West of Mosque on Topkhana Rd, the modern Baitul Mukarram Mosque is designed in the style of the holy ka’ba of Mecca. Non-Muslims can normally enter out side of prayer time. The boisterous market in the surrounding streets is interesting.
SUHRAWARDI AND RAMNA PARKS
Beginning near the old High court and stretching all the way to the National Museum, Suhrawardi Park(6am-10pm) covers an enormous area. This was once a racecourse, where both the Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence and the surrender of Pakistani occupation forces took place in 1971. At night the park turns into an open-air market and also attracts hundreds of homeless who, living by the ‘safety in numbers’ motto, set up camp each evening on the pavements outside. A few unsavoury characters mean you should keep your wits about you at night around here.
Northeast of Suhrawardi Park is Ramna park, which is well tended and has a boating lake.
DHAKA UNIVERSITY AND CURZON HALL
Dating from 1921, Dhaka University (DU) has some old buildings. North of the Engineering University campus is the British council library and further north, on Kazi Nazrul Islam Ave, is the Institute of Arts & Crafts which has an art gallery.
On the main campus, south of the old High Court, Curzon Hall is the university’s architectural masterpiece and science faculty. It’s fine example of the European-Mughal style of building erected after the first partition of Bengal in 1905. the red-brick building has eye-catching detail, and an elegant façade.
Two blocks west, on secretariat Rd and just north of the College OF Medicine, is the Central Shaheed Minar built to commemorate the historical Language Movement of 1952.
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