Lalbagh Fort

 Lalbagh Fort was a bit of a mission in the car as it was in the middle of Old Dhaka.  The streets are incredibly narrow and full, to over-flowing with people, rickshaws, markets and more people.

We paid our 100tk ($1.20) to enter and we were pleasantly surprised by just how much land and the gardens were beautiful, in perspective of course being in Bangladesh where we are lucky to see any greenery!!!!

 The grounds were full of couples finding a quiet corner to canoodle with each other, paying their money to have some privacy.

While we were there we had numerous people come up to us and ask us where we were from, what we were doing in Dhaka and generally being noisy...however you get used to that as they hardly see people from around the world.

A LITTLE INFO ABOUT THE FORT!!!

Lalbagh Fort (also known as "Fort Aurangabad") is an incomplete Mughal palace fortress at the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was commenced in 1678 by Prince Muhammad Azam during his 15-month long vice-royalty of Bengal, but before the work could complete, he was recalled by Aurangzeb. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not complete the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688. His daughter Iran Dukht nicknamed Pari Bibi (Fairy Lady) died here in 1684 and this led him to consider the fort to be ominous.

Lalbagh Fort is also the witness of the revolt of the native soldiers against the British during the Great Rebellion of 1857. As in the Red Fort in India, they were defeated by the force led by the East India Company. They and the soldiers who fled from Meerat were hanged to death at the Victoria Park. In 1858 the declaration of Queen Victoria of taking over the administrative control of India from the Company was read out at the Victoria park, latter renamed Bahadur Shah Park after the name of the last Mughal Emperor who led that greatest rebellion against then British empire.

It was an interesting sight.  To be honest we are not ones for buildings and architecture but doing something like this in Dhaka is a highlight.  At times it can feel like a small place, considering how many people and how big this city is.

More photos to come in the coming days...we have to pack our bags now to head off to Bangkok for the weekend.  Oh life is hard sometimes!!!!!!!!!

Jem