The Chittagong City and its People

Chittagong is a pretty big; widen town, and the prime international seaport in the country. Its streets are overflowing with rickshaws, though the city puts in more effort than Dhaka to keep its streets and sidewalks clean. The train station and Station Road are the busiest part of town. While things get a little more manageable as you move further north. GEC Circle is the junction of Zakir Hossain Rd, O. R. Nizam Rd and CDA Avenue; about 3 km north of the train station is the center of middle to upper class life with a range of good restaurants and shopping malls.

It is a conservative place than Dhaka. The women here tends to dress in humble clothing and don't like to shake hands with men. This does not apply to the upper class as they are much more westernized. Local people aren't offended when foreigners don't conform to the expectations of norms of local people. Foreigners drinking alcohol or foreign women wearing skirts which show their bare legs aren't going to sadden people. This is also true for other parts of Bangladesh which imitates the liberal and moderate nature of the Bangladeshi people.

The enthusiasm of the Chittagonian for inviting people to massive feasts is a bit of legend in Bangladesh. The feasts are called mezbani; these feasts feature a tremendously hot curry, usually of beef. In Chittagong the people are diverse and multi-ethnic. The native Bengali and Tibeto-Burman populations have had significant influence from Arab, Afghan, and Mughal traders and settlers, all of whom had travelled in the city after arriving on its shores many hundreds of years ago. There are many Tibeto-Burman tribes that have been influenced by Bengali culture also living there, such as the Chakma people. The descendants of Portuguese who stayed, known as the Firingi, also continue to live in Chittagong, as Catholic Christians, in the old Portuguese enclave of Pathor Ghata. Chittagong is home to many of the historic Christians of Bangladesh. In 1927, the city was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chittagong.

The people of Chittagong have a very high rate of literacy. As its home to several of the most renowned universities of Bangladesh, The Asian University for Women (AUW) is a leading new institution of higher learning for talented students from across Asia, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), the International Islamic University Chittagong, the Chittagong University, established in 1966, the Chittagong College being notable examples. Many madrasas (Islamic educational centers) are established within its borders. Hazrat Fate Ali Ra.was a famous saint of Islam, born in Chittagong. Chittagong is the home town of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, the pioneer of Microcredit, who won Nobel Prize in Peace in 2006.

Places to See

• Hazrat Shah Sufi Amanat Khan (R): Hazrat Shah Sufi Amanat Khan (R) (capital R is used to show respect) was a very renowned saint of Chittagong, Bangladesh. He came from Bihar Sharif, India. Here in Chittagong he lived in a cottage and took a job as a ‘Pankha Wala (hanging fan puller)’ in the Judge's Court. His holy magnitude was exposed through a Karamat (spiritual power with magical elements received from The Almighty Allah) which brought him to the public eye and people came to know that he was a Wali (saint) of the highest rank. When his spiritual accomplishments became acknowledged, he resigned from his job and remains busy with religious act and meditation. He is ranked among the supreme saints of Chittagong. People visit his mausoleum specially to look for blessings in matters of proceedings. His mausoleum is sited to the east of the Laldighi of Chittagong. His descendants live in the compound of the mausoleum and looks after it. They have got in their custody a Persian ‘Waqfnama (deed of endowment)’ of Anwar Khan, the son of Hazrat Shah Sufi Amanat Khan (R).
• Patenga Beach: it’s a sandy beach which is located at the congregation place of the Bay of Bengal and the river Karnaphuli. It looks more gorgeous from Naval Academy Road which is just next to the Shah Amanat International Airport.

• Foy's Lake: It’s the ideal spot for outings and picnics crowded by thousands of visitors. The lake is set amidst panoramic surroundings. By the initiative of the then Assam-Bengal Railway this Lake has been created in the natural environment in 1924. This lake has been produced by building a dam based on a plan by an English engineer Mr. Foy. An amusement park is established there recently. The zoo is also placed just next to it.
• Shrine of Baizid Bostami: The shrine is one of the most holy shrines in the country. It draws a large number of visitors and pilgrims. At its pedestal there is a large pond with several hundred tortoises swimming in the water. According to legends, these turtles are descendants of evil spirits (djinns) who were cursed and turned into this shape because they incurred the wrath of the great saint who visited the place about 1100 years ago.
• World War II Cemetery: The War Cemetery is positioned in a hillside inclined place, in the south-western corner of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, next to the Badshah Mia Road of the city. The total region of this cemetery is eight acres, which is confined and supervised by the Commonwealth Graves Commission. In this well-preserved cemetery at quiet and picturesque place lie buried over 700 soldiers from Commonwealth countries and Japan.
• Ethnological Museum: The Ethnological Museum of Chittagong was founded in the first half of 1960s. It shows a mix of tribal artifacts. The museum contains four galleries and a small hall. It is a quiet murky. Some sections contain funny stories of 'rural life' for the diverse tribal areas with life size dolls. These are evocative of the museum in the film 'Planet of the Apes'.
• Baitul Falah: It’s the largest mosque in Chittagong. It was made following ancient architectural design.
• Chandanpura Mosque: it’s located in the old city. The mosque is multi-domed and is an architectural sight to behold.
• Mohsin College: is placed near the Chittagong College.The College has an area of almost 31 acres of land decorated with beautiful landscape. The college Campus wears a costume of outstanding natural beauty. It is housed in eight buildings on a widespread attractive campus in the lap of nature. A good-looking play ground which stretches to the south of college gate. The college campus endorses the ancient architectural magnificence in the shape of a building built by the Portuguese.
• Court Building: It gives a magnificent bird's eye view of Chittagong city, predominantly at night. The Court building was built instantly after the East India Company occupied and stated Chittagong as separate administrative vicinity in 1773. The building is enormous, over 250 thousand square feet and has hundreds of rooms.

• Ship breaking yards: Are situated near the sea is Chittagong's international claim to fame, but for the wrong reasons. These are considered one of the most polluted places on Earth with highly dangerous practices and hazardous working conditions. Visitors are not generally greeted, but some travelers have been able to sweet talk the gate-keeper and get astonishing photos of gigantic ships being taken to pieces for parts and steel. There is lots of breaking yards stretching for miles, so start at one end and try your fortune until you have success. Keep your wits about you, safety practices leave something to be desired. It's also intelligent to keep your camera unseen until you're out of view of the officials, lest you be mistaken for a journalist out to do them harm. Bus #6 runs from Station Road, or you could hire an auto-rickshaw.

Things to Do

Except seeing the places mentioned above you can hike in the hills and play any games you like in various clubs around the city.

There are a few amusement parks and public parks in Chittagong where you can relax. Such as:

• Karnafully Sishu Park (Agrabad,Chittagong)
• Zia Sishu Park (Circuit House,Chittagong)
• Mini Bangladesh (Chandgaon,Chittagong)
• Biplobi Uddan (2 number gate,Chittagong)
• Jatisongho Park (Panchlaish, Chittagong)

Transport

From Dhaka you can get into Chittagong in these ways-

By air

Shah Amanat International Airport is the main airport of Chittagong and it’s the 2nd busiest airport in Bangladesh. It is modern and clean and serves as Chittagong's international airport. It also runs domestic services to and from Dhaka and Sylhet. Located in Patenga, it has international flights to destinations such as Dubai, Kolkata, Yangon, Muscat and Bangkok. Previously identified as MA Hannan International Airport, but was renamed on April 2, 2005 by the Government. All the prominent airlines that serve the airport include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, GMG Airlines, United Airways, Oman Air, Thai Airways International, Best Air and Royal Bengal Airlines.

By train

As it’s the business capital of the country, it is well connected with every other cities and towns through railways. The main route from Chittagong runs north to Comilla and Akhaura, from where Dhaka and Sylhet routes diverge. The train station situated just west of Jubilee Rd on Station Road. Chittagong is a terminal station on the meter gauge eastern segment of the Bangladesh Railway. The headquarters of this section of railway is located here. Train journeys are generally more time consuming but cheaper than bus journeys.

By bus

You can go to any parts of the country from Chittagong by bus. The major private bus companies operate from and have offices in 2 spots in the city. First spot is just to the south of GEC Circle on CDA Ave. The second point is on Station Rd next to Hotel Golden Inn. Greenline, Silkline and Shohag are the best and have regular services to Dhaka (6 hours) and Cox's Bazar (3 hours). Greenline also presents the only direct bus to Sylhet (Tk 550, 6 hours). Also some local buses run often to Cox's Bazar (Tk 140, 3 hours) throughout the day from Cinema Palace Bus Station, 1km north of the Station Rdarea.

By boat

You can’t go many places from Chittagong by boat too. BIWTC is the main boat service provider and has an office here. IT launches its ferries from Sadarghat; 1km south of the train station down the Sadarghat Rd. Barisal is the chief destination, from where you can continue to Dhaka.

Within the City

Chittagong has a similar kind of transport system comparing with the country's capital Dhaka. There are several local bus services, taxis, and as well as smaller green 'CNG' taxis which are basically tricycle-structured motor vehicles. The traditional rickshaws are also very common. Cycle-rickshaws are the common choice, and charge around Tk 5 per kilometer. Walking is also possible as the town isn’t too bewildering, but keeps an eye on the streets as they can be very busy, especially around Station Rd and Jubilee Rd.

Communication and Network

As Chittagong is the business capital of the country it is well equipped with every kinds of communication system. It has all the mobile phone network of the country – Grameen Phone, Aktel, Banglalink, Warid, Citycell and Teletalk. Its internet infrastructure is well developed too.

Even if Chittagong is termed as the business capital, it is an amazing place where nature and commerce combined together to form a winning combination for the country. For this reason Chittagong has mesmerized businessmen and tourists for centuries.

Food and Drinks

The local people love oily and spicy food. This can be a problem for foreigners. But all in all Chittagong has the most delicious foods in the country.

• The largest and the latest international standard restaurant in town is Ambrosia. It has a Karaoke corner, seats up to 500 people across 2 floors. Has a huge menu of Continental, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian and Bangladeshi dishes. Buffet Lunch: 12-4PM; Dinner: 6-11PM. Its address - Ambrosia, Jiban Bima Bhaban (Ground Floor), 1053, Sk. Mujib Road (Next to Radio Station & Opposite to Standard Chartered Chittagong Main Branch)
• Bonanza is sited above Aarong and opposite to the Meridian (GEC circle). Its one of the best restaurant in town which is of international standard. Bonanza has a huge menu. Recommended for foreigners who need a break from an upset stomach. Mains Tk 300.
• The Meridian has an excellent lunch buffet for around 350 taka. The rest of the menu used to be pretty good but as of late it is better to stick to the buffet. Mains Tk 300. The Meridian is opposite to Bonanza (GEC circle).
• Shaad Snacks, A friendly place serving the usual fast food snacks - rolls and buns filled with chicken, beef or vegetables, microwaved to a spongy perfection as you order. They've got a good range of sweets as well. (the food at these snack places is not healthy for foreigners) ~Tk 10. You can find Shaad at Station Road, across the street from New Market.
• Smart is an air-conditioned Chinese restaurant. But the place has nose dropped recently and other restaurants have opened. Address - Shangri-La Chinese Restaurant, 39, Agrabad.
• One of the city's greatest redeeming qualities is Baskin Robbins. Address - Baskin Robbins, just east of GEC Circle.
• Sugarbun is a fast food place from the international chain of the same name. Selling pizza, burgers, fries plus a variety of dishes to Asian tastes in a fast food format. Sugarbun also sells coffee, cakes, bread and other snacks. ~Tk 175-250 per person. It’s located at GEC Circle.
• Pizza hut only arrived in Chittagong in 2006. Before that people had to go all the way to Dhaka for pizza. ~Tk 230-500 per medium pizza. Address - Pizza Hut, GEC circle up the hill towards Welmart.
• There are 13 Zaman hotels in Chittagong. The Zaman hotel at the Agrabad circle has the best food of the Zaman hotels. The menu contains no foreign dishes and this is not a place where foreigners typically eat, though it falls at the top end of middle class Bangladeshi restaurants. The place is clean, the food is great and the service is good. You can ponder the wisdom in the quote on the menu: "For super disk with quality food to avoid cooking please step with whose family at Zaman Hotel." The Chicken Biriyani is particularly good coming with a large piece of chicken, an egg, rice, and a delicious sauce. The environment is more worn than hotel Zaman at the GEC circle. But the food is better. Tk 50-100 for a meal.

You can have alcoholic beverages at five-star hotels in Chittagong as well as a number of private clubs. Three hotels have an alcoholic drinks license; the Agrabad hotel, the Silmoon hotel and the Peninsula hotel. Whereas all the hotels are luxurious for drinks the Peninsula is the most costly by far.

There are three private clubs in Chittagong which also have alcoholic drinks license. Chittagong Club is the most prominent club of Chittagong which is situated at number one Empress Road. The Chittagong club provides foreign alcohol in addition to local gin, vodka and whisky. Chittagong Club membership is stopped but foreigners can apply for "temporary membership" for up to two years.

The Chittagong Institute is a small club. It has a license but it does maintain a bar. It is located in Jamal Khan road.

The third club with license is The Catholic club. It gives membership to all persons for a little fee but membership applications are only acknowledged once a year during December. It maintains a small bar serving local drinks.

You can buy alcoholic beverages other than the hotels and clubs mentioned. It is feasible for buying alcoholic beverages, ranging from local gins, vodka to smuggled beer and forged brand alcohols. Local drinks are accessible legally at government licensed shops. Agrabad on Sheik Mujib Rahman road has a shop of this kind. It is slipped into an alley way a little distance from the first floor "Siemens" showroom. Phony branded alcohol is available from illegal traders in Kulshie and other area. But these phony alcohols may cause some health problems. Smuggled booze is sometimes available from the sea beach. You should note that the 'Expats Inn' has closed. So no more pub nights in Chittagong!

Places to Stay

You can find suitable hotels in Chittagong what ever your budget may be. To find hotels in Chittagong go to the Hotel page or click here