Seeing the Sites of Dhaka

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Weekends in Bangladesh are Friday and Saturday due to the Muslim religion. As I write this on Saturday evening, it feels like Sunday evening knowing the work week begins again tomorrow. I spent part of my first weekend exploring historical sites on the outskirts of Dhaka.

My first stop was Lalbagh Fort. This fort was built in 1670s as part of the Mughal Empire which is known for its reddish or pink style of architecture.The fort was built as the official residence of the governor of the Mughal province. This region is now known as Old Dhaka. The complex includes the governor's house, the tomb of Pari Bibi and a mosque. The expansive grounds are covered by lawns, fountains and water channels. The open space this fort offers is a refreshing change from the neighborhood it resides in. Old Dhaka was built in the early 1600s and has very tight winding roads. All forms of transportation are trying to get down these narrow streets. This area truly gives you the understanding as to why Dhaka is the most densely populated city in the world.

The second stop was Panam Nagar, built in the 1300s is one of the original cities of Bangladesh. The city has since been abandoned and now functions as a cultural site for the beautiful architecture. I was glad I visited with one of my Bengali friends as I was a bit overrun by locals asking to take pictures with me. While this request is not uncommon depending on the part of the world I am in, some wanted repeated photos or videos until my friend asked them to move along.

We finished the day with a visit to the fish market. This area has a long line of restaurants along the river to select from. Once inside, you go to the back where a variety of fish are on ice. You select your items and then go to the front to watch them prep your fish and fry it up in delicious smelling spices. The fish was fantastic. We had two local fish as well as some prawns. The huge platter of fish that could have easily fed 4 people was barely $15USD. While it is common here to eat with your right hand this is a cultural norm I have not joined in on. I barely like to eat chicken wings with my hands at home let alone eating rice and fish. I have posed the question to several people as a left hander, would I still eat with my right hand? No one has a definitive answer for me, so sounds like a fork and knife is the answer.

The mosquitos here are some of the worst I have experienced. Even though it is winter here the mosquitos are everywhere. We never open the windows in our apartment and yet we still have them all the time. The upside is that when they bite it itches for about 20 mins and then it is gone. Also, I have been told because I am here during the dry season I do not need to worry about dengue fever which has no vaccine or prophylactic medication.

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