Southern Bangladesh - division of Bangladesh
Southern Bangladesh is a region of Bangladesh, consisting of Barisal Division and Khulna Division. The region is known for its rice production, thriving shrimp industry and the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans.
Cities
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Bagerhat — famous for Shait Gumbad Mosque and other historical sites
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Barisal (Barishal) — capital of Barisal Division, famous for paddy growing and its many small and big rivers
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Benapole — a town at the Indian border
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Khulna — capital of Khulna Division, a gateway to the Sundarbans
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Kuakata — picturesque natural beauty, sandy beach, blue sky, a huge expanse of the water of the bay and evergreen forest
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Jessore (Jashore) — birthplace of several Bengali writers
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Kushtia — one of the possible homes of the Bengali saint (baul) Lalan Fakir
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Mongla — a lively town and another base for excursions into the Sundarbans
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Mujibnagar 📍 — the historic site of where officials of the First Government of Bangladesh took their oaths in April 1971 at the culmination of the Bangladesh Liberation War, named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first prime minister of the country
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Sagardari 📍 — the birthplace of Bengali sonnet writer and dramatist Michael Madhusudan Dutt along the Kapataksha River
Other destinations
- Sundarbans 📍 — Bangladeshi part of the largest littoral mangrove in the world
Understand
Get in
By plane
Jessore Airport and Barisal Airport are two of the commercial airports in the region. They have regular service to Dhaka.
By car
You're likely to arrive in this division if you come from Kolkata. The border town of Benapole is the most used and has a couple of hotels but if you can it's more pleasant to forge on and stay in Jessore.
Get around
Numerous rivers and canals force the inhabitants to use boats as the main medium of transportation. The main rivers are the Arial Khan, Bishkhali, Burishwar, Tentulia, Paira, Haringhata, Baleshwar, Kirtankhola, Katcha, and Agunmukha. It is linked by steamer with Dhaka (117 km or 73 mi to the north) and with Chittagong to the southeast. Road communication has improved significantly over last decades with the building of many bridges.
See
- Naldanga Temple Complex (নলডাঙ্গা মন্দির), 23.4411°, 89.1651°, +880 1855356971. is a temple complex built in 1656 by Maharaj Indranarayan Debroy. There are 6 temples now, most of them in ruins. Renovation in still going on. From Jessore, you can take a bus to Kaliganj and from there take a rickshaw to Naldanga. 2020-08-07
- Biggest Banyan Tree, 23.3712°, 89.2009°. This is claimed to be the world's biggest banyan tree, spread across 2.8 acres. Might take some patience to find, or better yet go with someone who knows. Some colorful mosques near Barobazar:
- Nungola Masjid, 23.2980926°, 89.1471675°.
- Jhenaidah Golakata Mosque, 23.30585°, 89.13864°.
- Pir Pukur Masjid, 23.3025219°, 89.1448098°.
- Dhulgram Kali Mondir (ধূলগ্রাম শ্রী শ্রী সিদ্ধেশ্বরী কালি মন্দির), 22.96571°, 89.48303°, +880 1914992246. here was once a magnificent temple complex circa 1750 AD. 17 temples were there. Now only one is standing, to Lord Sri Krishna. Beautiful terracotta design can be seen all over the temple. It is a very holy place. You can see the remains of some temple still now. Most of the temples in the complex was submerged in the Bhairab River which flows by complex. You can go there by bus. From Jessore you can go to Abhaynagar by bus, and from Abhaynagar you can take the van or use local human haulers to reach Dhulgram. 2020-08-07
- 11-temple complex (১১ শিব মন্দির), Bhatnagar in Abhaynagar (N7 south to Noapara Rd over Bhairab Bridge), 23.00915°, 89.43303°. A protected area of the country displaying restored ruins dedicated to Lord Shiv. The central temple is half broken. But the visitor can still feel the majesty of Bengal's glorious past. It's like being an archaeologist. 2020-08-07
- Durga Sagar, the largest lake in southern Bangladesh, is a man-made pond where a number of migratory birds arrive every winter.
- Guthia Mosque is a mosque complex of Bangladesh having a land area of 5.7 hectares (14 acres).