Bangladesh National Museum

A number of illustrations of Bangladeshi history, tradition and culture are accommodated in Bangladesh National Museum. This museum preserves the symbols of all ages that Bangladesh passed through, from the ancient period to the present days. This organization is engaged in familiarizing the new generations with various elements of our history and tradition as well as in collection, preservation, exhibition and investigation of these elements. The present National Museum first came to light as Dhaka Museum. Lord Kar Mikel, the then Governor of Bengal, inaugurated this museum in a room of Dhaka Medical College in the year 1913.  In the year 1970, Pakistan government changed the format of Dhaka Museum Committee; they circulated the Dhaka Museum Board of Trustees Ordinance and converted the body into a constitutional Institution. Afterwards, during 1983, the government of Bangladesh declared the museum as Bangladesh National Museum. At present, this institution is controlled and supervised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.   

It is located on the South side of Bangabondhu Sheikh Muzib Medical University at Shahbag area in the Capital Dhaka.

Visiting hours:

This museum is open for all throughout the week except Thursday. Much crowd is seen here on weekly holidays and National days. Three different visiting hours are scheduled in three different seasons in a year. These seasons are Summer, Winter and the month of Holy Ramadan. The museum remains open as per the following schedule:

In the Summer (April- September): Saturday-Wednesday- 10.30a.m.-05.30p.m.

                            Friday-03.00p.m.-08.00p.m.

In the Winter(October- March)    : Saturday-Wednesday-09.30a.m.-04.30p.m.

                             Friday- 03.00p.m.-08.00p.m.

In the Holy month of Ramadan     : Saturday-Wednesday-09.30a.m.-03.00p.m.

Tickets:

You have to collect your ticket from the counter beforehand. The counter is just beside the main gate.

Price of Tickets:

for 3-12, tk 5/person

for above 12,tk10/person

for Foreigners,tk75/person

Students and children are allowed to visit the museum for free during Pohela Boishakh(1st day of the Bangla Year),26th March and 21st February.

Entry and Exit, Guide service, things to do:

You can take the help of a guide while entering into the museum. The museum authority have engaged 7 guides for the visitors' convenience. You have to leave your bags and other things to the security men in the entry point. Carrying camera and food is prohibited; and you must switch off your cell phones inside the museum.

The museum has one way entry and exit.

Things to see inside and around:

The museum premises is surrounded by different types of trees. On both sides of the entrance of the building there are two historical canons. Just after entering into the 4 storied building, you can see the aesthetic Novera sculpture. On the ground floor, there are museum office, hall room and other necessary establishments. On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor, all historical objects are preserved and open for display.

On the 1^st floor, visitors will get a very transparent view on entire Bangladesh. Here, you can see the Bangladeshi map, trees, animals, tribal life, rocks, minerals, the Sunder bans and various coins and architectures of ancient ages.

On the 2nd floor, there are Bangladeshi weapons, porcelain handicrafts, puppets and musical instruments, clothes and apparels, embroidered bed cover, manuscripts, contemporary arts and traditional Bangladesh. Here, you will also get an idea about world civilization and fine arts.

On the 3rd floor, portraits of world's renowned personalities, world’s fine arts and world civilization are displayed

Quality and management of preservation:

There are some very valuable tokens in the museum which cannot be collected again. These tokens are preserved in the storeroom with much care; sufficient security people are engaged in this purpose.

Gallery:

The museum gallery is divided in four segments:

#Natural history

#Mankinds and Arts

#History and Classic Artistry

#Contemporary Artistry and World Civilization

#Natural History:

This part of the gallery is decorated with the history of plants and trees, diversity of Animal kingdom and Insects etc.

#Mankinds and Arts:

This part of the gallery accommodates traditional Bengali clothes and apparels, religious festivals, customs and rituals, ornaments and other relics of ancient Bengal etc.

#History and Classic Artistry:

This part of the gallery is decorated with the history of our great liberation war and language movement and some other archaeological relics.

# Contemporary Artistry and World Civilization:

Creations of the great artists like the Shilpacharjjo(Master of Arts) Joynul Abedin, Potua(the Painter) Kamrul Hasan and S.M.Sultan are collected and displayed in this part. Besides, there are illustrations of Chinese, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Egyptian and Iranian cultures.

Competitions based on Special days, Opportunity of Group visit: 

On the National days the National Museum authority organizes competitions on painting, composition, recitation and handwriting specially based on the theme of those days. Competitions are open for students from Play group to Class-X.

Students of schools, colleges or any other institutions can get the opportunity to have a group visit to the museum through an application to the museum authority; if required, the authority offers a free visit.

Auditorium, Library and Canteen:

The museum auditorium can be hired for arranging different kinds of meetings,seminars etc. The auditorium has three rooms. The rent of the large room is tk14000/day while rent of the smaller ones ranges from tk5000-tk7000/day.

The museum has its own library on the first floor. 30000 to 40000 books are over there. These books are a great help to the researchers. The museum canteen is located on the South side of the staircase of the ground floor. Here you can have tea, coffee and biscuits, though at a higher price.

Lifts, Parking and Fire safety:

There are 2 staircases and 3 lifts in this 4-storied building. Lifts are only for the elderly and V.I.P.people. On the south side of the building, there is a parking lot which can. accommodate 120 vehicles. No charge is applicable for parking. Each floor of this museum has fire extinguishing system and there is adequate manpower for operations