Hatirjheel travel guide

At a glance

Opened

2013

Area

A project area of about 300 acres

Connects

Tejgaon, Gulshan, Badda, Rampura, Moghbazar

Transport

Water taxi and circular bus

History and details

The story behind the name Hatirjheel (elephants' lake) is that in Mughal times elephants from Pilkhana were brought to bathe in it. Over time the lake was nearly killed by encroachment, rubbish and pollution.

After 2007 the government took up the Hatirjheel-Begunbari project to drain rainwater, ease traffic and create open space for city dwellers. The Army's engineers and RAJUK carried out the project and it opened in 2013.

Now it has curved bridges, viaducts, an amphitheatre, and walking and cycle paths. When the bridges light up in colour in the evening it becomes one of Dhaka's most photogenic spots.

Things to do

• Cross the lake by water taxi
• Photograph the lit-up bridges in the evening
• Spend an afternoon by the amphitheatre
• Have a snack at the lakeside food stalls

How to get to Hatirjheel

Easy to reach from Moghbazar, Rampura and Gulshan; a circular bus runs inside.

Where to stay

• Pan Pacific Sonargaon and InterContinental Dhaka (luxury)
• Plenty of mid-range hotels in Gulshan-Banani, Paltan and Farmgate (৳2,000–6,000)

What to eat

Old Dhaka kacchi biryani, Haji's biryani, bakarkhani, borhani, Nanna Mia's morog polao

Good to know

• The water taxi gets you quickly from Gulshan to Karwan Bazar
• Crowded on weekend evenings

More to see nearby

• Gulshan Lake Park (3 km)
• National Parliament House (4 km)
• Police Plaza (2 km)

More places to visit in Dhaka district

• Lalbagh Fort — An unfinished fort begun in 1678 under the Mughal subahdar Prince Azam Shah. Inside are Pari Bibi's tomb, an audience hall and a mosque.
• Ahsan Manzil — The pink palace of the Nawabs of Dhaka on the Buriganga, now a museum. You can see furniture and pictures from the Nawabs' time.
• National Parliament House — World-famous modern architecture designed by Louis Kahn. The lake around it and Chandrima Udyan are lovely for an afternoon stroll.
• National Museum — The country's largest museum; huge collections of archaeology, history, the Liberation War and folk art.
• Star Mosque — A beautiful 18th-century mosque decorated with star patterns in broken china.
• Dhakeshwari Temple — Dhaka's oldest temple and the national temple, thought to be linked to the city's name.
• Armenian Church — The Armenians' church, built in 1781, witness to Old Dhaka's multi-ethnic history.
• Liberation War Museum — A modern museum of documents, photos and relics of the 1971 Liberation War.

Location on the map