaurant
* Centralized Intercom
* Conference Hall facility comes with microphones, public address system, audio/visual support
* Executive Board Meeting Room & Mini-Conference Hall
* Tennis Court
* Horse riding
* Kid's room
* Health Club
* 24 Hour Room Service
* Laundry Service
* Doctor on call
* Car Rental
* Picnic spots for Private Parties and other events

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Kaptai Lake Hanging Bridge - a major tourist destination in the country.

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this is a 9 months old news

New amusement device for tourists underway

Saturday November 26 2005 09:15:38 AM BDT

The tourists are likely to find some new amusements in Cox’s Bazar sea beach this year as some local resort operators have planned to introduce new water sports, reports UNB.

The resort operators, headquartered in Dhaka, said that planned to introduce para-sailing, water bike, water ski and water-boats in the waterfront of the beach.

Tourism industry sources said the district administration of Cox’s Bazar recently initiated a move to promote such plans of the resort operators.

Cox’s Bazar Beach Management Committee, headed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Cox’s Bazar, has built a makeshift jetty to facilitate such new water amusement in the country’s prime beach.

Centering the jetty, the business of the local tour and resort operators is expected to get a boost.

Managing director of a leading resort in Cox’s Bazar said his company would bring some para-sailing instruments and water bikes from Malaysia within next 15 days.

Some other hotels have similar plan, he said adding that there exist huge amusement business potentials in the Cox’s Bazar beach.

“But the local businessmen cannot exploit these opportunities unless the local administration comes forward with positive outlook,” he added.

Every year nearly 100,000 local and foreign tourists visit the Cox’s Bazar beach, which is the longest natural beach in the world. Most of the visitors come during the peak season from November to April.

But due to the absence of adequate amusement infrastructures and security, the tourists to the beach remain captive only within having to watch sunrise and sunset.

http://bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-11-26&hidType=BAE&hidRecord=0000000000000000073818

Australian envoy visits tourist spots in Rajshahi

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Douglas Foskett visited the city's potential tourist spots yesterday.

He visited the left banks of the river Padma and Barendra Research Museum.

Wage Pharma's Klean Heat LPG Ltd Country Director Klaus Gohra accompanied with Foskett. He also attended the inaugural ceremony of 'Klean Heat Auto gas' at Nanking Darbar Hall.

Rajshahi city Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu inaugurated the marketing of Klean Heat Auto gas. Foskett addressed the ceremony as the special guest.

Later he visited Alam Filling station at Shalbagan areas in the city where the auto gas company has set up their marketing centre.

The Wage Pharma's Klean Heat LPG Ltd, Navana CNG Ltd, Australia Trade Commission and Australian High Commission jointly organised the programmes to promote marketing of Klean Heat gas.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/08/15/d60815062480.htm

The Zastat Holiday Resort in Sylhet

A child specialist has offered a good holiday resort near the city while the government Portajton Corporation Corporation failed to serve the purpose.

The picturesque Zastat Holiday Resort Centre at Doloipara village about 9 kilometres off the city will draw anybody's attention.

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A panoramic view of Zastat Holiday Resort

Modern recreation facilities created in a natural atmosphere and the green hills around give weary urban dwellers a chance to breathe fresh air and relax, away from the concrete jungle.

It is about three kilometres from Khadimpara on the Sylhet-Tamabil highway.

Though the highway is good, the three 3 kilometre narrow road is unmetalled and rugged. But, once at the resort, it is soothing all around.

A two-storied motel with a standard restaurant on the ground floor has been established on a hilltop. A gymnasium, a sports complex with Billiard table and other indoor games facilities, a lawn tennis and a modern swimming pool caters to the need of visitors of all ages and classes. Children can learn swimming at special discount.

A mini conference room also offers businessmen and officials the scope for work while in a pleasure trip.

There is also a natural lake with a small family picnic spot. A beautiful garden with about 50,000 plants and trees of about 350 species adds to its beauty. Setting up of a mini zoo is also in the process.

The divisional headquarters badly needed some recreation facilities for long. Even there is no full-fledged children park here. The once renowned Jalalabad Park near the Keane bridge is abandoned for long. Part of it was leased to a private concern for nursery business years back.

"The Zastat Holiday Resort will meet the demand to a great extent", said MC College student Anwar Hossain while talking to this correspondent at the resort recently. He went there along with his friends.

Dr. Toufique Rahman Chowdhury, Chairman, Institute of Business and Information Technology (IBIT) and his family were gossiping at the garden.

He said, "Busy urban people look for a chance to take a break and pass the leisure time in a quieter place. This resort offers a scope to enjoy scenic beauty in a natural atmosphere".

Every day a good number of people come to Sylhet for different purposes including visiting the shrines of great saints Hajrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hajrat Sha Poran (RA). There are also other places of interest in greater Syhet, which attract visitors. There is a good prospect of developing tourism in the region, said Shamsul Haque, a banker.

While talking to this correspondent, Dr Zakaria Hossain said he started the project in 1996. The first phase has been completed.

"I tried to retain the natural character of the site. I want to prepare a proper environment for children and others.

"I have a master plan prepared with the help of some engineers and architects in the light my experience at home and abroad. I have plan to expand the area covering more hillocks". The entry fee is Tk 20 per head.

Its Manager Squadron Leader (retd) AAM Shoaib said, "We are satisfied with the number of visitors. On an average, 300 people come here daily".

Setting up of rope line for cable car for movement from one hill to another is going on. Pleasure trip by helicopter is also being planned, he said.

"We are hopeful of attracting people including expatriates, who come to the country for holidays", Shoaib added.

Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman formally inaugurated the resort on April 29. But visitors started flocking to the resort since it was ready in February, he said.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/05/11/d40511070581.htm

Dhanbari: A tourist spot of pristine beauty

Dhanbari is a nice village under Modhupur upazila in Tangail district. It has the prospect of becoming a beautiful tourist spot. The historic Nawab Manzil, famous mosque, century-old high school, big pond, rubber plantation, a tribal villages of Garo people can attract tourists from home and abroad. If anyone once visits Dhanbari he or she is sure come to here again and again. But, because of lack of logistic support and facilities this paradise of tourists fails to attract adequate numbers of lovers of nature.

Its distance from the capital city is about 100 miles on a newly built highway with several bypasses for safe driving and it takes three hours to reach the distance.

As you arrive at Elenga, Tangail, turn right to proceed towards the famous Modhupur forest. At the Modhupur turn left to proceed towards Dhanbari which is only seven miles from this point.

How to go

Tourists or visitors have to go to Dhanbari only by bus as there is no alternative way to go over there.

Direct bus named Binimoy leaves Mahakhali bus terminal at Dhaka for Dhanbari every 15 minutes. One can also go by Jamalpur, and Sharisahbari-bound bus from Mohakhali. But it is better to rent a microbus from any of the car rental houses in the capital to make journey comfortable. The railway station from Dhanbari is about 20 miles away at Jamalpur town where buses, cars and microbuses are available on hire. Bus fare from Mohakhali terminal to Dhanbari is only taka120.

Tourists on a day trip from Dhaka can visit all these sites and return to Dhaka at night and that is preferable as there are no good residential hotels at Dhanbari except Nawab Ali Hasan Ali Royal Resort named after two famous personalities the founder of Dhaka University Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Choudhry and his son Nawabzada Syed Hasan Ali Choudhury. There are so many nice restaurants at Dhanbari. One should not forget to bring famous Danadar (Sweets) of Dhanbari.

Spots to visit

Nawab Manzil

The Palace of the Nawab is a restricted area and is open for public through a gate pass. Viewing the Manzil from outside and strolling through the gardens is open for guests. It is a beautiful 100-year old mansion with ornate domes, minarets and arches with the most intricate masonry work. The raised garden beside the Nawab Manzil is a natural stage for special events. Some classical furniture used by the British Viceroy and the Nawab Bahadur of Dhanbari has been preserved. Nawab Manzil has been visited by dignitaries since the British days. VIPs including Nawabs, Zamindars, Raja, Maharajas, Viceroy, Prime Ministers, Governors, Ministers and elite from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been the guest of honour of the distinguished Dhanbari Nawab Estate. The sprawling gardens with a private lake with boating, angling and horse riding facilities is a delight for tourists. Cameras and videos are allowed in the complex for recording memorable snap shots with families and friends. Evenings and night with special lighting creates extraordinary atmosphere turning the Manzil a fairyland, the only one of its kind in Bangladesh, always to be remembered as a place for peace, harmony and tranquility.

Palace

This huge mansion is over 100-year old with domes and arches designed on the model of Mughal architecture. This beautiful mansion was used as the office of the Nawab with a number of rooms for officers and staff. There were rooms for special guests, library, record room, vault and strong-room, store room, a huge hall and room for meetings. The entire building has been renovated and rooms re-organised to accommodate modern facilities for the comfort of the visitors and guests.

Villa

This is a 200-year old building where the Nawab Bahadur's illustrious son, Nawabzada Hasan Ali Choudhury, a distinguished personality, the youngest Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly during the British period and later a Minister and Member of Parliament, was born. There is a enchanting garden which is very attractive for someone looking for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The large ponds make swimming, fishing and boating a pleasant experience. Horse riding and outdoor games facilities are added features.

Cottage

This cottage is a quaint little place and very tranquil and peaceful surrounded by trees and gardens. Access to the dighi (large pond) for swimming, boating, fishing can be a wonderful experience.

Nawab Masjid

The original mosque is around 700 years old. The extension to the original structure was built over 100 years ago. The beautiful mosaic, intricate china work on the floor, domes, minarets, prayer areas are seldom seen in any other mosque.

Under one of the domes, the tombs of the Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury can be seen where the holy Quran is recited round the clock without any break for the last 75 years. Thousands of people have been visiting the mosque everyday.

Sites to Visit

The famous Modhupur National Park is not far from Dhanbari. This is a reserve forest area with scenic beauty. The rubber plantation, the rubber processing factory and the pineapple gardens can be visited. Garos live in the vicinity. You can visit the area by rickshaw and rickshaw-van and also by car. Garos have a very distinctive and rich culture which can be witnessed in their traditional attire, songs and dances. You will find it natural scenic beauty.

Rubber plantation

The Forest Development Corporation started on an experimental basis rubber plantation in Modhupur. Soon they realized that it became successful. At present there are three large rubber estates with a processing plant situated nearby.

Tourists are welcome to visit the rubber gardens and see for themselves the extraction of latex that is later processed into finished rubber. Visit by students and tourists could be highly educative in nature.

Tribal area

The indigenous Garo tribal people live in cluster villages in the Modhupur forest. Tourists can visit these villages which is hardly 15 minutes' drive from the spot. The Garos have a very interesting culture of their own. They are basically peace loving and hard working people.

The entire region in an around is full of natural beauty, friendly people and a clean and serene atmosphere. Tourists from home and abroad can enjoy a memorable trip. Schools and colleges can organize their annual picnic here. Corporate bodies, embassies, banking and industrial establishments can hold their marketing meetings, conferences, annual picnic and cultural events at these tourist spot.

For that's why Lighthouse Group has provided facilities named Royal Resort and Tourism for tourists from home and abroad to visit Dhanbari tourist spot.

Royal Resort and Tourism

This beautiful resort is situated on the Modhupur-Jamalpur highway at the well known Dhanbari Pourasabha of Tangail district in Bangladesh.

The Royal Resort has been designed keeping in view the high standards required to cater to the needs of the tourists. Foreigners living in hotels and guest houses can contact the hotel reception or the Resort Office over phone or email for booking and transportation. Elaborate arrangements have been made for overseas and local tourists ranging from diplomats, administrators, businessmen, managers, executives, principals, professors and students.

Picnics, shootings for films and televisions or extended tours are arranged for groups or individuals at any of the three picnic spots for day trips or extended holidays.

Tourists are welcome to enjoy the well-furnished rooms, serene atmosphere, and beautiful gardens, indoor and outdoor sports, fishing, boating and horse riding within a secured environment. Horse riding can also be a pleasant past time.

For corporate clients, they also offer special package that includes facilities for holding meetings, conferences, seminars and cultural events.

The Royal Resort has exclusive convention centre, conference room with multimedia facilities, comfortable bedrooms and facilities for indoor and outdoor games. Experienced chefs prepare the most authentic Mughlai, Bangladeshi, Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisine to cater to a large number of local and international guests. Well-trained members of the staff are ready to make guests' stay with fascinating, and memorable.

This Resort offers the best value for money and caters to a wide range of clientele from students to dignitaries.

Big open space with sprawling garden with shade trees, large pond and playground is ideal surrounding for excursion, leisure and relaxation.

Secure and comfortable rooms and suites in four categories are available for the convenience of visitors from within the country and abroad.

Separate arrangements can be made to provide budget rooms and facilities for male and female students. For families, very exclusive accommodation is available.

For corporate clients wanting special arrangements for holding meetings, seminars, and picnics etc. the resort management can tailor the entire arrangement in a manner that the corporate customer has full advantages and undisturbed use of all the facilities offered by this Resort.

There are several picnic spots within the Resort where facilities for water, toilet, and umbrella, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery are provided within the package. If required, the Resort can also provide a cook with assistants for preparing food for the picnic party. The ponds and dighis can be used by the tourists as additional facilities for swimming, boating, fishing.

http://www.lighthousebd.com/resort/images/pic_companylogo.jpg Nawab Ali Hasan Ali ROYAL RESORT

http://www.lighthousebd.com/resort/

This beautiful resort is situated on the Modhupur–Jamalpur highway at the well known Dhanbari Municipality of Tangail district in Bangladesh. From Dhaka the distance is 80 miles on a newly built highway with several bypasses for safe driving and it takes 3 hours to cover the distance. At Elenga, Tangail, turn right to go towards the famous Modhupur forest. At the Modhupur roundabout turn left to proceed towards Dhanbari which is only 7 miles from this point. Direct buses leave Mahakhali bus stand at Dhaka for Dhanbari every 15 minutes. The closest railway station from this resort is 18 miles away at Jamalpur which is a district headquarter where buses, cars and microbuses are available on rent.

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This sprawling complex belongs to the well known Dhanbari Nawabs who have set up a large number of educational institutions including the Dhaka University co-founded by Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury, the first Muslim minister from undivided Bengal during the British rule. His forefathers from Baghdad were mystic saints who managed the Dhanbari zamindary estate. The original 700 years old grand Nawab Masjid (mosque) along with the over 100 years old extensions with imposing minarets, domes, crazy china and mosaic works inlaid with beautiful stones beside a huge pond are a masterpiece. The magnificent Palace, Manzil, Villa and Cottage have the original design and have been maintained well. Some of these structures are 100 to 200 years old. There are large dighis (ponds) for boating and fishing. Some horses are available. For outdoor games, there are two huge playgrounds. In the sprawling gardens there are badminton courts and facilities for indoor games.

Site to Visit

The famous Modhupur National Park is only 20 minutes from the resort. This is a reserve forest area with scenic beauty. The rubber plantation, the rubber processing factory and the pine apple gardens can be visited. These sites are just 15 minutes from the Resort. The tribal people known as the Garos live in the vicinity of the resort just 10 minutes away by car. Garos have a very distinctive culture and these can be witnessed in their traditional attire, songs and dances. The famous Jumuna Bridge is 30-40 minutes by car from the Resort. Tourists on a day trip from Dhaka can visit all these sites and return to Dhaka at night.

Nawab Masjid (Mosque)
The original mosque is around 700 years old. The extension to the original structure was built over 100 years ago. The beautiful mosaic, crazy china work on the floor, domes, minarets, prayer areas are seldom seen in any mosque. Under one of the domes, the Mazar Shareef of the Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury can be seen where the holy Quran is recited 24 hours without any break for the last 75 years. This is a rare sight indeed.

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Nawab Manzil

This is a restricted area and is exclusively used by the Dhanbari Nawab family and not open for public. Viewing the Manzil from outside and strolling through the gardens is open for guests. It is a beautiful 100 years old mansion with domes, minarets and arches with the most intricate masonry work. The raised garden besides the Nawab Manzil is a natural stage for special events. Some masterpiece furniture used by the British Viceroy and the Nawab Bahadur of Dhanbari has been preserved. Nawab Manzil has been visited by dignitaries since the British days. A long history of VIPs including Nawabs, Zamindars, Raja, Maharajas, Viceroy, Prime Ministers, Governors, Ministers and elites from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been the guest of honor of the distinguished Dhanbari Nawab Estate. The sprawling gardens with a private lake with boating, angling and horse riding facilities is a delight for tourists. Cameras and videos are allowed in the complex for recording memorable snap shots with families and friends. Evenings and night time with the special lighting creates an atmosphere that is extraordinary which makes the Royal Resort a fairyland, the only one of its kind in Bangladesh, always to be remembered as a place for peace, harmony and tranquility.

http://www.lighthousebd.com/resort/images/resort_pic/Manzil%20-%20The%20Manzil.jpg

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Palace

This huge mansion is over 100 years old with domes and arches designed in the traditional mughal architecture. This beautiful mansion was used as the office of the Nawab with a number of rooms for the officers and staff. There were rooms for the special guests, library, record room, vault and strong-room, store room, a huge hall and room for meetings. The entire building has been renovated and rooms reallocated to accommodate newer facilities for the comfort of the visitors and guests. The guest rooms have the basic amenities with provision of hot and cold water, dining hall, and lounge with TV and cable facilities. Food is prepared by experienced Chef well known for catering large number of guests. Visitors can enjoy a dip in the large ponds and can do boating, fishing, horse riding and play indoor and outdoor games. Special facilities are available for families and students with limited budget.

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Villa

This is a 200 years old building where the Nawab Bahadur’s illustrious son, Nawabzada Hasan Ali Choudhury, a distinguished personality, the youngest Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly during the British period and later a Minister and Member of Parliament, was born. It is well maintained. All the facilities available in this building includes a multi purpose lounge cum dining room, sitting room, a large bed room for a family of 4 persons with attached bathroom, a double bedded room for a couple with a bathroom and a separate room for laundry. There is a beautiful garden and very exclusive for someone looking for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The large ponds make swimming, fishing and boating a pleasant experience. Horse riding and outdoor games facilities are added features. A family can book this entire Villa for complete privacy.

Cottage

This cottage is a quaint little place with 2 double bed rooms with attached bathrooms and a lounge with dining facilities. This place is suitable for a couple or a small family wanting exclusive arrangements for a holiday at economy rates. Very quiet and peaceful surrounded by trees and gardens. Access to the dighi (large pond) for swimming, boating, fishing can be a wonderful experience. Outdoor games and horse riding are added facilities.

It's good to see that this Zamindar house is in a good state of preservation. Bangladesh has many such grand old mansions, but most are falling into decay.

Keari Karnaphuli to be launched tomorrow

Keari Tours and Services Limited will inaugurate another luxurious ship 'Keari Karnaphuli' tomorrow (Thursday).

Keari Karnaphuli, a 19.75-metre long and 4.46-metre wide ship having the capacity of carrying 112 travellers from Rangamati to Shuvlong, will create a new dimension for travellers from now on.

Addressing a press conference in the city Tuesday Keari Limited Managing Director Iskandar Ali Khan said this. The press conferrence was also attended by its director Nasem Ali.

The cost of a 2-day and 2-night trip from Dhaka to Rangamati and back to Dhaka by Keari will be Tk 3,000, for a 2-day and one-night trip from Chittagong to Rangamati and back to Chittagong will be Tk 2,000 and a one-day trip from Chittagong to Rangamati and back to Chittagong will be Tk 1,100.

This cost includes the total travelling expenditure, expenditure for staying at luxurious hotel with food, and expenditure for experienced tourist guide and refreshment.

Apart from 112 luxurious seats Keari Karnahpuli has a first class canteen, adequate safety, manpower and life safety materials including two life rafts, 150 life jackets and audio services as well.

The fare for a deluxe suite is Tk 1,000, for main deck and open deck Tk 125 and for charter (per hour) Tk 4,000. From Rangamati the Keari Karnaphuli will set off at 9.30 am and will reach Shuvlong at 10.30 am and in the afternoon it will set off at 2 pm and will reach Shuvlong at 3 pm. From Shuvlong it will start at 12 pm and reach Rangamati at 1 pm and in the afternoon starting at 4.30 pm it will reach Rangamati at 5.30 pm.

http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=8/30/2006&section_id=7&newsid=36030&spcl=no

Cruise ship ‘Keari Karnaphuli’ starts operation

State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Moni Swapan Dewan MP urged the business community to invest in the service sectors like tourism for boosting the economy of the land.

Appreciating the natural beauties of Rangamati and its surrounding areas the minister said, "National economy may optimize benefit solely from tourism, still a virgin sector for exploration and investment."

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Keari Karnaphuli, a luxury cruise ship, at a floating restaurant in Rangamati this noon as the chief guest.

Keari Limited, owner of the cruise ship, organized the function. Director Finance of the company Mohammad Shamsul Huda presided over the function.

Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police at Rangamati Harunur Rashid Khan and Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan joined the function as the special guests.

Welcoming the initiative of the Keari Limited, the minister advised the investors to provide better services to the tourists without polluting environment of the Kaptai Lake and its surrounding areas.

"Natural beauties of the Lake and its surrounding hills are our resources that attract nature-lovers from home and abroad, so we shouldn't go against nature," he added.

It was known that the vessel was re-built and modified by Western Marine Shipyard Limited (WMSL). The vessel lengthened about 4.9 miters to accommodate about 112 passengers and the design of the vessel approved by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

It was also learnt that the vessel would operate on Rangamati-Shubholong route in the coming years. A round trip by the vessel costs Taka 125 for each passenger on the deck while Taka 1000 for each deluxe suit users.

http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/2006/09/01/front.htm

History within four walls

Robab Rosan visits the World Civilisations Gallery, the latest gallery added to the National Museum in Dhaka.

At the entrance of the newly set-up gallery you will find an array of large Chinese chimes which were used at Buddhist monasteries in China. At the wide room, you will find portraits, done in oil, of the world-renowned historical personalities hanging on the wall.

And all this at our very own Bangladesh National Museum at its latest unit the ‘World Civilisation Gallery,’ which is set to be inaugurated by this month.

The authorities of the museum have taken up this new venture of putting up the heritage of different countries and civilisations, of reproductions of famous paintings, of portraits of famous historical personalities as well as ancient relics and symbols from across the world, to enrich the institution.

‘People come to the museum to see our heritage,’ says Mahmudul Haque, director general of the museum, ‘we decided we could also provide our visitors with the culture and heritage of other countries as well.’

The oil paintings, painted by the local artists, are portraits of Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, Maxim Gorky, Leonardo da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Christopher Columbus, Florence Nightingale, Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Allama Iqbal, Rabindranath Tagore and others. Brief information about their life and contribution to the world are provided below each image.

‘It will be a facility to acquaint our visitors with the famous scholars, painters, writers, composers, scientists, explorers of the world,’ says the director general of the museum.

The third floor of the museum, where all this will be housed, is being decorated with icons and artefacts relating to world history. The work is already near completion.

‘The embassies of South Korea, Iran, Switzerland and China have already established separate corners inside the gallery to display their respective cultural heritage,’ says Haque.

On the right of the entrance, is the Korean, Chinese, Iranian and Swiss corners.

The South Korean embassy has established the corner of Korean heritage with the help of the Korean national folk museum. The letters of the Korean alphabets, both old and new, are on display. The visual images of the fonts are displayed on a digital screen. The visitors can also listen to traditional Korean music at the corner. Traditional musical instruments, masks, potteries, costumes and paintings are also on display at this corner.

The Swiss embassy established their corner with Swiss art and crafts, which have been exhibited earlier at the museum in 2004. After having travelled over 20 countries, the Swiss art and crafts found their final place at the Bangladesh National Museum as the Swiss embassy handed them over as a symbol of friendship. The folk art and crafts include masks, ceramic-wares, dolls, musical instruments, churning machines, cowbells and other objects that show the traditional lifestyle of the Swiss.

The Iranian corner shows a glimpse of ancient Iran displaying replicas of statues, armlets, plates, calligraphies, potteries and other artefacts.

The work on the Chinese corner is still going on.

The museum authorities welcome embassies of foreign countries to establish separate corners to show their respective traditional artefacts.

‘If any nation wants to show their history and cultural heritage we will provide them with space,’ says Mahmudul Haque.

The director general also informed that he is trying to collect at least a single specimen of a mummy from Egypt.

The gallery is preparing to display replicas of world famous art-works.

The viewers will get chance to see Sandro Botticelli’s ‘Spring’, Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’, Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgement’ and ‘Holy Family’ and Raphael’s ‘Women with Unicorn’ and ‘The School of Athens’.

Salvador Dali’s ‘Premonition of Civil War’, Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ and ‘Weeping Woman’, Henri Matisse’s ‘La Danse’ and the works of other modern painters will also be displayed.

Mahmudul Haque informs that they have used modern technology in making replicas.

‘Being a painter I always wanted to show our visitors the works of world famous artists,’ he says. ‘As it is impossible for most Bangladeshis to go abroad and see the originals, they can have some idea and get a feeling from these copies.’

The museum also plans to keep the best works of the Asian Art Biennale, hosted by Bangladesh, at this gallery.

‘We have been hosting the biennale for many years and we can collect the best paintings from there for our gallery- even set a different corner for contemporary Asian arts.’

Another significant corner at the gallery is the ‘dolls’ section.

Gunitta Tayeb, a Swedish woman who married a Bangladeshi, donated her personal collections of dolls to the museum before her death to express her love for Bangladesh. She had widely visited different continents and collected a good number of traditional dolls from 36 countries.

Another corner of the gallery will show the gifts received by the state during visits to different countries by the president and other state officials. The gifts have been accumulated from the treasury of the Bangabhaban.

At the room, a clay bangle collected from Mohenjodaro of the Indus Civilization, some relics of Gandhara, an ancient Buddhist kingdom now located in Pakistan, a small piece of Pyramid stone and pieces of nuke-burnt tiles from Hiroshima and Nagasaki are in the showcases.

The museum authorities, meanwhile, have plans to increase the numbers of galleries by building new floors.

‘We plan to set up a separate gallery for SAARC countries, for musical instruments and folk crafts,’ says Haque.

‘The world civilisation gallery is only the beginning.’

The museum invites anyone who wants to donate any kind of traditional object from his or her personal collection.

http://www.newagebd.com/2006/sep/08/sep08/xtra_inner5.html

Malaysia proposes joint initiative for tourism development

Visiting Malaysian Minister for Tourism Datuk Sari Tenku Adnan Tenku Mansur yesterday proposed joint initiative with Bangladesh in the area of tourism saying Bangladesh can be beneficiary of his country's experiences.

He made the proposal while exchanging views with State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at his secretariat office here.

The Malaysian minister, who is heading a nine-member delegation, said Bangladesh has vast potentials to attract tourist interests and it can develop them in line with Malaysian experience.

Senior officials of the ministry of tourism, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and civil aviation department, were present during the meeting.

The Malaysian minister said visit to rural areas and eco-tourism may be some very attractive areas where Bangladesh can generate tourist interest. For that, necessary plans must be implemented, he said.

Tenku said more people from Bangladesh can visit Malaysia and the two-way movement may bring good to both the countries.

He also stressed the need for developing skilled manpower to promote this sector, adding that Bangladesh can take assistance from his country.

The two ministers also discussed on issues of mutual interests, specially about joint initiatives and the areas where it can be taken up.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/02/d61002061478.htm

Rangamati

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Rangamati is so beautiful!

Rangamati is so beautiful!

Ya rangamati indeed s beautiful. But there are also a lot of places n that entire southeastern hill tracks section that has many beautiful hidden areas. I took atour of it when i was there this summer and some places are just amazingly prisitne and beautiful. I suggest anybody going to bangladesh, not to go to the tourist designated areas and check out the places off the beaten track. Much more beautiful.

A privately owned park located in a village,probably in Dinajpur

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Kaptai Lake Area

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Four-star hotel Naz Garden opens in Bogra

A four-star hotel named Naz Garden was inaugurated at Selimpur on the outskirts of the town today Tuesday, reports UNB.

Senior Joint Secretary General of the ruling BNP Tarique Rahman formally inaugurated the luxury hotel, first of its kind in the country’s underdeveloped North Bengal region.

The hotel has been built under a private venture at a cost of Tk 15 crore on 14 acres of land.

At the inaugural function Tarique Rahman urged the traders and investors to build industries in the area for the country’s balanced development and creating employment for people as gas supply has already been given to Bogra.

Terming the hotel as an outcome of government’s development drives the ruling-party leader called upon the entrepreneurs to invest here alongside government efforts as partners in country’s development “for bringing back Bogr’s heritage”.


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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/hotelnazgarden.jpgHotel Naz Garden

http://hotelnazgarden.com/index.php

Naz Garden is the largest international standard 4 star hotel and resort in the northern region of Bangladesh as it occupies an area of about 15 acres land with extraordinary landscape. It is located on the outskirt of Bogra town besides Dhaka-Rangpur highway. Naz Garden started to render its services to valued guests and clients from 16th August 2005. Naz Garden invites you to enjoy its services beyond your a expectation at an incredible value.

At Naz Garden, there are around 100 rooms of various standards. Leaving behind an enormous selection of rooms we, at Naz Garden, have a wide selection of food outlets providing Bangladeshi, Chinese, and Continental, Indian, and Thai cuisines. We have 8 food outlets in Naz Garden, which are spread according to the ambience of the surrounding. Swimming Pools, Gymnasium, Bar, Banquet, Conference hall, Ball Room, Lake and many more are the main attraction of Naz Garden.

Location: Hotel Naz Garden is situated at Silimpur of Bogra, the heart centre of North Bengal-Opposite to Shahid Zia-Ur-Rahman Medical College and Palli Biddyut Samity. The environment scenario is beautiful and charming. Bogra is a fast growing industrial town and is very easy to reach from Dhaka, Tangail, Serajgonj, Pabna, Natore, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Kurigram, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Sayedpur, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon and Panchagar. The Hotel is only 5 Minutes drive from the gateway Bogra Bonani Circle of the Asian High way (Dhaka - Kolkata).

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A fully air-conditioned grand Ballroom, which can accommodate 800-1000 person together, is our latest addition in Naz Garden Family. Without any pillar inside this Ballroom is the biggest in the northern region and suitable for very large conference, AGM, Concert, and Reception etc.

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Hotel Naz Garden has two separate swimming pools, for adults and for children. You may enjoy our facilities like sunbath, drinks, fresh-bath etc.

Boy, this hotel looks good. I was in Bogra this March and the town looked under developed. Not only that, Parjatan Motel, where I stayed, looked deserted. There weren’t a whole lot of activities going on in the town either.

I don’t know how they can build such an infrastructure with that much budget. 15 crore isn’t that much. I have the same feeling about Regency hotel as well. What they are showing in pictures is hard to build for 100 crore. Radisson was built for $36 million. If you convert that into taka, it will be quite a bit.

Photos belong to ECCENTRIC_HUMAN



Bangladesh

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Chhoto Shona Mosque Jewel of Chapai Nababganj. photo by Hassan

Grand feast for eyes. A masterpiece of architecture. 13th century mosque has simplistic design and weight of history. Time has written its scribble in black on on its sand stone bricks. A jewel in North west of Bangladesh.

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colorful mosques are everywhere...

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Rangamati in Chittagong division has a good number of buddhist temples

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Naya Dighi Mosque Aminul Hassan

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Shiva Temple in Puthia

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Shat Gambuz in Bagerhat

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Murapara Jaminders House

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Jagannath Temple in Comilla

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Maharaja's Palace in Natore : About 40 km. from Rajshahi by roads is Natore, an old seat of Maharajas with a beautiful palace now serving as the Uttara Ganabhaban (President's Official residence of the northern region). It was residence of the Dighapatiya Raj.

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Tajhat Palace in Rangpur

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Another Rajbari

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Tagore Residence

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Rajbari Palace in Puthia, Natore

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Kantanagar Temple in Dinajpur

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Sheikh Mujib's gravesite

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A mosque in Kushtia

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Sitakunda Hills

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A pagoda on Moheskhali Island

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Great pics, TMac, in fact the best I have seen of some of these historic structures. Maybe one of these days you will divulge how you get this endless fountain of photos. One little point ... that picture of waterfalls, I don't think is in Bangladesh ... that looks like the Seven Sisters waterfall in Meghalaya, just across the border from Sylhet. They are about 1000 ft high. The tallest waterfall in Bangladesh, as far as I know, located in a remote corner of Chittagong Hill Tracts, is about 350 ft.

The mighty river Padma. The banks of this mighty river has become somewhat of a recreational spot.

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Tagor Kuthibari in Shiladoho, Kushtia

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Paharpur, west of Jamalganj in the greater Rajshahi district is where the remains of the most important and the largest known monastery south of the Himalayas have been excavated. This 7th century archaeological find covers approximately an area of 27 acres of land. The entire establishment, occupying a quadrangular court, measuring more than 900 ft. and from 12 ft, to 15 in height. With elaborate gateway complex on the north, there are 45 cells on the north and 44 in each of the other three sides with a total number of 177 rooms. The architecture of the pyramidal cruciform temple is profoundly influenced by those of South-East Asia, especially Myanmar and Java. It had taken its name from a high mound, which looked like pahar or hillock. A site museum built recently houses the representative collection of objects recovered from the area. The excavated findings have also been preserved at the Varendra Research Museum at Rajshahi. The antiquities of the museum include terracotta plaques, images of different gods and goddess', potteries, coin inscriptions, ornamental bircks and other minor clay objects.

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Puthia has the largest number of historically important Hindu structures in Bangladesh. It has also one of the finest old Rajbari (king's palace) in the country.

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Rani Bhabani Palace in Natore

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Shat Gombuz (60 dome) in Bagerhat

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A buddhist temple in Rangamati

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Colorful Minerets...this is Bangladesh

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Sat Gombuz (7 dome) Mosque....not to be confused with Shat Gombuz (60 dome)

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Hazaribagh Mosque in Old Dhaka

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A mosque near Central Jail in Dhaka

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Mahastangarh (city of the kings) is located near the city of Bogra. The spectacular site is an imposing landmark in the area having a fortified, oblong enclosure measuring 5000 ft. by 4500 ft. with an average height of 15 ft. Several isolated mounds, Govinda Bhita, Temple, Khodai Pathar Mound, mankalir unda, Jiyat Kunda etc. surround the fortified city.

Further than the fortified area, other ancient remains fan out within a half circle of about five miles radius. This 3rd century archaeological location is still held to be of grand holiness by the Hindus .Every year thousands of Hindu devotees perform bathing on the bank of River Korotoa. When you make a visit to this site, it will open up for you broad diversity of ancient remains, ranging from terracotta objects to gold ornaments and also coins regained from the site. This famous site is maintained by Bangladesh archeological Department. When you make a visit to this place , don’t forget to go to the Mahashtanghar Museum. You can also visit Mohasthan Buddhist Stambho, an additional magnetism for the tourists; it is in the neighborhood called as Behula’s Basar.

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Tanzirian, this is the one you were talking about?

SAHASRADHARA in Sitakundu, Chittagong

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Mainamati (Bangla: ময়নামতি) is located almost 8 miles from the town of Comilla. It is the home of one of the most important Buddhist archaeological sites of the region. There are a number of Buddhist sites in this region, dating approximately from 7th to 12th centuries CE. Comilla Cantonment is located nearby and houses a beautiful colonial era cemetery.

Mainamati an isolated ridge of low hills. In its widest parts, the ridge is about 4.5 km across and its highest peaks attain a height of about 45 metres.

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Mainamati contd..

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Another temple in Rangamati

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A beautiful mosque in Sylhet

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A colorful temple in Magura

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A temple in Moheskhali

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Puthia Rajbari

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Views from the rajbari roof

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Kadam Rasul in Narayanganj

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Pink Water Lily (National flower of Bangladesh) near Jahangirnagar University.

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Sunderban - largest mangrove forest

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Marine Drive in Cox's Bazar

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colorful fishing boats in Moheskhali Island

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Jaflong - a major tourist spot in Sylhet region.

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Landscape near Fenchuganj, Sylhet.

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Well Maintained WW II cemetary in Comilla

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Mustard Field in Shariatpur

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Aman Paddy Field

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Tanzirian, this is the one you were talking about?

SAHASRADHARA in Sitakundu, Chittagong

No, Tmac - there are two waterfalls called Sahasradhara near Chittagong...the one in your picture I believe has drop of 30m.

The tallest waterfall in Bangladesh to my knowledge does not have a name. This waterfall is located near Lulaing peak, which is part of the Chimbuk range located near the Myanmar border. It cascades 107m on a branch of the Lulaingkhal. Nothing spectacular in global terms, but not bad for a primarily flat deltaic country. That's one of the nice things of Bangladesh, that you can have such scenery in such a small and crowded land.

St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northeast 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. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar at the mouth of the Naf River. The local name of the island is "Narical Gingira".

St. Martin's Island is a popular tourist spot. Three shipping liners have regular daily trips to the island. They are Kutubdia, Sea-Truck and Keary-Sindbad. Tourists can book their trip both from the Chittagong city or from the Cox's Bazar city. The surrounding coral reef of the island has an extension named Chera Dwip.


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On the way to Himchori

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Cox's Bazar is the world's longest natural sea beach (120 km). It is located 152 km south of Chittagong.

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sunset and the bay of bengal

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tourists and more tourists. They come from all over the place....

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Fishing Boats

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Bangladesh is probably the most underrated country in the world. My friend visited Bangladesh last year and he said Bangladesh is far from his initial image ... Many modern buildings and scrapers in Dhaka plus numerous touristic sites with stunning natural wonders

Madhabkunda Water Falls in Sylhet

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Buriganga River is the life of Dhaka

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St. Martins Island

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Rangamati Lake

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Madhabkunda Water Falls in Sylhet

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Foy's Lake in Chittagong

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Surfing is getting more and more popular in Cox's Bazar

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Temples in Rajshahi and Puthia

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Chittagong Hill Tracks

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Ancient temples are everywhere

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Top of the Tiger Hill, Bandarban

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View from the Tiger Hill

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Shailaprapat, Bandarban

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Cox's Bazar

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Cox's Bazar - world's longest sea beach

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Kantajis Temple in Dinajpur

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Srimangal, Sylhet

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Ctg. Foy's Lake
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Beach
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Bangladesh


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Apart from its God blessed natural beauty, Bangladesh no doubt has a fabulous opportunity to become a tourist site as the modern hub of South Asia. Seriously, just consider where the booming private sector is taking us, I checked out photos in Flickr and there were world class shopping malls even in remote cities like Kushtia.

Beautiful Sunset
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Typical River Scene

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Lured by the Beach Side of a Beleaguered Land in Bangladesh
By JEFF KOYEN
Published: December 24, 2006, NY Times

IT was a crisp and gorgeous day, and there were fewer than 100 people on Inani Beach, a wide swath of powdery white sand stretching from horizon to horizon along Bangladesh’s southeastern tip. It is part of a sandy stretch that measures 75 miles tip to tip, and is often called the world’s longest beach, but it felt more like the loneliest.
I was lounging on a rented deck chair for several hours last April on sand as soft and flat as the Bay of Bengal itself, spread out like a freshly paved road. Rows of spindly firs swayed in the salty breeze. And the only interruptions were the young Bangladeshis who would fetch me a lukewarm cola for a small baksheesh, or tip.

There are no Jet Skis, no motorboats and no cars — just the splashing of the bath-warm water. Pedal-powered rickshaws idled on the dirt road. Wooden fishing boats bobbed gently on the dark green water, like pirate ships of yore. It was so quiet, in fact, that wearing headphones would seem somehow rude, even if you were listening to George’s Harrison’s “Bangladesh.”

For a certain generation, that’s how this country is best remembered: for the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh that Harrison and his friends, including the Bengali musician Ravi Shankar, held to raise money for famine relief in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh still rarely makes the news unless there’s a devastating flood,a disease outbreak or political turmoil, as was the case last month when strikes related to next month’s elections paralyzed the country and left at least two dead. (At travel.state.gov/travel, the State Department has cautioned Americans that it “expects the situation throughout Bangladesh to remain uncertain through January.”)

But this impoverished, overpopulated and beleaguered country is quietly drawing tourists. While many if not most of Bangladesh’s visitors come from India, more Westerners are discovering this undeveloped stretch along the eastern edge of the Bay of Bengal as a less traveled and cheaper alternative to Bali and Thailand.

Wedged into northeastern India and along a short border with Myanmar (formerly Burma), this fertile sea-level land straddles the Tropic of Cancer and is intercut by the Ganges, Jamuna and Meghna Rivers on their way to the Bay of Bengal. It has marshy jungles crisscrossed by innumerable streams, wide tracts of unspoiled beaches and the Sundarbans in the southwest, the largest mangrove forest in the world and home of the royal Bengal tiger.

And much of it, refreshingly, is free of tourists. Indeed, the country’s tourist board has adopted the slogan “Visit Bangladesh Before Tourists Come.”

With 147 million people occupying roughly the same area as Iowa, Bangladesh is among the most densely populated nations on earth. It’s also a Muslim nation.. As such, every experience is informed by Islam, from the morning prayers broadcast from tall citadels to the near absence of liquor stores and anything resembling Western night life.

I started my monthlong visit in Dhaka, the swirling and chaotic capital on the Buriganga River. One doesn’t enjoy a casual stroll through Dhaka. A trip to the city’s center means bushwhacking through throngs of garishly decorated rickshaws, buses held together by Bondo putty and taxis that belch and wheeze around the clock.

Dhaka is also not the most pleasant-smelling city; a hint of sewage and humanity always hangs in the hot and sticky air.

I didn’t stay long. Like most travelers, I made my way to Cox’s Bazar, a bustling town on that same long stretch of beach as Inani. The trip from Dhaka was a harrowing 10 hours in a ramshackle former school bus. This was not a peaceful journey: Bangladeshi drivers are not known for staying in their lanes.

But just miles away from frenzied, industrialized Dhaka, the landscape changed dramatically and revealed a verdant, flat land covered by hand-tended rice fields and palm trees hanging lazily in the heat. Tiny ponds, green from algae, dotted the countryside like puddles after a rainstorm. Children bathed and played and waved excitedly at passing buses.

Cox’s Bazar may be a beach town, but in some ways it feels like a big city. With narrow dirty roads that are jam-packed from sunrise to well-past sunset, it is a smaller version of Dhaka — unnerving, unkempt and madcap. But it is also the epicenter of Bangladesh’s tourism, and the favored staging ground for visitors heading out to the pristine white sand beaches and balmy, shark-free waters.

Though the beach stretches for miles to the north and south, most visitors are content to sit on the sands at Cox’s Bazar itself. They’re free, open to the public and so expansive that it’s nearly impossible to feel crowded.

For Westerners trying to blend in, hitting the beach Bangladeshi-style means leaving the bikini at home. Beachgoers dress is if they were going to work. Men are clad in slacks and dress shirts — some even wear ties. Their wives, without exception, wear traditional saris. Even the children are dressed modestly in long pants and button-downs. And no one swims as much as they wade in the warm water, their pant legs and saris hiked up to their knees.

You won’t come across many Westerners, but that may change. Beachfront plots are being snapped up by hoteliers hoping to develop the tropical sandbar into a tourist strip. Several high-end hotels catering to well-heeled foreigners have already opened.

Among the newest is the self-described “four star” Seagull Hotel, a short walk from the aptly named Hotel Road, a couple of miles south of the town’s center. Soaring above the evergreens that line the beach, its mirrored glass and white-concrete facade stands in stark contrast to the town’s modest and dusty red-brick shacks. It looks more like a suburban American office building than a beachfront resort.

The hotel has 182 Holiday Inn-style rooms, a restaurant that serves pizza, a beauty salon, a private walkway to the beach and a big swimming pool, where, on a Monday afternoon, a handful of European men were discussing business. But otherwise, the hotel felt empty.

Still, at $60 a night for a double room with ocean views, there’s no denying its appeal. Moreover, the service is prompt, professional and friendly.

In fact, everywhere you go in Cox’s Bazar (or Bangladesh, for that matter) the people are friendly to a fault. Like gnats on a hot afternoon, clouds of children and grown men swarm around foreigners as they walk down the street, eat at a restaurant or sit down for a haircut. At first, this may come across as aggressive, but you soon realize it is their way of showing hospitality.

I learned this firsthand on a day trip to Moheshkali, an island a few miles offshore from Cox’s Bazar where Burmese refugees live in peaceful accord with Bangladeshis and a Hindu minority, giving this tiny fishing island an unusual air of multiculturalism.

Since this was at the tail end of the dry season, the weather was prone to sudden downpours. So while the sky was clear and the waters smooth when I boarded the ferry that morning, menacing thunderclouds and violent lighting awaited my return a few hours later.

As the ferry — actually, a 10-person powerboat — rocked and rolled across the bay, tossed like an injured duckling in the chop, a young man leaned in and yelled in English: “Hey, American! Are you scared?”

Truth be told, I wasn’t. Since arriving in Bangladesh, I’d survived a 10-hour game of chicken in a hand-me-down bus, ridden shotgun in rickety rickshaws that tipped over regularly, and pushed through narrow alleys packed three-deep with nervous cows. What’s a little seasickness?

But this man wasn’t antagonizing me; he was striking up a conversation. Back on terra firma, the young man, Muhammad, a high school teacher, invited me to a nearby cafe, where we dried off and enjoyed sweet tea and even sweeter pastries.

To repay his kindness, I visited his class the next morning, where I gave an impromptu English lesson. Once again, I was invited to tea, this time by a doe-eyed student eager to learn more about America. I graciously declined; this back-and-forth generosity could have gone on for days — and I wanted to get back to the beach.

VISITOR INFORMATION

GETTING THERE

Several airlines fly to Dhaka from New York City with one stop, among them Emirates, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. A recent Web search for late January found round-trip fares starting around $1,335, on Emirates.

From Los Angeles, Malaysia Airlines was as low as $1,201 for a round trip, but with stops in Taiwan and Kuala Lumpur. Thai, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines made one-stop flights for several hundred dollars more.

Traveling within Bangladesh is inexpensive. A driver can be hired for 1,500 taka (about $21 at 73 taka to the dollar) a day. The 10-hour bus trip from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar was 700 taka each way.

United States citizens must present a valid visa upon arrival, which costs $100 and is valid for 90 days from date of entry. But visa requirements can change, so consult the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington (202-244-0183, www.bangladoot.org).

Those who enter Bangladesh by air but plan to leave by land will need a Change of Route permit, issued free by the Immigration and Passport Office (Agargaon Road, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka; 840-2-913-4011). It typically takes two business days.

The Bangladeshi weekend is Friday and Saturday, and banks and many stores are closed. A.T.M.s outside Dhaka are not connected to the international network, and traveler’s checks are very difficult to cash. Bring new, crisp American dollars — due to counterfeiting, many stores accept only “beautiful” bills.

January and February are the best times to visit, when temperatures average 78 degrees and the humidity is low.

WHERE TO STAY

The Seagull Hotel in Cox’s Bazaar (Motel Road; 880-341-62480 or 880-2-832-2973 for Dhaka office; www.seagullhotelbd.com) is among the new upscale resorts catering to Westerners. Deluxe double rooms start at 3,600 taka, including tax, but packages can be even cheaper.

Though somewhat fallen from its glory days, Hotel Shaibal (Motel Road; 880-341-63274; e-mail, bpcho@bangla.net) has a private beach and one of the town’s few legal bars. Air-conditioned rooms start at 2,000 taka in the high season.

When passing through Dhaka, seek out the greener streets and clean sheets at the Jame Prestige Abode (House 97, Road 4, Block B; 880-2-882-9474; e-mail, jame@bijoy.net). This guesthouse has attentive service, air-conditioning, satellite TV and a small refrigerator for $26.

WHERE TO EAT

Bangladesh cuisine is not unlike Indian food — curries, spicy stews, nan-like breads — though with less variation. Bangladeshis eat with their hands, and utensils are not available at most restaurants.

For authentic, inexpensive meals in Cox’s Bazar, try the misnamed Pizza Palace often in English and Bengali) at the corner of Motel and Sea Beach Roads: there’s no pizza on the menu, but the curries are delicious.

For sunset dining, take a 140-taka rickshaw ride out of town to Angel Drop Restaurant (Marine Drive Road, Kalatali New Sea Beach; 880-171-441-416). The snacks are fine, but the scenery is spectacular.

Speedboat ferries to Moheshkali leave all day for about 100 taka; they depart when the boat is full. Ask a rickshaw driver to take you to “the dock,” or just say “Moheshkali.”

http://travel.nytimes.com//2006/12/24/travel/24next.html

Bishyanath Mandir in Mymensingh

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Sopnopuri Ektara

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Bandarban

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Cox's Bazar Beach

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Golden Temple in Bandarban

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Palaces

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A sculpture in Khulna

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1971 monument in Mymensingh

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A temple made for Durga Puza

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/durgapujapre.jpg

restaurants in Cox's Bazar beach area

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/beachsiderestaurants4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/beachsiderestaurants3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/beachsiderestaurants-1.jpg

I think this is the original Shonarga, not sure though so don't take my word for it! :nuts:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a103/nathubathu/Bdesh/redfort.jpg

Kuakata

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i183/rigent/kuakata.jpg

Our rivers are our pride

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i183/rigent/bpride16.jpg

O Almighty, I was born in this beautiful nation and may I breathe my last here. Bangladesh is so beautiful!!

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i183/rigent/manyFaces.jpg

Tea gardens of Chittagong Division.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i183/rigent/ctgteagarden2.jpg

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i183/rigent/CTGteagarden1.jpg

An ancient temple kind of thing.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a19/nateblury2/Bangladesh/DSC00006.jpg

Sunset in Sylhet

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b364/bappi/Sylhet%20Tour%202/cheraakash4.jpg

More of Kuakata

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Sunrise_4.jpg

A fine monument for the martyrs at the Unversity of Rajshahi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/ShabashBD.jpg

Varendra Museum in Rajshahi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Varendra_Research_Museum.jpg

Bagerhat
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Bagerhat01.jpg

They could as well call the General Asian Discussion place Bangladesh subforum :lol:, we dominate this place! Anyway, heres the ruins of Isa Khan's capital- Shonarga.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Dacca01.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_old_capital_Sonargaon.jpg

Tajhat Rajbari in Rangpur.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Tajhat_rajbari_front.jpg

^^ Those pictures of Sonargaon show Painam village, a settlement of Hindu merchants from about a hundred years ago. The wealthiest of those merchants built the Sardar Bari which is now the Folk Arts Museum. Most tourists visiting Sonargaon think Painam is the medieval Sonargaon which they have heard of in literature. The truth is that very little survives of that Sonargaon. Principally, there are three surviving pre-colonial structures - the tomb of Sultan Giasuddin Azam Shah (built 1410), Goaldi Mosque (1519), and Painam Bridge, which was built during the Mughal period. There are a few other delapidated ruins, but you will have to go into the forest to find them.

Sonargaon's heday was the 1300s - 1500s. During the period of the independent sultans (1342 - 1575) Sonargaon was the second largest city in Bengal (after Gaur) and was the easternmost terminus of the Grand Trunk Road - the famous highway spanning the subcontinent. The great Arabian traveller, Ibn Battuta, visited the city in the early days of its prosperity and has left a written account. The city served as the capital of Bengal during the reign of Sultan Giasuddin, who is buried there. It is located in close proximity to the older captial of Vikrampur and the later capital of Dhaka.

Here is a googled pic of Goaldi Mosque:
http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/Images/G_0141A.jpg
And a googled pic of Giasuddin's Tomb:
http://www.colorsofbangladesh.com/gallery/albums/sonargaon/69_G.jpg

St. Martins Island

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/stmartins3.jpg

The scene near Buriganga river

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/burigangariver4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/burigangariver3.jpg

Lawachara National Park

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/lawacharanationalpark.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/lawacharanationalpark2.jpg

Bay of Bengal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/bayofbengal.jpg

A decorated gate for Durga Puja

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/pujagate.jpg

A Rice field - typical village scene

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/ricefieldsbangladesh.jpg

Tea garden in Sylhet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sylhetteagarden44.jpg

Hanging bridge on Kaptai Lake

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/kaptailakebridge.jpg

some photos of the beautiful Rangamati

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/rangamati10.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/rangamati11.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/rangamati12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/rangamati13.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/rangamati14.jpg

They could as well call the General Asian Discussion place Bangladesh subforum :lol:, we dominate this place! Anyway, heres the ruins of Isa Khan's capital- Shonarga.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Dacca01.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_old_capital_Sonargaon.jpg

Holy shit this looks amazing. Where is this place located relative to Dhaka? Have to check it out the next time i go there.

Naf

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/99/285821665_dbafaa93ef_b.jpg

Cox's Bazar

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/285811418_8f8451a2eb_b.jpg

A buddhist temple in Bandarban. According to the buddist, the top 6 floors represent the six stages of heaven, the ground floor represents the world we live in.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/103/258043597_ad81f50575_b.jpg

This photograph was taken from the highest point of the Chittagong-Bandarban highway, looking down the valley.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/104/257425094_11a04948ee_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/257425097_68c6f0a4d7_b.jpg

Rangamati is too beautiful!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/257398120_1f7b275b24_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/257398122_049e51ba45_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/257403598_9753c82b3d_b.jpg

Just behind the Parjatan Motel in Rangamati, this wonderful bridge connects the 2 sides of the lake.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/257398112_02aa2c3b96_b.jpg

A Canon captured from the Mughals by the Chakma Raja (1700-1725 AD) in Rangamati

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/86/257403623_4444da5a0f_b.jpg

Mahastangarh in Bogra

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/330134556_221247ddb2_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/330125854_6ebcc1eb75_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/330120767_16160aed21_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/330117549_a213805313_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/330115446_9ab4fc963c_b.jpg

Thanks, Zaki :) . I can't exactly tell the exact location of the place but its somewhere around Dhaka, had gone there when I was a kid.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/115/305067580_f217fe452e.jpg?v=0

St. Martins

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/334273808_ba01cf9549_b.jpg

Jaflong, Sylhet

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/97/255233276_a15235ec7d_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/255233277_0396ffe462_o.jpg

Madhabkunda Water Falls in the winter season

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/238564299_5f317eaf94_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/238564753_08b6d3a9b4_o.jpg

the rainy season surely makes the Madhabkunda Waterfall come alive.......... the spectacular flow of water and sound captivates all visitors.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/87/255209395_d01c41b488_o.jpg

Tajhat Palace in Rangpur

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/tajhatpalacerangpur.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/tajhatpalace2.jpg

Jaflong looks so beautiful,really gotta go there someday.

Is the waterfall in Jaflong too?

A beach in Kuakata

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/296853543_299dde1080_b.jpg

Kuakata (south-west Bangladesh)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/289166286_16be41f4ee_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/117/289165963_446fa1d586_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/102/289165793_fd95c7c446_o.jpg

http://www.peterlanger.com/Countries/Asia/Bangladesh/pages/BDDAC004.htm

http://www.peterlanger.com/Countries/Asia/Bangladesh/pages/BDDAC004.htm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/heritage3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/heritage4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/heritage5.jpg

http://www.thedailystar.net/holiday/2006/12/03/holiday.htm

Cox's Bazar

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/342349267_e62efd4343_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/342377356_8fa66e44e6_b.jpg

Cox's Bazar

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/342413878_854eefad11_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/342487778_3dbc7dcbb1_b.jpg

A beach in Kuakata

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/296853547_f2bbd803ec_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/298166164_04bc68abc2_b.jpg

Royal Bengal Tiger
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/royal_bengal_tiger_1.jpg

National Bird Doel
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/magpie4_s.jpg

Mynah
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/mynah_3.jpg

Kingfisher
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/storkbilledkingfisher.jpg

Deer
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/sambar_deer.jpg

Gibbons
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/gibbon.jpg

Elephant
http://virtualbangladesh.com/images/fauna/elephant_1.jpg

A waterfall near Kaptai Lake

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/257271872_7d32aacd0e_o.jpg

Milonchori, bandarban

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/238970436_98054749f9_b.jpg

Shonkho river, Bandarban

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/238959162_10c06db223_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/238959161_3241a905cf_b.jpg

Aerial view of Bandarban

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/238964757_332731e1bf_b.jpg

Tiger Hill, Bandarban

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/90/238954925_acef928568_b.jpg

Golden Temple, Moheshkhali

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/301877914_76123d0664_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/goldentemple4.jpg

colorful tourist boats

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/333877885_e1914e28f3_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/333871998_816929a3b4_b.jpg

A country road in Bangladesh

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/333877888_b327840698_b.jpg

Village sunset

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/villagesunset.jpg

Rangamati

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/100/305441195_2ba5b4a66a_b.jpg

What most of Bangladesh looks like outside of Dhaka: extremely green, flat, and lush.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/116/305444597_0d62816200_b.jpg

Kantazir Temple: This terracotta temple in Dinajpur was built over a period of sixty years in the early 18th century.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/176866429_3a5386da52_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/254957238_23ad83db4b_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/53/120130876_0b1c18bad2_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/1863777_a4ead1209a_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/8/24186900_95068ebd00_o.jpg

View of Dowky from Jafflong. Took this one myself.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/Ahnaf_Saber/IMG_0038.jpg

great picture

Excellent trip report on board Bangladesh Biman.

http://www.samchuiphotos.com/Biman06/Biman_Bangladesh_DC10_Trip_Report.html

Kushumba Mosque near Naogaon.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/KushumbaMosque.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/KushumbaMosque2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/KushumbaMosque3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/KushumbaMosque4.jpg

The temple of Puthia near Rajshahi

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthiatemple4.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/54/129258816_76ab968f6d_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthiatemple5.jpg

Jora Moth

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/59/158730008_48e660096e_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/91379414_f7c2527ad1_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthuatemple6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthiatemple7.jpg

The village of Puthia

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/94849454_681393a072_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/viewfrompalaceroof3.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/12/91384683_09cb97caae_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/165436873_3773dee7ae_b.jpg

A beach full of tourists in Cox's Bazar

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/coxsbazarbeach26.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/91379414_f7c2527ad1_o.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthuatemple6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/puthiatemple7.jpg

Classical bengali architecture is so powerful looking. Its just amazing to see some of these in real life.

Tea Gardens in Sylhet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/sylhet6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/sylhet7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/teagardens10.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/teagardensylhet.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/teagardensylhet2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/teagardensylhet3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/teagardensylhet4.jpg

Beautiful Rangamati

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/101274551_2d16c8a641_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/101274299_19d968ab1b_o.jpg

A chakma temple in Rangamati

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/101274698_e9d6b3e754_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/101274752_373911a721_o.jpg

Srimangal

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/95024086_24b2fde8f9_o.jpg

Paharpur was Built in the 7th century, this is the largest known Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/351501684_8e362c06c5_b.jpg

This thread has the most amazing pics. To someone who has been there - how safe is it to hike / walk in unpopulated areas of Bandarban? I have a wish to go there some day to find Bangladesh's tallest waterfall which is located near Sangu river seen in some of the pictures above. Over here in the Carolinas I love to go when I get a chance to go hike to some of the waterfalls in Blue Ridge mountains - if I have time enough one day I will go look for the ones in Bangladesh.

Muarapara College in Narayanganj

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/352681557_5af737208d_b.jpg

Make sure you do visit this site, it gives a pretty good overview of most tourist destinations of Bangladesh.

http://www.bangladeshonline.com/tourism/

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/Ahnaf_Saber/NewACDSeeBMPImage2.jpg

The beauty of Cox's Bazaar is breathtaking.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/Ahnaf_Saber/NewACDSeeBMPImage.jpg

Hill tracts
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/Ahnaf_Saber/AmazingBangladesh.jpg

Sundarban Rainforest
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q193/Ahnaf_Saber/Sundarbans.jpg

Palace in Natore

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Natorpalace.jpg

Puthia

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/putiachurch.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/putiachurch2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/putia1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/temple2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/heritage.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/sonartgaontemple.jpg

Adinath Temple, Moheskhali

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/adinathtemplemoheskhali.jpg

A temple in Puthia, Rajshahi

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/templeinrajshahi.jpg

Puthia Village, Rajshahi

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Puthia10.jpg

Lush tea gardens in Sylhet region

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sylhetteagardens23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sylhetteagardens22.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sylhetteagardens21.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sylhetteagardens20.jpg

Kantazir Temple

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/350158073_14942fbe37_b.jpg

A resort hotel (under construction) in Sundarban

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/resortsunderban.jpg

Crusing around Sundarban

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/sunderbancruise4.jpg

Tajhat Palace in Rangpur

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/tajhatpalace.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/tajhat-rangpur-1.jpg

Jaflong

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/jaflong.jpg

http://anthony.boblet.net/Photos/auto/Bangladesh_auto/Holiday_2000__02_030_sm.jpg

Madhabkunda Water Fall in Sylhet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/madhabkundawaterfalls11.jpg

Tajhat Palace in Rangpur

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/TajhatRajbari7.jpg

Jaflong, Sylhet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/jaflong13.jpg

a tourist spot in Jaflong

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/Dhaka/Dhaka1/jaflong5.jpg

Southern Bangladesh

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/354269802_6d9034357f.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/354269765_5a4fc32177.jpg?v=0

Sunlight captured in Cox's Bazaar

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/353535589_18795c2fc3.jpg?v=0

BHAWAL RAJAS' TEMPLES

Archs & domes of tradition

Kali Narayana, which resembles the pagodas of a buddhist temple is sacred to the Arakani Maghs. Its features are most striking. The first of the many temples is an octagonal spire and the smallest and simplest on the compound.

Joydevpur, 30km north of Dhaka city, was the headquarters of the famous zaminders of Bhawal, who had the tradition of doing things in a grand style. The first chief of Bhawal was Fazal Ghaz, whose descendant received a jaigir of 22 Parganas in Eastern Bengal from Emperor Akbar. The estate remained in the family of the Ghazi who settled at Kaliganj till the time of Daulat Ghazi, who received the first settlement in 1645.

http://www.mysyed.com/bangladesh/Joydevpur%20-%20Archs%20&%20domes%20of%20tradition_files/heritage01.jpg http://www.mysyed.com/bangladesh/Joydevpur%20-%20Archs%20&%20domes%20of%20tradition_files/heritage03.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/67813024_4bb512b963_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/67813023_1c88719c3b_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/67813026_b958d30e5d_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/67813027_96932e9053_b.jpg

Daulat Ghazi failed to carry out proper supervision over his affairs; his revenues were not paid regularly and it is alleged that the Mughal authorities deprived him of the zaminderi and settled it with his Hindu servants. His zamindari has been passing through the hands of Hindu zaminders who were originally the Dewans of Daulat Ghazi. The first Hindu raja of Bhawal was Kush Dhhaja Ray who settled here in 1738. After him the Bhawal estate has been owned by his descendants for long and a number of monumental buildings like palaces, temples, schools and dispensaries have been made.

Not far from the Bhawal Rajbari on the southern bank of Chilai River, there is a group of six temples at Shashanghat, said to be made by the Bhawal Rajas. The largest and oldest of them is the temple of Raja Kali Narayana Roy, most probably built in the late 19th century. Kali Narayana was a great zaminder of Bhawal. The temple is about 28ft square building with a seven foot wide portico on the east. It is divided in nine sections, interconnected by archways, with the middle one having only one opening on the east. It is the garbhagriha of the temple, housing a pedestal of Sivalinga.

It is a pancha-ratna type temple. Its ratnas are composed of several tapering domes with a sharp spire top. Its central spire has five narrow domes and the corner spires have three. The plan of the first storey of the temple recalls the Muslim tomb architecture. To divide the tomb in nine sections was a popular Mughal tradition. The tomb of Bibi Pari in Dhaka and the tomb of Niamatullah Wali in Chapainawabganj are arranged in nine sections. In India, the tomb of Itmadudaulah of Agra was erected in the same style. The fluted arch of the temple, ribbed domes and the merlon designs came from the Mughal tradition.

The most striking feature is found in the outlook of the temple of Kali Narayana, which resembles the Buddhist temple pagoda, the sacred building of the Arakani Maghs. From the north of the raja Kali Narayana's temple, the first temple is an octagonal spire, measuring 4 feet 2 inches of each side. This is the smallest and simplest temple of this compound.

The second temple from the north is said to be made in memory of Kali Narayans's wife. It is a rectangular temple measuring 22x12 feet with a spire, composed of decreasing domes and a pointed tower. The temple is divided in six chambers, interconnected by archways. There is a pedestal of Sivalinga in the middle chamber of the western part of the temple.

The next adjoining southern temple is an octagonal structure with a pointed tower. Each side of the octagon measures 12.5 feet. The temple has an octagonal garbhagriha in the centre of 8.5-foot wide verandah. The western half of the octagon is a chamber, while the eastern half of the temple is surrounded by a colonnade.

In the south stands another temple, with its rectangular chamber divided in three sections. On the eastern side is a verandah and on the western part are two rooms. Its northern one was used as garbhagriha. There is still a pedestal of Sivalinga. On top of this room is another room built in a pancha ratna style. The ratnas of the four sides are small and attached to the main spire.

The third and the last temple is a structure built on a high plinth of 20.5 feet square, made of sand stone. The garbhagriha of the temple has been made in the centre of the square. A colonnade surrounds three sides of this room, while the fourth (west) side of it is a chamber. The temple has an inscription above the arch opening of the garbhagriha. The language of the inscription is Bangla. According to the inscription, Srimati Surujbala Devi installed a Raneswarsiva in memory of her husband Kumar Ranendra Narayan.

Tajhat Palace

Tajhat palace still attracts visitors from home and abroad because of its amazing architecture. The 100-year-old extraordinarily designed palace makes visitors ponder over the urbanisation of old Rangpur and craftsmanship of the past.

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The palace was erected in the middle of about ½ sq km of an area. The two-storied-building has wide stairs at the front side. In the middle of the roof there is a lofty round shaped tower that has made the whole building beautiful. There are also a number of round-shape small towers surrounding the roof.

The ground and upper floor of the building were decorated with valuable pieces of stone. Beautiful pictures were depicted on doors and windows.

The existing palace building is believed to have been erected in the early 20th century during the tenure of Raja Gopal Lal Roy. Total area of it was 56 acres. The area of the palace has been reduced as the government donated about 10 acres of land to the Agriculture Institute and 25 acres to the horticulture centre.

There are four ponds in the palace compound, which are as old as the dynasty of Tajhat.

A beach in Cox's Bazar

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on the way to St Martins Island

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St Martins is so beautiful!!

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A setting sun in St Martins

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Fishing in St Martins

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Shat Gombuz Mosque (Mosque of sixty Domes) situated in Bagerhat near Khulna is one of the great archeological beauties in the country.

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I've never been to Bangladesh, but hope to travel there sometime in the future.