Nelson Mandela at ninety

Ultimate leadership act: Nelson Mandela's decision not to stand for re-election, announced early in his presidency, depersonalised and institutionalised South Africa's democratic transition.
Margaret Thatcher famously said "Anyone who thinks the ANC will form the government of South Africa is living in cloud cuckoo-land." If Mrs. Thatcher may be faulted for lack of foresight, what to say of the US State Department, which until recently had the ANC, South Africa's ruling party since 1994, on its list of terrorist organisations, whose members, including Nelson Mandela, needed a special waiver to enter the United States? Lack of hindsight? This would be, I suppose, just another expression of what Richard Hofstadter called "the paranoid style in US politics." It has led to the imposition of such absurd rules as those that allowed, a few weeks ago, a Canadian airport security guard to confiscate the mother's milk of a returning-home, young US lawyer, who had laboriously pumped it from her breasts for her infant child back in San Diego, as it exceeded the prescribed limit (100 ml) of liquid airplane passengers are allowed to take on board. Yet, outside the corridors of power of London and Washington (and even within some of them) Nelson Mandela, "Madiba" to his friends, is regarded as one of the very few iconic leaders of the twentieth century - up there with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Charles de Gaulle and Ernesto "Che" Guevara. As he turns 90, happily married to Graca Machel (the only woman to have been First Lady of two countries), he is still active, leading three foundations, collecting honorary degrees from 50 of the world's leading universities, and dividing his time between his native hamlet of Qunu in the Transkei and Johannesburg. The recent concert held in his honour in London, broadcast around the world 20 years after the one held in 1988 to demand his release, shows the enormous esteem he is held in.
I first met Nelson Mandela on a rainy, late June 1994 morning in De Tuynhuys, the South African President's office in Cape Town, when I presented my letters of credence. It was the first such ceremony for both of us, the 18th century building next to Parliament - which once housed the Governors of the Cape - was being refurbished (this was a scarce six weeks after Mandela's inauguration) and it took us a while to get going. Yet, after the speeches and the photo-ops, I had my 15 (that turned into 30) minutes in private with him and a couple of aides - that sound tradition that has fallen by the wayside in so many countries. The standard template for such meetings is to exchange social pleasantries, and perhaps talk about the weather, but certainly not about any bilateral issues, about which the head of state would not necessarily be fully briefed. I departed from the script, took my chances and brought up the question of the potential creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa. Justice Minister Dullah Omar, a good friend, had been pushing for it, partly inspired by the Chilean experience with a TRC, but these were early days and there was no consensus either in the government or in the ANC. Mandela listened intently to my description of Chile's TRC, why it was considered to have set the standard for such bodies at the time, and why it represented a good compromise between two extreme solutions that had not worked to deal with an evil past: the creation of special courts to prosecute human rights violations under authoritarian rule, and, on the other hand, a blanket amnesty for those involved in such shenanigans.
I could see his mind at work, assessing what was at stake. Instead of asking one of his aides to take notes for a possible follow-up (that might never take place), which would have been the SOP for such a demarche, he asked me a couple of questions about how TRCs worked, and then whether I had anything in writing about the Chilean Commission. I happened to have an 80-page, English-language summary version of the three-volume report of the latter, which I sent to him by hand that very afternoon.
I would like to think that exchange played a role, however small, in the subsequent launch of the South African TRC, whose activities became one of the defining features of Mr Mandela's presidency, and a body that, under the leadership of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his deputy, Alex Boraine, would set a new standard for Truth Commissions. In 1998, when the South African TRC delivered its report, including criticisms of what had transpired in the ANC camps, the party made a big ruckus, but Mr Mandela held his peace. In this, as in so many other matters, Mr Mandela showed an uncanny sense of that "middle road" that marked his presidency and his leadership - one that stood for certain basic principles, without necessarily antagonising and alienating his adversaries and political rivals. One year after our initial meeting, in June 1995, his famous gesture of donning the South African rugby team's captain's jersey (a sport widely identified with whites and white supremacy) in Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium, on the day the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup, was emblematic of his push for reconciliation, and did much to bring Afrikaners around to the country's new dispensation.
Less known is his visit to Betsy Verwoerd, the widow of former Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, the true architect of apartheid. In late 1994, Mr Mandela hosted a lunch party in Johannesburg for prominent South African women from all walks of life: Adelaide Tambo, Amina Cachalia, Nadine Gordimer, Helen Suzman and Frene Ginwala were all there. He invited Betsy Verwoerd, who lived in Orania, a town in the middle of the Orange Free State (originally set up, in the Afrikaner delirium, as a "whites only" town) but she declined. Shortly thereafter, Mr Mandela flew to Orania and had tea and koeksusters with her, thus reaching out to Afrikaners in the very heart of their laager.
After being imprisoned and "banned" (meaning he became a "non-person", who could not be quoted or mentioned in the media or in public) by the apartheid regime for 27 years, Mr Mandela suddenly found himself surrounded and idolised by the Whites, Afrikaner children during his visits to schools, something to which his regal bearing and innate elegance helped - to see him with Queen Elizabeth during her 10-day visit to South Africa was to see two monarchs, one a democratic one, the other a constitutional one, with great respect and appreciation for each other.
Mr Mandela's ultimate leadership act was his decision, announced early in his presidency, not to stand for re-election, thus depersonalising and institutionalising South Africa's democratic transition, giving it a stability so sadly missing in so many other African countries (witness Zimbabwe today), where the penchant of leaders to perpetuate themselves in power, even long after their welcome period has expired, has caused so much harm. Much as Turkey's Kemal Ataturk provided the role model for the effective reformer in 20th century politics, Mr Mandela has provided the one for the democratising leader that successfully makes the transition from head of the liberation struggle to advocate for peaceful reconciliation, something very few of his counterparts have managed anywhere.
Mr. Mandela's significance and success, then, goes way beyond that much overused word - charisma, though he has plenty of it. A smile that lightens up every room he enters, a great sense of humour (whenever he would meet us he would ask my wife, "Do you remember me?") and a remarkable capacity to put people at ease are part of this extraordinary ability to win people over, be they friend or foe. His loyalty to those who supported him and his struggle is legendary. Taiwan kept its Embassy in Pretoria till 1997, as he refused - against the opinion of many advisers - to break diplomatic ties with Taipei. He also publicly expressed his gratitude to Indonesian strongman Suharto, not exactly a champion of democracy, by inviting him for a state visit to South Africa.
So has been his ability to change course as the political situation demanded. In the 1960s, as the apartheid state swung into full repression mode, he moved from non-violent, Gandhian opposition to white rule to espousing armed struggle. And then, in the 1990s, he switched back again from armed resistance to peaceful negotiation and reconciliation - but only after being released from prison, pointedly refusing an early 1985 release entailing a commitment to giving up the struggle, arguing that " only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts."

Happy birthday, Mr. President!

(The writer is CIGI Professor of Global Governance at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario. He served as Chile's Ambassador to South Africa from 1994 to 1999.)

[SAN-Feature Service]

World Bank Vice President visited Dhaka

Isabel Guerrero yesterday concluded a two-day visit to Bangladesh, her first visit to the country as World Bank Vice President for South Asia, a position she commenced on July 2, 2008.
During her visit, Guerrero met with Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed and Finance Adviser Dr. A. B. Mirza M. Azizul Islam to discuss the Bank's program here and how it can help the country address the shocks of rising commodity prices, particularly oil, food, and fertilizer.
"The rise in food prices, and particularly rice, has really hit poor people in Bangladesh," Guerrero said. "I am heartened by the government's efforts to help the farmers achieve a bumper boro rice harvest and to protect the poor from food price inflation, and we remain deeply committed to helping them overcome this urgent challenge." Given the declining availability of land for agricultural uses, she also emphasized the critical need for increasing agricultural productivity in the medium-term in order to enhance food security in Bangladesh.
The Bank is currently preparing an operation under the World Bank's Food Crisis Response Program (FCRP), focusing on fiscal issues, social protection, and agriculture, she said. The Bank is also conducting a household level survey to directly gauge the impact of food price increases on the poor in Bangladesh.
The World Bank has also recently approved funding to expand the Social Investment Programme (SIPP) and a disability and Child at Risk project, with plans to also provide financing for secondary education, water supply and sanitation, social protection, and environment in the coming months.
With the Chief Adviser and Finance Adviser, Guerrero also discussed key development priorities including infrastructure, human development, climate change, and the Government's governance program. Guerrero lauded the Government for its commitment to economic policy reforms and its anti-corruption drive.

New driving licence soon

The traffic authorities are planning to introduce modern driving licences to identify offences made by a driver and go for action, including cancellation of licenses, accordingly, a senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.
‘We have asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to introduce highly-secured driving licenses, which could be perforated for violation of traffic rules,’ said DMP commissioner Naim Ahmed.
After certain number of violations, the license would become invalid and seized by the authorities, he said.
However, the number of chances a driver will be given before being barred from driving is yet to be decided, he said adding that the system exists in many modern cities of the world.
When asked to comment on alleged unscrupulous acts by some traffic sergeants, who allow traffic offenders go in exchange of bribes, the DMP commissioner said, ‘We would show zero tolerance to them. The DMP will oversee whether the officials are performing their duties properly.’
The top brass of the metropolitan police said the new system would be introduced very soon.
Asked what steps the authorities are taking to contain the traffic congestion in the capital, the DMP commissioner said that the Regional Transport Committee to streamline the traffic had decided to bring down the number of bus routes to 60 from more than 100 at present. Some 20 of the allowed routes would be city circular services, he added.
‘In the last month’s meeting of the Dhaka Metropolitan Regional Transport Committee, we also fixed the number of bus stoppages for the city. From now on, no bus would be allowed to stop or park haphazardly,’ Ahmed said.
Haphazard parking of buses close to busy intersections, driving through wrong routes and violating the traffic rules often create tailback and also cause accidents in the city.
Bus stoppages at Farmgate, Banglamotor, Shahbagh, Paltan, Gulistan, Dainik Bangla crossing, Motijheel, Ittefaq crossing, Kakrail crossing, Malibagh, Mouchak, Moghbazar and a few other points are within two to three yards from the intersections.
Picking and dropping passengers at these intersections keep these busy roads always congested.
Although stopping at some points like the Bangla Motor and Karwan Bazar is prohibited, buses are often seen picking up and dropping passengers.
Witnesses said most of the town service busses coming towards Gulistan, start moving slowly between Farmgate and the Sonargaon intersection leaving very little space for other vehicles to move faster.
Passengers are also to be blamed at times as they try to get into the busses at the intersections without going to the place specified taking or dropping, a traffic police said.
‘We pick the passengers from the intersections as they keep waiting there. We would not get sufficient passengers if we do not pick them from the intersections,’ a bus contractor, Suman, said.
However, the traffic department has a provision to fine the drivers Tk 250 for stopping too close to intersections.

400 Years of Dhaka

Walking by the narrow lanes of Tantibazar one will see a small wooden door almost hidden in the midst of congested buildings.

On entering the premises the visitor will be greeted by an exquisitely ornate temple standing at the centre of a small plot.

This Radha Ballabh Mandir is another richly ornate temple at Tantibazar that faces the risk of losing its surface decoration, said experts.

The decorative staircase of the temple leads to its veranda and then to a simple chamber for worship on the first floor. It has a store at the ground floor level now used for residential purposes.

The unique features of the 300-year old temple have turned it into an exquisite gem ensconced in the traditional architectural fabric of Tantibazar.

"We are celebrating 400 years of Dhaka with much enthusiasm and colour when our heritage sites are getting tattered just in front of our eyes," remarked an elderly local.

According to conservation architects, the temple bears the architectural characteristics of the 19th century period of aestheticism movement.

"In the decorations we can see a blend of ceramics and chini-tikri. Regular geometrical patterns and lightweight ceramics were used in the designs," said Taimur Islam, a conservation architect of Urban Study Group.

Surface relief, raised platform, projected floral motifs, ornamental grills, cluster columns, concentric arches, decorative pediment, and cartouches are some of the important features of the temple, he said.

"But the most distinctive feature is the decorative iron works in the risers between the stairs," he added.

Taimur said the temple has no structural problem but all its deterioration is in the surface level. The delicate works of the temple are at risk of ruination because of lack of proper care.

"Restoration works will be possible if we have the detailed documentation of the temple and technological know-how of the chini-tikri and the ceramic works and if we can collect enough funds for the job," said Taimur.

The family, known as the traditional caretaker and owner of the temple, now lives in two rooms inside the compound without any basic urban facilities. The family is looking after the temple for seven generations.

According to the caretakers, their forefathers Bala Hari Roy and Madan Mohan Roy built the temple around 300 years ago.

Today they are living without any electricity connection, any supply of gas and water and without any sewage system inside the temple compound.

“Our electricity line was cut because we did not have the money to pay the bills and we have to use the water of this well,” said Bina Roy, a member of the family, showing a small old well half-filled with unclean water.

"Our two tenants left without paying the rent. Now our only source of income is one tenant and a shop inside our compound from which we get only Tk 1,000," said Bina's daughter Basanti Roy.

"A group of local influential people are creating pressure on us to leave the temple because it is a nice place for commercial purposes," she alleged.

Day out on a cruise

Bangladesh, a riverine country, is crisscrossed by rivers. Viewing nature and the countryside from the rivers opens up a new vista before the eyes of the beholder, be they local or foreign. But there were hardly any companies offering cruises in Dhaka.
"Almost every capital city in the world has companies offering river cruises to tourists. Close home one can instantly cite the examples of Singapore and Bangkok. But the capital city of Bangladesh lacked such cruises worth the name till recently," said Zahedur Rah-man, Assistant Manager-Food and Beverage, Hotel Sarina.
Sarina Group, sensing a vacuum in this sector, decided to launch Sarina Cruise, a state-of-the-art ship that can sail anywhere. The Chairman of the Group is a Marine Engineer as is the Chief Engineer. The Chairman had the ship built by Western Marine Shipyard Limited of Chittagong, he said.
"We received the centrally air-conditioned ship in 2005 and it was formally inaugurated on Pahela Baishakh of 2006," he added.
Stationed in Ashulia BIWTA Terminal, the luxurious ship offers seven hours' cruise- sailing for about three and a half hours before turning back.
The ship can be stationed at the Pagla Ghat or the old jetty at Meghna Ghat according to the client's desire, but the client booking the ship has to take the requisite permission from the relevant authorities and pay for the extra fuel, he said.
"The ship can accommodate 80 persons in theatre style on the Main Deck, which can be extended to 90. The restaurant has a capacity for 60 persons which can be extended up to 70."
For holding a programme on the Main Deck, one has to book 15 days ahead at least for 80 persons, paying Tk 2,500 each for any number of guests less than or equal to it. For over 80 guests, one has to pay for the actual number," said Zahedur Rahman, adding "we offer complimentary live band in case of daylong cruise."
“Most of the corporate houses, UN bodies and international agencies have used "Sarina Cruise" to hold high-level meetings, workshops or just for entertaining their staff members."
"We design the menu as per client base and serve it from the fully-equipped kitchen. We offer morning tea and snacks after the ship starts sailing, sumptuous buffet lunch at noon and tea and snacks in the afternoon."
"The VIP Lounge in the Under Deck can accommodate about 25 persons and can be used for exclusive meetings. There is also the Sky Deck, but we do not encourage people going up there for safety reasons," he said.
Regarding safety and hygiene on the ship, he said, "The GL (Germanischer Lloyd) class vessel was designed and built under complete construction su-pervision of Mercantile Marine Depart-ment of Bang-ladesh and complies with IMO/MSO Rules."
"The ship is equipped with radar and global positioning system (GPS). It is very safe. There are 20 lifebuoys and 300 life jackets. The eight washrooms are cleaned every hour."
Asked about night cruises, he said, "The ship is a floating restaurant during dinner. We still do not encourage night cruises as it is difficult to navigate the narrow and shallow Turag channel at night."
On a query whether the group had any plans for Chittagong, he admitted not being so aggressive in marketing and said, the Group has plans to offer cruises to St. Martins offering lunch on board.
Pressed for details, he said, "At present you have to use vessels that leave much to be desired, and once on the island, during noon you also have to look around where to have lunch."
The Group has plans for cruise to the Sundarbans, but at present it is concentrating on a smaller vessel to ply on the Turag.
Zahedur Ranman suggested dredging not only at Ashulia but all along the 'circular waterway' around the city as well as improving the road access to Shinnir Tek. "The draught is better there," he said.

Banglalink roundtable on New Seven Wonders of Nature held

A Banglalink Roundtable on what is to be done to ensure presence of different attractions of the country in the New Seven Wonders of Nature, organised by Bangladesh Wonders Pro-motion Association in cooperation with Bangladesh Tourism Promotion Association, was held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city on July 15.
Mahbub Jamil, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Civil Aviation and Tourism was the chief guest at the roundtable presided over by Major General (Retd) Ruhul Alam Chowdhury, former Adviser of the caretaker government and president, Advisory Council of Bangladesh Wonders Promotion Association.
Julius Chowdhury, President, Bangladesh Wonders Promotion Association, presenting the keynote paper called upon all to help Cox's Bazar, Sundarbans and lifeline of the country Padma be included in the New Seven Wonders of Nature. This will not only help Bangladesh's top two tourism attractions noticed by the world, but draw attention to our rightful share of Ganges water as well.
Shafique Alam Mehdi, Chairman, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Solaiman Alam, Head of PR and Communication, Marketing Department, Banglalink, Abdul Haque, Honorary Consul of Republic of Djibouti in Bangladesh, Kamal Uddin Ahmad, Director, Social Investment Bank Limited, Sarwar Kamal, Mayor, Cox's Bazar Pourasabha and Abu Sayeed, Chairman, Global Tourism were present, among others, as panel discussants.

Air India Express starts Dhaka-Kolkata flights

Indian state-run Air India's subsidiary carrier Air India Express started regular Dhaka-Kolkata flights, offering attractive economy fare, according to a release.

Mukta D Tomar, acting high commissioner of India to Bangladesh, S Mahadevan, executive director (East) of National Aviation Company of India Ltd, SR Premkumar, country manager of Air India Express Bangladesh, high officials of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines, among others, were present at the inaugural ceremony at Zia International Airport.

From now on Air India Express will operate six Dhaka-Kolkata and one Dhaka-Mumbai flights weekly with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Three of the Dhaka-Kolkata flights after a short stopover at Kolkata, will fly to Bangkok and similarly the remaining three flights to Singapore without changing the aircraft. Returnee passengers will have the convenient connections to Dhaka as well.

Tourist Spots in Dhaka

At first impression, Dhaka is a typically modern Third World capital with wide boulevards and cement-block towers, everything laid out in orderly fashion but in rapid states of decline. But on further investigation you discover that Dhaka is an old and venerable city in the true South Asian manner.

Dhaka's urban history is a reflection of the changing fortunes of the sub-continent as a whole. It was established by Buddhists in the 4th century, later dominated by Hindus and then fell into the hands of Muslim Mughal rulers in the 13th century.

This was the start of the golden age of Dhaka, when it became a great Mughal trading port and finally the capital of Bengal in 1608.


Baitul Mukarram

The Mughals built Dhaka into a magnificent city, with a sultan's palace, dozens of ornate mosques, covered markets, gardens and a huge citadel to protect it from pirates and foreign powers.

The Old City is a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys, difficult to find your way around without a guide. Running along the waterfront is the Bund, a bustling street that overflows with rickshaws and vendors, sweaty workmen in white loincloths humping goods up from the ghats, and eager commuters rushing down to the ferry piers.


Central Shahid Minar National Memorial National Assembly

There is something interesting around every corner. Ahsan Manzil, the palace of the last Nawab of Dhaka, stands just behind the waterfront. It's now fully restored.

The last of the great caravanserai is Chotta Katra. Istara Mosque with its unusual stellar motifs is the most interesting of the Muslim places of worship in the Old Town, while the old Armenian Church is one of the few remnants of the large community of Armenian and Greek traders who settled Dhaka in the late 18th century.

They weren't the only ones attracted by the dazzle of Mughal Dhaka.
Portuguese, Dutch, British and French all came here to trade during the 17th century, establishing their own enclaves along the waterfront. They tussled with one another for the favour of the Mughals, but it was the British who finally triumphed (as they did in most of India) and took Dhaka as their own in 1765.

Under the British an entirely new colonial city was built to the north of what became the Old Town. Great government buildings and posh bungalows arose along the shaded avenues. And Dhaka continued to prosper on trade, this time as a conduit of raw commodities from jute, sugar, tea and indigo plantations established by British planters in the interior of what was then Bengal province.


Ahsan Monzil Museum Lalbagh Fort National Museum

The Ramna area — the old British part of Dhaka — is still dominated by colonial buildings with Greek columns and whitewashed facades. This district is the artistic and intellectual heart of the whole nation, where you find the libraries, colleges, art galleries and the National Museum.

Lalbagh Fort : The Fort of Aurangabad, popularity known as the Lalbagh Fort was built in 1678 A.D. by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb who was the then Viceroy of Bengal.

Suhrawardy Uddyan : Formerly known as the Race Course, Suhrawardy Uddyan is a popular park of the city. The Child Education & Recreation park (Shishu Park) is also located in a comer of this big Uddyan.
National Poet's Graveyard : National poet Kazi Nazrul Islam died on August 28, 1976 and was laid to rest here. The graveyard is adjacent to the Dhaka University Mosque.

Churches: Armmanian Church (1781). St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Church of Bangladesh or former St. Thomas Cathedral (1677) at Tejgaon.


Baldha Garden Sonargaon

Bangabhaban: Tourists can have a look (outside view only) of Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President.

Zoological Garden: Called Mirpur Zoo, it is situated at Mirpur. 10 km. to northwest of Dhaka, on 230 acres of land.

Shahid Minar: Symbol of Bang-ladeshi nationalism, this was built to commemorate the martyrs of historic Language Movement of 1952.

Botanical Garden: Built over an area of 205 acres of land at Mirpur, just east of the Mirpur Zoo. Object of garden: botanical education, research, preservation of plants and some recreation.

1857 Memorial (Bahadur Shah Park): Built to commemorate the martyrs of the first liberation war (1857-59) against British rule, It was here that the revolting sepoys and their civil compatriots were publicly hanged.



River Tarakuta


National Museum: Housed in an impressive building the Museum contains a large number of interesting collections including sculptures, coins, paintings and inscriptions,

Ramna Green: Ramna Park is a vast stretch of green ground surrounded by a serpentine lake.

National Art Gallery: Situated in the Shilpakala Academy premises this has a representative collection of folk art and paintings by artists of Bangladesh.

Ahsan Manzil Museum: Located on the bank of river Buriganga in Dhaka. It is an example of the nations rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. Today's renovated Ahsan Manzil is a monument of immense historical beauty. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries in 31 rooms displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab.

Baldha Garden: Baldha Garden has rare collection of botanical plants and flowers.

National Assembly Complex: National Assembly Complex in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar designed by the famous architect Louis Kahn has distinctive architectural features.

Mosques: Dhaka is better known as a city of mosques.The number of mosques in Dhaka city—old and new—would be more that one thousand.

The only surviving monument of the pre-Mughal period in Dhaka is Binat Bibi's mosque (1457) in Narinda. Other monuments of the Sultanate period around Dhaka are the single-dome Goaldi Mosque (1493-1519) and Mosque of Fateh Shah at Mograpara (1484).

The earliest Mughal monument in Dhaka is the Eidgah, an open field for Eid prayers, located in Dhanmondi residential area.

One of the finest examples of Mughal mosque architecture in the 17th century is the three-domed Sat Gombuj mosque which appears to be seven domed, hence the name sat which means seven. Another typical example of architecture is the three-domed mosque built in 1679 and situated behind the old High Court building.

The mosque of Khan Mohamad Mridha located closer to the northwest corner of the Lalbagh fort was built in 1706. The only parallel to Mridha's two-storyed mosque is the five-dome Kartalab Khan's mosque at Begum Bazar near the Central Jail. This mosque was between 1700 and 1704. It has a graceful two-sided roofed, hut-shaped room along its northern face, which, with its curvilinear eaves, gives it a very distinctive look.

The Chowk Jame Mosque, according to an inscription found on the building was built in 1676. Perhaps one of the best known and frequently visited mosques in Dhaka is the petite Star Mosque in Armanitola which has an inlaid star pattern made of broken pieces of china. It was built in the early 18th century.
Baitul Mukarram, the National Mosque in the down town area is the forerunner of a number of strikingly beautiful modern mosques. It is modelled after the rectangular shape of the holy Kaaba in Mecca.

National Memorial: Located at Savar, in the suburb of Dhaka city, is the National Memorial. It was built to commemorate the martyrs of the war of independence, Jahangirnagar University and its sprawling campus is also located nearby.

Sonargaon: About 29 km. from Dhaka is one of the oldest capitals of Bengal. It was the seat of Deva dynasty until the 13th century. From this period onward till the time of the advent of the Mughals. Sonargaon was a subsidiary capital of the Sultanate of Bengal.

National Park: Situated at Rajendrapur, 40 km. due north of Dhaka within Joydevpur Thana in the magnificent Bhawal region on Dhaka-Trishal-Mymensingh Highway, this is a vast (1,600 acres) national recreational forest, ideal for those who love nature.
Wildlife Sanctuary : About 128 km. from Dhaka is Madhupur, an interesting wildlife and game sanctuary of the country.

River Cruise: During the dry winter months river cruise is available. The cruise provide an opportunity to have glimpse of riverine Bangladesh and its lash green countryside.

(Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), the national tourism organization and The Guide, a private tour operator runs regular city sightseeing tours and river cruise).