Lesson 1/35 min
Places in Dhaka and Sonargaon
Ahsan Manzil
- Location: Islampur, Dhaka (on the Buriganga)
- Builder: Nawab Abdul Ghani; built in 1859–1872
- Named after his son Khwaja Ahsanullah
- Restoration began after 1985; opened as a museum in 1992
Lalbagh Fort
- Location: Lalbagh, Dhaka; earlier name Aurangabad Fort
- Construction began in 1678 under Prince Muhammad Azam, son of Aurangzeb
- Subahdar Shaista Khan then continued the work; the fort was left unfinished
- To see: the tomb of Bibi Pari, the museum
Watch out: One book says Shaista Khan completed it in 1683. According to sources, work stopped after Pari Bibi's death (1684); the fort was never fully finished.
Katras and other places of old Dhaka
| Place | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bara Katra | Chowkbazar; in the time of Prince Muhammad Shuja, by his diwan Abul Qasim; about 1644 |
| Chhota Katra | Chowkbazar; builder Shaista Khan; about 1663–64 |
| Curzon Hall | In the Dhaka University area; built 1904; named after Lord Curzon |
| Bahadur Shah Park | Sadarghat area of old Dhaka; recalls the sepoys of the 1857 revolt; named after the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II; earlier called Victoria Park |
| Liberation War Museum | Agargaon, Dhaka |
| National Museum | Shahbag, Dhaka |
Watch out: One book prints 1664 for Bara Katra; inscriptions and sources place it between 1643 and 1646. Remember ‘the time of Shah Shuja’ rather than the year.
Sonargaon
- Location: Narayanganj district
- Earlier name: Suvarnagram
- To see: the tomb of the Five Pirs, the tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, the Folk Art Museum
Did you know?: Tradition says Sonargaon is named after Sona Bibi, wife of Isa Khan; this is legend, not proven history.
Check yourself
What was Lalbagh Fort called earlier?
At a glance
- 1
Ahsan Manzil: Islampur, Dhaka; Nawab Abdul Ghani; built 1859–1872.
- 2
Lalbagh Fort (earlier Aurangabad Fort): begun in 1678 by Muhammad Azam; unfinished; Bibi Pari's tomb is here.
- 3
Bara Katra and Chhota Katra are at Chowkbazar; Chhota Katra was built by Shaista Khan.
- 4
Curzon Hall is at Dhaka University, 1904; Bahadur Shah Park is in the Sadarghat area.
- 5
Sonargaon is in Narayanganj; the tomb of the Five Pirs and the Folk Art Museum are here.