Gopalganj
Gopalganj is a city on the southern end of the Dhaka Division in Bangladesh.
Understand
editAround 300 BCE, the Gopalganj area was a part of the ancient kingdom of Vanga that established itself over parts of present-day Bangledesh and India. Over the centuries, it saw itself ruled by Hindu kings and sultans of various Islamic and then Mughal empires, then finally emerge into the modern age with British colonization and independence movements. What is probably most significant about Gopalganj is that it is close to a village named Tungipara where the "Father of the Nation" of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born and grew up. Rahman was the first Prime Minister of the country from the time it declared its independence in April 1971 until his assassination, and he is credited with being the driving force behind the Bengal liberation from Pakistan. Gopalganj sits on the Madhumati River.
Get in
editGopalganj for now, takes a rather long 6 hours to reach from Dhaka. But soon the Padma Bridge will be complete, which will significantly cut down the travel time by enabling a direct corridor between Dhaka and much of southwest Bangladesh.
Get around
editSee
editThere is a park in town called Gopalganj Lake Park that sounds inviting but is really something like a fetid open wastewater tank, so you might want to give that a pass.
- 1 Court Mosque. an aesthetic looking mosque in case you're in town and looking for something to do.
- 2 Tomb of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Patgati-Tungipara Road, Tungipara. 10AM-5PM. Mausoleum for the much adored Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led Bangladesh to independence against Pakistan in 1971 and was later assassinated in 1975. It is a significant national shrine.
Do
editEat
editDrink
editStay
editHopefully circumstances do not require you to stay around here because the choices are not very alluring. If your itinerary takes you on to Khulna or Dhaka, that would probably be much better.
- 1 Hotel Modhumoti (হোটেল মধুমতি), ☏ +880 1743-388667. This is a government-owned property close to the mausoleum with a restaurant on site that may be busy at times, and where the a/c can be somewhat unpredictable.