NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National museum of Bangladesh covers the entire history of the country, its geological formation, its Buddhist and Hindu past, the war of Liberation and the creation of the State. In spite of a little dusty vitrines, the didactic design offers a complete cultural approach to the country, its inhabitants, its history and its traditions.

The creation of the museum dates back to the British period when intellectuals in Dhaka désolaient to see antiques leave the region to expand the fund of the museum of Calcutta, then capital of Bengal and capital of India. They pressured the governor of the region to open a museum and repatriate the works of east Bengal. The Dhaka Museum was opened in 1913 in a Secretariat room. In 1972 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman felt the need to share with the people "the real story of the The struggle". A commission was created which unanimously recommended transforming the Dhaka Museum into the National Museum. A project for the construction of a new museum was passed and it was expected that on 17 November 1983 it will be inaugurated.

Ground Floor: space is dedicated to temporary exhibitions that are interested in the wider Bangladeshi culture: ethnic cultures, craftsmanship or artistic expression.

1 ^st floor: The visit starts with an interactive map of Bangladesh. The interaction dates back to 1983, so it has a deliciously retro side. A guard is held in front of a console. You tell him a city and press a button to activate a diode. So you can see where this city is from Dhaka. Each room offers a different theme. Rooms 1 to 14 present the country through its specificities: ecosystems, geology, plants, animals, lifestyles. Room 12 presents a magnificent example of a traditional boat. In particular, rooms 13 and 14 are dedicated to the different ethnic tribes of the country, presenting their traditional clothes, as well as the objects of everyday life (baskets, tools…). Rooms from 15 to 22 allow to explore the country's original past through pottery, archaeological objects, religious sculptures, stelas with inscriptions or coins, including shells. Room 22 offers beautiful pieces of sculpted ivory, which attest to a great craftsmanship.

2nd ^floor: this floor addresses more recent periods of history, from the British era to the struggle for independence. The first rooms are devoted to arms and metal work. Then comes porcelain, with parts imported from England from the th century. Rooms 29 and 30 are dedicated to textile art through embroidered clothing and kilts. Rooms 35 to 37 provide an overview of contemporary pictorial art. The level is very uneven but don't miss the works of the painter Zainul Abedin. He made himself known by his representation of the great famine of 1943. His poignant works, carried out with carbon paint applied on wrapping papers, testify to the extreme distress of the Bangladeshi people at the time. The following three rooms are devoted to the struggle for independence and the Liberation War. These events are still very lively in the minds and the very detailed permanent exhibition will tell you a lot about this turbulent period.

3rd ^floor: only four rooms are open on this floor and are a window on the world. They are interested in world civilization, the western arts and their great intellectuals. The last room presents a curious mix of works from China, Korea, Iran or Switzerland.