Bangladesh National Museum
বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘর
The country's main museum at Shahbag, with galleries on history, art, natural history and the Liberation War.
Founded in 1913 as the Dhaka Museum, the National Museum at Shahbag is the best single place to get a feel for Bangladesh's past. Its floors cover stone and bronze sculpture, coins, folk art, textiles, natural history and the 1971 Liberation War. The collection is large, so pick a few galleries rather than trying to see everything. It is a good rainy-day or midday stop.
How to get there
Bus, CNG or rickshaw to Shahbag; the museum is on the main road next to the Shahbag intersection.
Good to know
The museum is closed on Thursdays (check before going). Bags may have to be left at the counter.
More from Dhaka
District guide →
Place Lalbagh Fort
লালবাগ কেল্লাAn unfinished 17th-century Mughal fort with lawns, a tomb and a mosque, a calm green pocket in Old Dhaka.
Place Ahsan Manzil
আহসান মঞ্জিলThe pink riverside palace of the Dhaka Nawabs, now a museum facing the busy Buriganga.
Place Star Mosque (Tara Masjid)
তারা মসজিদA small mosque in Armanitola covered in star-patterned mosaic made from broken china.
Place Sadarghat and the Buriganga
সদরঘাট ও বুড়িগঙ্গাDhaka's chaotic river port, where multi-deck launches leave for the south and wooden boats ferry people across.
Nearby
Tradition Pohela Boishakh Procession
Dhaka · পহেলা বৈশাখের শোভাযাত্রাOn Bangla New Year the Charukola art students lead a colourful parade of giant masks and figures.
Representative photo Place Hussaini Dalan
Dhaka · হোসেনি দালানDhaka's main Shia imambara from the Mughal era, white-walled beside a large tank, the heart of the city's Muharram.
Place Dhakeshwari National Temple
Dhaka · ঢাকেশ্বরী জাতীয় মন্দিরBangladesh's national Hindu temple, said to give Dhaka its name, busiest during Durga Puja.
Food Bakarkhani
Dhaka · বাকরখানিFlaky, crisp layered bread baked in clay ovens, Old Dhaka's breakfast with tea.