Ahsan Manzil Palace

Address: 20 K.G. Road (Ahsan Manzil Road), Shyampur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Website: http://museum.port.gov.bd/site/page/6f3b4f28-1a70-11e7-8f57-286ed488c766

Hours: Museum: Daily 10:00am-5:00pm (subject to seasonal variation)

Admission: BDT 20-50 (~$0.20-0.60) (museum/admission rates may vary)

Ahsan Manzil is a historic riverfront palace in Old Dhaka that served as the official residence of the Nawab of Dhaka. The pink-painted Indo-Saracenic building is a prominent heritage landmark on the Buriganga River and now houses a museum.

The palace’s ornate river-facing facade, reception halls and restored interior rooms displaying period furniture, portraits and artifacts associated with the Nawab family. The site provides insight into the social and administrative life of Dhaka’s 19th- and early-20th-century elite.

The mansion was rebuilt and expanded in the 19th century under the Dhaka Nawabs and functioned as a centre of administration and ceremonial life; after political changes it fell into disuse and later underwent restoration to become a public museum.

Geographically the palace sits on the southern bank of the Buriganga River within the historic core of Dhaka city, easily reached from central Old Dhaka and visible from riverfront approaches.

• Riverside location: Sits on the banks of the Buriganga River in Old Dhaka and offers riverside views and direct access from river transport at certain piers.
• Function and museum: The building was the official residence of the Dhaka Nawab family and was converted into a museum displaying the family’s history and period furnishings after restoration.

What to See#

• Main palace (Pink Palace): The main palace building is a large Indo-Saracenic-style mansion on the Buriganga River with a prominent domed facade and river-facing terraces that once served as the Nawab’s reception and residential spaces.
• Museum galleries: Museum galleries inside the palace display period furnishings, portraits and artifacts related to the Dhaka Nawabs and the site’s history, arranged across several restored rooms.

Ahsan Manzil sits on the Buriganga riverfront near K.G. Road in old Dhaka; it’s a short rickshaw or taxi ride from Shahbagh and roughly 15-30 minutes from central Motijheel depending on traffic. River launches stop nearby for those approaching by water.

• Visit near sunset when the palace's pink plaster warms to rose - it photographs especially well from across the Buriganga River.
• Combine with a walk along Ahsan Manzil's riverfront to see old Dhaka's ferry crossings and river life.
• Go on a weekday morning if one wants quieter rooms and a less-crowded display of the Nawab-era exhibits.