What are the most popular tourist places to visit in Chittagong Bangladesh?
Chittagong (Officially Chattogram) is the main international seaport and second largest city in Bangladesh
1 BNS Issa Khan, New Mooring, Chittagong, ☏ +1 880-31-740391, +1 880-31-714971. Largest naval base of the Bangladeshi Navy. Before the Bangladesh Liberation War, as PNS Bakhtiar, the base was awarded the National Standard by the President of Pakistan.
2 Chittagong Buddhist Monastery, Nandan Kanan. It is considered as one of the holy places of Buddhists in Bangladesh. There are Kesdhatu of Gautama Buddha, Ashtadhatu statue, Bodhimandap, Chintamani Library, Buddhist Hostel, Dhammavansh Institute, Medical Center, etc. There is a library called Echarao Chintamani Library which contains various rare manuscripts.
3 Chittagong Zoo, Foy’s Lake, South Khulshi (at the entrance of Foy’s lake, opposite the foothills of the mountains of USTC Medical College). With an area of 6 acres of land, the zoo is about 3 km north-east of the city. Major exhibits are Indian lion, Asian black bear, Indian muntjac, Chital.
4 J M Sen Hall (Jatra Mohon Sen Hall), K B Abdus Sattar Road. In 1916 Saratchandra Rai Bahadur laid the foundation stone of the first Town Hall named JM Sen Hall. The auditorium is named in memory of Jatramohan Sen, a Bengali lawyer, politician and social activist. There is a club here. There are also busts of Masterda Surya Sen, one of the revolutionary leaders of the anti-British freedom struggle, Jatindramohan, a famous politician in the subcontinent, Mahimchandra Das, a journalist, lawyer and politician, Nelly Sengupta, one of the pioneers of Chittagong’s women’s movement.
Architectures
5 Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque, Anderkilla. Andarqilla Shahi Jame Masjid was built after the conquest of Chittagong by the Mughals in 1666, on a small hill about 10 m (33 ft) above the plain. The architecture and structure of the mosque are made according to the Mughal style.
According to the design of the original mosque, it is 16 m long, 6.9 m wide, and each wall is about 2.2 m thick. The western wall is made of burnt mud and the remaining three walls are made of stone. The roof is covered by a large dome in the middle and two smaller domes. Of its four octagonal towers, built in 1666, the rear two now exist. As the mosque is almost a reflection of the historical Jama Masjid of Delhi in terms of construction strategy, it gave birth to a new dimension in the development of Muslim architecture in the Chittagong region. This mosque is also called a stone mosque – “Jame Sangin” because it is built using large stones like Delhi’s Jama Masjid.
6 Chandanpura Nachghar, Chandanpura. Abandoned centenary dance hall of Zamindar house in Chandanpura.
The 250-year-old, two-storied building is almost dilapidated as of 2023. Decorated with various crafts. There are some remains of images of gods and goddesses and flowers on the walls. The two-storied building has 14 rooms including guest rooms. There are 10 entrance doors around the dance hall. There is only one staircase in one corner of the building to go up.
7 Cheragi Pahar, Cheragi Pahar Circle, Jamal Khan (at the intersection of three roads adjacent to Jamal Khan and Momin road). A historical structure of Chittagong. Cheragi Pahar is a famous place for art-literature-culture practice.
Cheragi Pahar is known as the meeting place of Chittagong’s poets, journalists, writers, cultural workers, readers-writers, and organizers. There is no longer a hill called Cheragi Pahar here but there is a Cherag(lamp)-shaped structure at the intersection of three roads.
8 Chittagong Court Building, Parir Pahar. Chittagong Court Building is a colonial architectural masterpiece built on Parir Pahar. The building is an example of the Indo-British architectural style built in Bengal.
From here there is an opportunity to see a sincere view of the city of Chittagong, especially at night. After the British East India Company declared Chittagong as a separate administrative region in 1773, this two-storied building was built for administrative purposes. The area is 1,53,000 square feet and the number of rooms is more than a hundred. The offices of the Divisional Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner are located here.
9 Chatteshwari Temple, 20 Chatteshwari Road, Mehdi Bagh. One of the famous Hindu temples in Bangladesh. According to legend, around 300-350 years ago,
Goddess Chatteswari appeared through Arya Rishi Yogis and Sadhu Sannyasis.
10 Central Railway Building, CRB Rd (Located in the hilly area adjacent to Tigerpass under Kotwali police station.). Bangladesh Railway (Eastern) General Manager’s Control Office. Completed in 1872, the building is the oldest building in the port city.
It is one of the buildings that bear the history of two hundred years of British colonial rule in Chittagong.
11 Iskcon Prabartak Sri Krishna Temple, Prabartak Shangha (in front of Afmi Plaza), ☏ +8801819395948, +8801712164595, iskconctg@gmail.com. The three-storied Drishtinandan temple, built of Makrana marble from Rajasthan, has wood for its doors and windows sourced from Africa and Myanmar. The length of this temple is 100 feet, its width 50 feet and its height 65 feet.
12 Jamuna Bhaban, Sheikh Mujib Road, Agrabad, info@jamunaoil.gov.bd. The building was established in 1964 by the then-first national oil company of East Pakistan, Pakistan National Oil Limited (PNOL), a private limited company.
13 Kalurghat Bridge (Kalurghat Pole), Kalurghat (about 7 km from Bahaddarhat in the south of the city). The railway bridge was built over the Karnaphuli River in 1930 during British rule.
The bridge has 2 abutments, 6 brick pillars, 12 steel pillars and 19 spans. It connects the greater Chittagong district to the north and south. It is also called the gateway of South Chittagong. The bridge was declared endangered in 2001.
14 Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah (Chandanpura Mosque), Nabab Siraj ud-Daulah Rd, Chandanpura. After Shaista Khar’s army liberated Chittagong from the Magharajads of Arakan in 1666, numerous mosques were built here under his orders. Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah is one of them. The mosque has 15 domes. The construction of the largest dome required 15 maunds of silver and brass worth about four lakh rupees at that time.
15 Shah Amanat Bridge (Second Karnaphuli Bridge), Karnaphuli. 24 Hrs. The main bridge, including four lanes, sidewalks and dividers, is 950 meters (3,117 ft) long and 24.47 meters (80 ft) wide. The number of spans is 3. It connects Patia and Baklia police stations. Free.
Beaches and River Sides
16 Anandabazar Sea Beach (Chouchala Sea Beach), Chittagong Coastal Rd, Halishahar. A coastal area near the Bay of Bengal in Halishahar.
17 Abhay Mitra Ghat, Sadarghat. Large area of open space on the banks of Karnaphuli river.
18 Karnaphuli River. A transboundary river of Bangladesh-India. The length of the Bangladesh part of the river is 161 km, the average width is 453 m and its nature is spiral. At the mouth of this river, the main seaport of Bangladesh is the Port of Chittagong.
19 South Kattali. It is one of the beaches of Bangladesh after Cox’s Bazar or Kuakata.
20 Khejurtala Sea Beach, Muslimabad Road (10 minutes by road along the right side (south-west) road of Steelmill Market of the city.). Khejurtala is one of the most beautiful beaches in the city. The easily accessible Khejurtala beach can be enjoyed simultaneously with the environment of Patenga and Naval.
21 Foy’s Lake, South Khulshi. An artificial lake in the Pahartali area of Chittagong and one of the tourist spots. It was excavated in 1924 under the supervision of the Assam-Bengal Railway Authority and was then known as Pahartali Lake. Foy’s Lake was later named after the English railway engineer Foy.
22 Faujdarhat Beach, Faujdarhat. About 16 km from Chittagong City.
23 Lal Dighi, Lal Dighi, Kotwali (Its location is at the end of Jail Road in the city). One of the traditional places of the city. Laldighi is spread over an area of 2.70 acres.
On one side is the Andarkilla, and on the other side are the Zilla Parishad buildings and local bank branches. Free.
24 Patenga Sea Beach, Patenga. One of the most popular beaches in Bangladesh. Located at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, the port city is about 14 km south of Chittagong. Patenga is a popular tourist centre of Chittagong city. Many jetties of Chittagong Port are located near Patenga.
From here you can see the movement of ships in the sea or aeroplanes flying overhead. Bangladesh Naval Academy is also located here. One of the popular food stalls here is the spicy fried crab served with a plate of chickpeas garnished with cucumber and onion. There is also a Burmese market on the beach.
25 Naval Road, Patenga (Next to Shah Amanat International Airport.). The meeting point of Karnaphuli River and the Bay of Bengal.
Archives and Libraries
26 Chittagong City Corporation Public Library (“Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury” Chittagong City Corporation Public Library), Laldighi, ☏ +88031638989. It is the first public library of Chittagong. The library is named after the poet Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury. Chittagong Central Jail and Laldighi Maidan are located next to it.
27 Chintamani Library (Buddhist Vihara Library), Chittagong Buddhist Monastery, Nandan Kanan. A library with various rare manuscripts. Palm-leaf manuscripts are preserved here. This museum has ancient religious scriptures written in Pali, Burmese, and Sanskrit. Classical literature and works of art written on palm leaves enriched this library.
28 Zia Memorial Museum Library, Circuit House, Shaheed Saifuddin Khaled Road. It is a museum built to preserve the memory of Ziaur Rahman, the eighth president of Bangladesh and former army chief. Zia’s private content is stored here. There is also a library here.
29 Divisional Govt. Public Library, KC Dey Road, Nandan Kanan, ☏ +88031611578, dgplchittagong@gmail.com. Sa-W 9:00-17:00 (closed Thursday, Friday & Govt. holidays). This public library has a collection of 95,244 books. The library is being rebuilt under the Chittagong Muslim Institute Hall and Cultural Complex reconstruction project. Until it is finished, the library of the old building had four reading rooms and its administrative area on the ground floor.
Cemeteries, Memorials and Sculptures
30 Chattogram Commonwealth War Cemetery (Chittagong War Cemetery), 19 Badshah Mia Chowdhury Road, Mehdibagh. 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. Built on hilly slopes and plains near Chittagong Medical College, near Fine Arts Institute on Chatteswari Road and Finley Guest House. The mausoleum was established by the British Army after World War II. Initially, there were about 400 tombs, but today there are 731 tombs of which 17 are of unknown persons. There are about 20 (1 Dutch and 19 Japanese) graves of national and foreign soldiers killed in World War II. There is also a Chittagong-Bombay memorial of World War II (1939-1945) here. Free.
31 Central Shaheed Minar, KC Dey Road. Divisional Martyrs Monument. Shaheed Minar was built on 20 February 1962. It is under reconstruction under the Chittagong Cultural Complex project.
32 City Gate, Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Known as City Gate. Sometimes it is illuminated at night. Sitakunda upazila is on the north side of this gate and Karnelhat area is on the south side.
33 Tigerpass Royal Bengal Tiger Statue, Tigerpass More. Sculpture of Bengal Tiger.
34 Rupali Guitar, Ayub Bachchu Square, Prabartak More (The facade of this sculpture is visible while driving from Golpahar More towards Prabartak More.). The sculpture was built in memory of Ayub Bachchu, the founder of the band Love Runs Blind (LRB), a famous music artist of Bangladesh.
35 Shrine of Bayazid Bostami, Nasirabad. It was discovered in 1831 in a walled courtyard on the top of a hill in Nasirabad. At the foot of Shrine Hill is a three-domed Mughal-style rectangular mosque and a huge Dighi. Many believe that the tomb of Bayezid Bostami is located here. At the foot of the shrine is a vast lake with Bostami’s turtles and Gojar fish as its well-known inhabitants. Locally they are called Mazari and Ghazari. Bostami’s tortoise is an internationally recognized extremely rare and critically endangered species. They are not seen anywhere else in the world except in the Shrine of Bayazid Bostami.
Museums.
36 Bangladesh Maritime Museum, Bangladesh Marine Academy. A museum in a small room at the old seamanship class building in Bangladesh Marine Academy.
37 Bangladesh Railway Museum, Ambagan road, Pahartali. Bangladesh Railway Museum is the sole railway museum of Bangladesh Railway. It was a bungalow before turning to a museum on November 15, 2003, which showcases some of the rich collection of relics, and objects used in Assam Bengal Railway (1942), Eastern Bengal Railway (1947) and Pakistan Railway (1961). The preserved artefacts mainly belong to the mechanical, electrical, telecommunication, signal, traffic and engineering departments of the Bangladesh Railway. It also includes different kinds of lamps and lights, fans and bells, uniforms and accessories of station masters, signalling equipment, transmitters, analogue telephones, monograms, track switches and railway sleepers.
38 Court Building Museum, Chittagong Court Building (on Fairy Hill). This building commands a panoramic bird’s eye view of Chittagong. It was the site of passionate activity during the independence War in 1971.
39 Ethnological Museum, Sabdar Ali Road, Agrabad. Shows a mix of tribal artefacts. The Ethnological Museum of Chittagong was established in the first half of the 1960s. The museum contains four galleries and a small hall. It is a little dark. Some sections contain mock-ups of ‘village life’ for the different tribal areas with life-size dolls. These are reminiscent of the museum in the film Planet of the Apes.
40 Zia Memorial Museum, Circuit house, Shahid Saifuddin Khaled Road. (updated Jul 2017
Parks
41 Biplob Udyan, 2 No. Gate (Beside Masjid Gali). ১৬:০০ থেকে ২১:০০. The park is named after Pritilata Waddedar, a revolutionary woman of Chittagong. There are wooden arches and concrete umbrellas. The gate of the park is beautifully marked with trees, Biplob Udyan. The most interesting thing is the Swadhinata Stambha (Independence Pillar). Sheikh Farid Chasma is nearby. Free.
42 Butterfly Park Bangladesh, 15 Naval Academy Road (next to the airport), ☏ +8801811444270, info@bangladeshbutterflypark.com.bd. 09:30 to sunset. Spread over 6 acres (2.4 ha) of land, the park is home to approximately 600 species of butterflies. The park is believed to be the first butterfly park in the Indian subcontinent. There are tropical gardens, a butterfly zone, a butterfly museum, a butterfly-rearing room, an artificial lake-fountain, a fish feeding zone and a butterfly feeding zone. Bangladeshi minor 50 Tk, adult 100 Tk; citizens of SAARC countries 150 Tk; foreigner 200 Tk.
43 CRB (Central Railway Building), CRB Rd (in the hilly area adjacent to Tigerpass). There is an elephant bungalow on the CRB hills. Also towards the centre is a spacious ground called Sirishtala, where traditional festivals like Pahela Boishakh, Pahela Phalgun etc. are organized annually.
44 DC Hill Park (Nazrul Square), Buddhist Temple Road (next to Nandankanan Buddhist Temple). DC Hill is one of the scenic spots now officially named “Nazrul Square”. It is 1 km away from Zero Point, the centre of the city. There are many tall trees around. DC Hill holds historical significance by celebrating Bengali New Year every year. Also, various cultural programs including national and cultural days, stage plays, and open film screenings are organized here. Free.
45 Jamboree Park, SM Morshed Road, Agrabad (opposite Agrabad Karnaphuli Shishu Park). 17:00 to 21:00. Spread over 8.55 acres of land, the park has long circular walkways, a reservoir of about 50,000 square feet, with three large galleries for seating on its banks. There are also 550 lamps along with colourful fountains. Four structures around the park include two toilet blocks, a public works maintenance office and an electrical substation. Free.
46 Laldighi Park, Laldighi, Kotayali (at the end of Jail Road in the city). 6:00 to 8:00, 15:00 to 19:00. One of the traditional places of the city. Laldighi is spread over an area of 2.70 acres. On one side is the Andarkilla, and on the other side are the Zilla Parishad buildings and local bank branches. Free.
47 Shadhinata Complex (Mini Bangladesh), Bahaddarhat (beside Bahaddarhat Bus Terminal), ☏ +8801711379293. Basically a theme park where the various sights and historical buildings of Bangladesh are exactly replicated. The complex includes Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Ahsan Manzil, Supreme Court, Curzon Hall, Kantajew Temple, Darbar Hall, Barakuthi, Chhotakuthi, Choto Sona Mosque, Lalbagh Fort, Somapura Mahavihara, National Martyrs’ Memorial, Shaheed Minar, St. Nicholas Church, Chirantan Palli, Bridge under the train, artificial water bodies, six Keuch (seating stalls), five water fountains and three Kids Zone. There is also a 71 meter or 230 feet tall Independence Tower commemorating the 1971 Liberation War.
48 United Nations Park (United Nations Shobuj Udyan), Panchlaish Residential Area. A total of 69.357 acres of land was acquired and 136 residential plots of one bigha size were allotted in the Panchlaish Residential Area of the city. Of this, 2.30 acres of land were reserved for Shobuj Uddan (Green Field)—which later became known as the United Nations Park. Free.
Do
There are a few amusement parks and public parks in Chittagong:
1 Batali Hill (Zilapi Hill), Tigerpass (about 1 km from the center of the city). The tallest hill in the city of Chittagong is about 280 feet high. From its summit, the Bay of Bengal and large parts of Chittagong city can be clearly seen. During World War II, anti-aircraft guns were placed on top of the hill. Many years ago there was a lighthouse on the hill to guide ships sailing on distant seas. It is a good place to see the city from above.
Fishing
Go fishing for Anabas, Cat fish, Ruhi, Tilapia etc.
2 Agrabad Deba, Agrabad. Artificial lake in Agrabad, Chittagong. The total area of the reservoir including banks is 27.4 acres. Deba is mainly owned by Bangladesh Railways.
Rides
3 Foy’s Lake Concord (Foy’s Lake Amusement World), Foy’s Lake, Zakir Hossain Rd (in the Pahartali neighborhood), ☏ +880 1969-953551, info@foyslake.com. 10:00am – 07:30pm. A theme park complex covering nearly 320 acres at Foy’s Lake. The complex consists of a dry theme park, a water park, and Foy’s Lake Resort. It was established in 2004. Tk 480.
4 Karnaphuli Shishu Park, Jamboree Field Road, Agrabad. 03:00-20:00. Entertainment place located in the heart of the city. The earlier name of this garden was Jamburi Field. Chukchuk Car, Voyager Boat, Medi Godown, Race Godown, Racing Car, Swing and other entertainment facilities are available here. In addition, there are mini Chinese hotels, cooling corners, and various souvenir shops. The main gate of the park, modelled after Disney Land, attracts everyone. Tk 40/pp entry.
5 Chittagong Shishu Park, Circuit House. 03:00-20:00. Tk 40/pp entry.
Theatre Institute ChattagramOffice & Training building, Zilla Shilpakala Academy
There are places where you can buy show tickets, but generally not for the really popular shows on the same day of the performance. Most were only cash accepted.
Performing arts
6 Bistaar: Chittagong ArtsComplex (Bistaar), 688/C, Mehdibag Road, Multidisciplinary and multipurpose industrial facility centre. A contemporary space to showcase the art and culture of the city. There are galleries and event spaces, music and film archives, souvenir shops and food and beverage cafes.
7 Theatre Institute Chattagram, K.C. Dey Road. TIC is a cultural performing art centre in Chittagong. It is the theatre hall of fine and performing arts. The institute is organized and controlled by the City Corporation of the district. Tk 50-200.
8 Zilla Shilpakala Academy, MM Ali Road, Dampara. Zilla Shilpakala Academy is the principal state-sponsored Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy affiliated and controlled district cultural centre. It is the district Academy of Fine and performing arts. ৳50-200.
Theaters
Star Cineplex (Star Cineplex – Bali Arcade), Bali Arcade, নবাব সিরাজউদ্দৌলা সড়ক, চকবাজার, ☏ +8809617660660, +8801755665544, info@cineplexbd.com.
9 Silver Screen, Finlay Square, 6th Floor, East Nasirabad, ☏ +8801701449955, info@silverscreencineplex.com. There are 72-seat platinum and 18-seat titanium halls in this cineplex. 400-1500.
10 Sugandha Cinema Hall (Jhumur Cinema Hall), Kazir Dewri, ☏ +01681008552. Earlier name was Jhumur Cinema Hall. Sugandha Cinema Hall was reopened in 2020 after being closed for five years. There are 200 general seats and 16 VIP seats. 150-200.
Events.
Chittagong continues to grow with annual events and festivals held throughout the city.
