Pay a Visit to the City of Schools
Located on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the Mymensingh District of the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh, the city of Mymensingh was formed by the British East India Company in 1787 and has a fascinating political and cultural history. It also has a number of interesting landmarks which visitors may want to add to their itineraries. These include the Bishyanath Temple, the Mymensingh Museum, the Fish Museum and Biodiversity Center, the Zainul Abedin Museum and Alexander Castle.
The city is home to many educational institutions and so it is sometimes referred to as the “City of Schools”. Mymensingh is known for the significant role it has played in the education of women. The first woman justice of the High Court of Bangladesh, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, gained her education in Mymensingh, and she is one of many women who have gone on to attain responsible positions in the business, government and academic world. Educational institutions include the Bangladesh Agricultural University, the Mymensingh Medical College, the Muminunnesa Women’s College, the Women Teachers Training College and Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam College. Renowned Bangladeshis who were born and raised in Mymensingh include the Bengali novelist Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and political figures Monsur Ahmed and Syed Nazrul Islam, the latter serving as the temporary President of Bangladesh in 1971 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was captured by Pakistanis during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The building housing the Women Teachers Training College was previously the palace of Mymensingh Rajbari and dates back to 1905. Situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra, it is an architectural landmark and one of the city’s prominent tourist attractions. Other places of interest in Mymensingh are the Monument of the Liberation War, Zainul Abedin Art Gallery, Circuit House and Park and the botanical garden at the Agricultural University, which is open to the public.
Visitors to Mymensingh can enjoy a boat ride on the Brahmaputra River and visit the Shambhuganj district of Mymensingh which is located across the river. The monument of the Liberation War of Bangladesh is located in Shambhuganj.
