Trifter

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Myanmar to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. In the official Bengali dialect, the name Bangladesh means “Country of Bengal.”

Bangladesh is the seventh most populous country in the world and is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a high poverty rate. Two thirds of the population is working in the agricultural sector. Three sites in this country are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list including an excavated 8th century Buddhist monastic institution.

Sundarbans

Lying at the feet of the Ganges and spreading across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, the Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophylactic mangrove forest in the world. In the Bengali dialect, the name “Sandarban” means “beautiful jungle” or “beautiful forest.” Covering an area of 10,000 sq km of which 6,000 are in Bangladesh, the forest is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The site is known for its rich wildlife including different bird species, spotted deer and threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile, the Indian python and the Royal Bengal Tiger. About 500 Bengal tigers and 300,000 spotted deer are believed to be roaming in the area today. The Sundarbans was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Mosque City of Bagerhat

The historic Mosque City of Bagerhat is a city famous for its large concentration of mosques and Islamic monuments. Originally known as Khalifatabad, it was founded by Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the early 15th century.

More than 50 monuments are found in the site including the mausoleum of Khan Jahan and the mosques of Singar Bibi Begni, Reza Khoda Zindavir and the Shait Gumbad.

The Shait Gumbad, also known as the Sixty Dome Mosque is the oldest and largest historical mosque in Bangladesh. It is also one of the major tourist attractions in this ancient city. Decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks, the mosque has more than 60 pillars with 81 domes of which 77 domes are over the roof and four smaller ones over the four corner towers.

Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (Somapura Mahavihara)

Somapura Mahavihara or the Great Monastery is one of the most renowned Buddhist viharas in South Asia and one of the most important archeological sites in Bangladesh.  The complex which covers more than 20 acres (85,000 sq m) consists of 177 distinct cells, stupas, temples and a number of other ancillary buildings. The quadrangular structure is encircled by large walls with various decorations bearing testament to the three major historical religions that inhabited the monastery: the Jains, Hindus and Buddhists.

Built in the late 8th century by King Dharmapala of the Pala Dynasty, the Somapura Mahavihara was abandoned in the 12th century, following repeated attacks and being nearly burnt to the ground by the Vanga army in the 11th century. The complex was entirely covered with grass after centuries of abandonment and was almost forgotten as the site was thought to be simply an ordinary hill. The monastery was started to be excavated in the 1920’s and by the early 1990’s, the entire structure was eventually uncovered. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as early as 1985.

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