Monuments

Monuments of Bangladesh

Ahsan Manjil

Khwaja Alimullah bought some properties including this building from the French traders in 1835, which was originally owned by Zaminder Seikh Enayetullah. Nawab Abdul Ghani named Ahsan Manzil after his son Nawab Ahsanullah. It is a magnificent pink-coloured building with an imposing staircase leading to the upper floor, and it is topped by a lofty dome. In each of the 23 grand rooms there is a photograph of the room dating back from around 1902, and these photos allowed the accurate restoration of the furnishings and draperies. Ancestors of the Khwaja Alimullah came from Kashmir in search of fortune. The Nawabs played a significant role during their regime around 100 year, uplifting the life style of the people as they were the pioneer to provide the following services : Electricity, Health care system, Sanitation, School and colleges, Parks, River-reforms, Banking, etc. It has been turned to a museum which will give a good insight into the life of the ruling classes of Bengal during the British Raj. It can be visited Saturday-Wednesday from 10:30am to 5:30pm and Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Star Mosque

Zaminder Mirza Ghulam Pir built this mosque in the early 18th century. Later a local businessman , Ali Jan Bepary renovated this mosque , a glittering star pattern mosaic with Japanese and English china clay tiles during 1926. This is the most beautifully decorated mosque in Bangladesh. It is distinctive for its low-slung style and the absence of minaret. Originally it was built with four corner towers in Mughal style. During the renovation and redecoration, the building was substantially altered. A close look will reveal that the tiles illustrated with pictures of Mt. Fuji.

Lalbag Fort 

Prince Mohammed Azam, 3rd son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, started building the Fort Aurangabad in 1678. As he left Dhaka, he handed it over to Nawab Shaista Khan, the next governor, for completion. He continued the work, but due to premature death of his beloved daughter Bibi Pari, all building activities were suspended , considering it as inauspicious to continue the work. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh fort are a small three-domed elegant mosque , the mausoleum of Bibi Pari, and the Audience Hall and Hammam complex is now housing a museum. When the fort was built, the river Buriganga used to flow very close to the Lalbagh Fort to the South. It can be visited from Sunday to Thursday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Friday from 2:30pm to 5:30pm, during the winter (closed on Saturday & other national holidays). From April to October, opening and closing times are half an hour later.