Bara Katra

Bara Katra was built between 1644 and 1646 by Mir Abul Qasim, diwan of the Mughal prince Shah Shuja, as a grand inn around a courtyard. The southern wing once faced the Buriganga with a three-storey gateway and octagonal towers at each end. Less than half of it survives, and owners and new buildings have eaten into the rest; part was knocked down in 2022. What remains is the arched gate with a madrasa and shops pressing in on it. It is a hidden piece of old Dhaka that most people walk past without noticing.

How to get there

Rickshaw from Lalbagh, Chawkbazar or Sadarghat; it sits just south of Chawkbazar towards the river.

Good to know

Combine it with Lalbagh Fort, Hussaini Dalan and Chawkbazar in one old Dhaka walk. The building is in private and madrasa use, so look from outside and ask before photographing inside.

• #mughal
• #heritage
• #old-dhaka
• #architecture