Famous landmarks in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia, on the Bay of Bengal, almost completely surrounded by India, with a short border with Myanmar. Its capital is Dhaka, one of the most crowded cities in the world, and about 174 million people live in the country, making it one of the most densely populated nations on Earth. Bangladesh is known for its great rivers, green rice fields, the Sundarbans mangrove forest and the Bengal tiger.

On My Earth Toy you can visit three landmarks in Dhaka: Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the striking concrete parliament building surrounded by water; Ahsan Manzil, the pink palace by the river; and Lalbagh Fort, an unfinished Mughal fort with the tomb of Pari Bibi.

Geography and nature

Most of Bangladesh is a huge, flat delta formed where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the sea. Hundreds of rivers cross the land, and the soil is very fertile. Monsoon rains fall in summer and floods are common. In the southwest lies the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, shared with India and home to Bengal tigers. Hills rise only in the southeast, near Chittagong.

People, languages and culture

Nearly everyone speaks Bengali, or Bangla. Most people are Muslim, and there are also Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities. Rice and fish are at the centre of meals, and the hilsa is the national fish. Colourful cycle rickshaws fill the streets of Dhaka. The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote the national anthem. Cricket is the most popular sport, and Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, is celebrated with music, fairs and parades.

History in a nutshell

The region of Bengal has been home to kingdoms and empires for over two thousand years, including the Mughal Empire, which built Lalbagh Fort. It later came under British rule. In 1947 British India was divided, and this area became East Pakistan. In 1952 students protested to have Bengali recognised as a state language. After a war in 1971, Bangladesh became an independent country.