Bagerhat Museum

Bagerhat Museum is located on the old Rupsa Road at the south-east corner of the Sixty-domed Mosque in Sundarghona, Bagerhat district. In 1973, when an international appeal was made for the preservation of Muslim culture and the memory of Khan Jahan Ali, the construction of this museum, covering an area of ​​520 square meters, began in 1995 as a joint initiative of the UNESCO-Bangladesh government. Bagerhat Museum was opened to the public in September 2001.

Islamic architecture has been given prominence in the construction of the museum building, which is located next to the Sixty-domed Mosque. The south facing museum with 3 galleries offers an opportunity to see the archaeological artifacts collected from different regions of Bagerhat as well as learn about the ancient history of Bagerhat. Photographs of mosques and archeological architecture across the country and the historic crocodile mummy of Khan Jahan Ali are special attractions at Bagerhat Museum. Other notable artifacts include various memorabilia, coins, vessels, documents, maps and written histories.

Bagerhat Museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm in summer and 9 am to 5 pm in winter. And every day the museum is closed for a temporary break from 1 pm to 1:30 pm. The museum is closed for a full day on Sundays and half a day every Monday.

Bagerhat museum entry ticket price is 15 rupees. However, children below 5 years of age can enter for free. The entry fee is Tk 50 for SAARC foreign visitors and Tk 100 for all other foreign visitors.

Bagerhat can be reached by bus and train from Dhaka. There are two bus routes to Bagerhat. From Aricha Ferighat in Manikganj and Gulisthan or Sayedabad in Dhaka, you can go to Bagerhat by taking Meghna, Shakura, Tourist, Hanif, Sohag and Eagle transport buses via Padma Bridge. Bus fare will be 650-800 taka. Again, you can go to Bagerhat via Khulna by train from Dhaka's Kamalapur to Khulna by inter-city Chitra Express or Sundarban Express. On reaching Bagerhat, one can go to Bagerhat Museum which is 5.4 km away by auto rickshaw or local bus.

Among the various residential hotels in Bagerhat city, Mumtaz Hotel, Hotel Mohna, Hotel Al Amin, Residential Hotel, Hotel Abhi, Hotel Fuad Residential, Zarif Residential and Hotel Dhansindi are notable. Besides, there is an opportunity to stay overnight at Circuit House, Dak Bungalow, Sixty Domed Antiquities Guest House and Sundarban Resort.

Radhuni and Dhansindi hotels have a good reputation for delicious food in Bagerhat. Coconut shrimp is a popular dish in Bagerhat district.

Other Sightseeing Places in Bagerhat District : Among the other sightseeing places in Bagerhat are Sixty Dome Mosque , Khan Jahan Ali's Shrine, Mongla Port , Chandramahal Eco Park, Dublar Char and Nine Dome Mosque.

Feature Image: Raju Ahmed