Lalbagh Fort

Shafayet Al-Anik

20 July 2024

Introduction to Lalbagh Fort

Lalbagh Fort ( Lalbagh Fort ) is located in the Lalbagh area of old Dhaka on the banks of the Buriganga river in the capital Dhaka . Emperor Aurangzeb accepted the plan to build Lalbagh Fort, but his son Prince Shahzada Azam started the construction of Lalbagh Fort in 1678 AD.

Initially Lalbagh Fort was named Aurangabad Durg or Aurangabad Fort. Later in 1684 AD, after the death of Iran Dukht Paribibi, daughter of Subedar Shaista Khan, he stopped the construction of the fort. In 1844 Aurangabad area was renamed as Lalbagh. Along with the name of the area, the name of the fort also changed and came to be known as Lalbagh Fort.

Currently Subedar Shaista Khan's residence and Durbar Hall is used as 'Lalbagh Fort Museum'. Lalbagh Fort has three gates but two of them are closed. As soon as you enter through the gate, the lovely garden cheers up the mind.

If you go straight ahead along the entrance road, you can see the tomb built for the memory of Shaista Khan's daughter Paribibi. The mausoleum is square in shape and each side is 20.2 meters long. The marble mausoleum is of unique craftsmanship and has an artificial dome covered with copper sheet above the main mausoleum.

Also worth seeing are the Lalbagh Fort Mosque, beautiful fountains, some more tombs and cannons/cannons used in warfare during that time.

Entrance ticket price

The ticket counter is on the right side of the entrance gate of Lalbagh Fort. The entry ticket price for Bangladeshi tourists is Tk 20 per person, for tourists from SAARC countries Tk 100 and the ticket price for foreign tourists is Tk 200 per person. Children below 5 years do not need a ticket to enter.

Lalbagh Fort Visit Schedule

Lalbagh Fort is closed on Sundays and for half a day on Mondays. Also Lalbagh Fort is closed on all special public holidays. Lalbagh Fort visit schedule varies according to summer and winter season.

April to September (Summer)

Sunday – Weekly Closed Monday – 2:30 PM to 6 PM Friday – 10 AM to 6 PM (Closed between 12:30 PM and 2 PM) Rest of the Week – 10 AM to 6 PM (Closed between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM)

October to March (Winter)

Sunday – Weekly Closed Monday – 2:30 PM to 5 PM Friday – 9 AM to 5 PM (Closed between 12:30 PM and 2 PM) Rest of the week – 9 AM to 5 PM (Closed between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM)

* Lalbagh Fort is closed on special government holidays

How to reach Lalbagh Fort?

Lalbagh Fort can be reached from anywhere in Dhaka. You can come to Lalbagh by vehicle at your convenience. There are several routes to reach Lalbagh Fort, you can follow your convenient route.

You have to come to Gulistan Golap Shah Shrine of Dhaka from Dhaka or any part of Bangladesh. From there you can go to the fort by rickshaw or Laguna.

From any part of Dhaka or Bangladesh, you can reach Lalbagh Fort by rickshaw from Dhaka's Newmarket, Neelkhet, Shahbagh, TSC or Azimpur.

You can go to Lalbagh Fort by rickshaw from Sadarghat through Babubazar Bridge. Besides, you can directly come to Lalbagh Fort from anywhere in Dhaka by CNG.

where to eat

There is no opportunity to eat inside the fort. There are several good quality restaurants right in front of the fort. All types of food available.

Tour tips

At least two hours should be taken to explore the Lalbagh fort properly. Apart from visiting the fort, you can also visit some other famous places nearby. From Lalbagh Fort you can easily visit Ahsan Manzil , Tara Mosque , Armenian Church, Hosseini Dalan, Sadarghat, Showarighat or Dhaka University area.