Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete structure by Mughal. Lalbagh Fort is located in the Lalbagh area of Old Dhaka on the banks of the river Buriganga in the southwest of the capital Dhaka. Emperor Aurangzeb during his reign arranged for the construction of Lalbagh Fort. Prince Muhammad Azam Shah (The son of Emperor Aurangzeb) started the construction of Lalbagh Fort in 1678 during his vice- royalty in Bengal. Earlier this Fort was known as Aurangzeb Fort or Kila Aurangabad. He stayed in here for 15 months. It remained incomplete when he was called by his father (Aurangzeb) to the Delhi. After the construction of a mosque and a court hall, the construction of the Fort stopped.
After the Prince Azam, Shaista Khan was appointed as the new Governor (Subedar) of Bangal. Subedar Shaista Khan and his daughter Iran Dukht Rahmat Banu (Pari Bibi) came to this fort in Dhaka in 1680. He came and resumed the construction of the Fort. In 1684, Pari Bibi died this Fort. After the death of his daughter, Shaista Khan considered the fort a misfortune. After that he stopped this fort’s construction unfinished in 1684. This Fort lost its popularity after Shaista Khan left Dhaka. In 1844 the area in Dhaka was renamed “Lalbagh” after ‘Aurangabad’ & than the Fort become “Lalbagh Fort”.
Inside the Lalbagh Fort, There are three structures- The Mosque, the Tomb of Pari Bibi and Dewan-I-Am.
The Mosque: – The Mosque is also called Shahi mosque (3 Domed Fort Mosque). This Mosque is rectangular (19.19m x 9.84m). This Mosque is still used for the prayers.
The Tomb of Pari Bibi: – The Tomb of Pari Bibi is quadrangular. There are 9 rooms in Pari Bibi’s Tomb like house. In the middle is the Tomb and 8 rooms are around this house. Those rooms are decorated with marble stones, kasti stones and flower glazed tiles of different colors. The 20.2m square tomb was build before 1688.
Dewan-I-Am: – Dewan-I-Am was used as a residence for the Subedars. This building has two floors. During the Mughal period it was used for two purposes. They are- Hammam Khana and Court. This building is now preserved as a museum.
There are also some Secret Tunnels in this Fort. Two of which used to reach at Zinzira Fort on the other side of the Buriganga. There are 3 gigantic gates in Lalbagh Fort, two of which are currently closed. There are also 2 unmarked tombs and so many fountains, the hillocks and the only one pond in this Fort. The surrounding ghats are like stairs and the pond is square.
Way to go to Lalbagh Fort:
You can take a rickshaw directly from New Market/ Gulisthan area to Lalbagh Fort. The rent will be TK.60 to 80.
Ticket Price:
Domestic Tourist: Tk.20
Foreign Tourist: TK.200
SAARC Country Tourists: TK.100
No tickets are required for children under 5 years of age.
Schedule to visit Lalbagh Fort:
Summer: 1st April – 30th September from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
Winter: 1st October to 30th March from 9.oo am to 5.00 pm.
Holidays: Sunday is full holiday and Monday is half day off. Besides, Lalbagh Fort is closed for full days on public holidays, Eid days and it will be closed at 4:00 pm during the Holy month of Ramadan.
It is our Responsibility to keep our tourist spots clean. Let’s keep the spots neat & clean as we go around. Happy Travelling 😉
I will surely visit there soon.. It seems interesting😍😍