On 20 May 1971, Pakistani occupation forces opened fire on an estimated ten thousand unarmed refugees gathered at Chuknagar bazar while fleeing towards the Indian border. It remains the largest single-day mass killing of the Liberation War. A memorial monument known as the Chuknagar Shaheed Smrityshoudho now stands beside the Bhadra River, flanked by memorial plaques, a public library, and landscaped commemorative grounds. The site serves as a quiet, reflective reminder of the sacrifices endured across the rural delta during 1971.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry free; local bus from Sonadanga terminal roughly ৳60–80 each way
How to get to Chuknagar Genocide Memorial
About 32 km west of Khulna city in Dumuria upazila. Direct local buses or shared auto-rickshaws from Khulna's Sonadanga bus stand reach Chuknagar bazar in roughly 50 minutes.
Khulna town is about 180 km from Dhaka, around 4 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Khulna guide.
More to see in Khulna
Photo: Shahid BDWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Karamjal Ecotourism Centre করমজল বন্যপ্রাণী প্রজনন কেন্দ্র
The northern gateway to the Sundarbans, featuring elevated wooden boardwalks, saltwater crocodile breeding pens, and spotted deer enclosures.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- Forest entry roughly ৳20–50 for Bangladeshis, more for foreigners; engine boat from Mongla ghat roughly ৳1,000–1,500 for a group
Photo: MD AMANAT ULLAH, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hiron Point হিরণ পয়েন্ট
A remote coastal forest station and tidal observatory in the southern Sundarbans where the Nilkamal River meets the open Bay of Bengal.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- Full day or overnight cruise
- Cost
- Forest permit roughly ৳150–300 daily; multi-day tourist cruise from Khulna or Mongla roughly ৳8,000–15,000 per person including boat and food
Photo: Anup Sadi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Khulna Divisional Museum খুলনা বিভাগীয় জাদুঘর
The principal regional museum of southern Bengal, displaying terracotta temple plaques, Sultanate stone inscriptions, and coastal folklore relics.
- Best time
- Year-round
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳20–30 for Bangladeshis, more for foreign visitors; easy-bike from town centre about ৳20–30
Photo: Shahriar Amin Fahim247, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Khan Jahan Ali Bridge খান জাহান আলী সেতু
A sweeping cable-stayed bridge spanning the Rupsha River, popular with local residents for cool evening river breezes and sunset views.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- About an hour
- Cost
- Free access on pedestrian walkways; easy-bike from town centre about ৳40–50