Museum sights in Bangladesh
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Liberation War Museum
Liberation War Museum, chronicling one of the 20th century’s more deadly wars, is spread out over two floors and has been put together with enormous pride and respect. The display on the 1971 War of Independence is arranged chronologically, with English and Bengali newspaper reports, photographs and various memorabilia. The displays start off tame enough but gradually become more graphic before culminating in a room full of personal items (each of which comes with a short story on the owner’s life); a large pile of human skulls and bones; and some very disturbing photos of rotting corpses with bound hands being eaten by dogs and vultures. Though the displays might not…
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Nawab Syed Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury Memorial Museum
Two blocks east of Sat Mata, the Nawab Syed Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury Memorial Museum is one of only a handful of furnished rajbaris in Bangladesh. The mosaic ceiling of the audience hall is impressive, and the rooms have mannequins dressed to impress in both Bengali and British fashions. The last room you’ll see is dedicated to modern art – it’s a compelling display, but the lack of English explanation leaves it somewhat obscure. Look out also for the rare gharial (a type of crocodilian). We’re sure you’ll agree that they look far better nailed to the wall here than they would do in the wild…
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National Museum
A visit to the National Museum is a good way of downloading information about Bangladesh. Sprawling over several floors it begins at the beginning with the geological formation of Bangladesh, whisks you through a rundown of the nation’s flora and fauna, saunters through a Buddhist and Hindu past, and brings you bang up to date with the War of Liberation and the creation of the modern state. Some of the exhibits are a little stale – the stuffed birds are looking more stuffed and less bird with every passing year, and it’s amazing how badly lit, displayed and labelled everything is.
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Osmani Museum
In Nur Manzil, near the centre of town and east of Noya Sarok Rd, is the Osmani Museum. This small, colonial-era house is dedicated to General Osmani, a key figure in the Liberation War. As it’s one of the few tourist sights in town, you should visit, but be warned – it’s slightly less interesting than an algebra lesson. It contains such thrilling articles as a ‘chair’ (and that is exactly what it is). Electricity is a hit-and-miss affair and if you’re lucky you’ll get a man following you around with an oil lamp to illuminate the displays for you.
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Martyrs' Memorial Museum
The collection of Liberation War mementos at the Martyrs' Memorial Museum at RU is a reminder of the dreadful days of the 1971 war. Unfortunately, the dilapidated state of the museum, with its dusty collection of war artefacts, is more likely to make one feel that the country has forgotten its heroes.
Among the exhibits are blood-stained uniforms, a pen used by a fighter to write his last love letter, the deed papers of surrender by the Pakistani forces, and remains recovered from a mass grave of victims, among whom were intellectuals from RU.
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Paharpur Museum
The small museum gives a good idea of the range of cultures that have used this site. Stucco Buddha heads unearthed here are similar to the Gandhara style of Indo-Hellenic sculpture from what is now northwestern Pakistan. Sculptural work includes sandstone and basalt sculptures, but the stonework of Hevagara in passionate embrace with Shakti is the collection’s finest item. The most important find, a large bronze Buddha, is usually away wooing fans on a seemingly endless world tour.
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Folk-Art Museum
Built in 1901, this stunning rajbari is an appropriate building for a folk-art museum. The building has two façades. The one facing the street, with steps leading down to the water and life-size English horsemen in stucco on either side, is one of the most picturesque in Bangladesh. The other, at the museum’s entrance, is profusely embellished with a mosaic of blue and white tiles, and has something of an Andalucian look to it.
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Tribal Cultural Institute Museum
The newly constructed Tribal Cultural Institute Museum is one of the better museums in Bangladesh with well thought out displays on the tribes of the Hill Tracts, including costumes, bamboo flutes, coins, silver-and-ivory necklaces and a tiger trap – it’s hard to imagine what they actually do with a large, angry tiger once they get one in such a flimsy wooden trap! There is also a map showing where the different tribes live.
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Divisional Museum
If you’ve got some time to kill before a boat or bus departure, the small collection of objects garnered from around Bagerhat and on display at the Divisional Museum should help pass half an hour or so. Opposite the Hotel Jalico is a large Hindu temple (Sir Iqbal Rd) dedicated to Shiva, in which colour and incense are virtually compulsory.
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Varendra Research Museum
Founded in 1910 with the support of the maharaja of Dighapatia, the Varendra Research Museum is managed by Rajshahi University (RU), and is the oldest museum in the country. The predominantly British-style building has some interesting Hindu-Buddhist features, including a trefoil arch over the doorways and windows. A small rekha temple forms the roof.
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Mainimati Museum
The best place to start explorations is at Mainimati Museum. The collection includes terracotta plaques, bronze statues, 4th-century silver and gold coins, jewellery, kitchen utensils and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions. The marvellous terracotta plaques reveal a rural Buddhist art alive with animation and vivid natural realism.
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Ethnological Museum
There is little to see in Agrabad, the modern commercial section. The interesting Ethnological Museum has displays on Bangladesh’s tribal people. Unfortunately, it isn’t always open when it should be. Some of the exhibits are looking a bit tattered, but it covers all the major tribal groups of the nearby Chittagong Hill Tracts.
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Tajhat Palace
The domineering Tajhat Palace is one of the finest rajbaris in Bangladesh. During the regime of General Ershad (1982–91), the palace was used by the High Court division of Bangladesh’s Supreme Court, but today it houses a small museum stuffed with old manuscripts and bits and bobs from Paharpur and Mahasthangarh.
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Zia Memorial Museum
The Zia Memorial Museum is housed in an interesting mock-Tudor mansion. Among its much-revered collection is the microphone and transmitter with which President Zia proclaimed the country’s independence in 1971, and you can see the blood-stained and bullet-damaged wall at the foot of the stairs where Zia was shot.
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Bagerhat Museum
This small and neatly arranged museum is located opposite the Shait Gumbad Mosque. It contains relics from the surrounding area and is a good place to get your bearings before setting out to explore Bagerhat.
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Mahasthahgarh Site Museum
This small but well-maintained museum has a lively set of objects discovered in the antique rich surroundings.
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Marine Fisheries Academy
The Marine Fisheries Academy is housed in a new building with a small museum.
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