Sonakanda Fort stands on the eastern bank of the Shitalakshya, built alongside Hajiganj and Idrakpur forts as part of Mir Jumla's river defence network. Its most striking feature is a massive circular cannon platform reached by an inner staircase, commanding a wide view of the river approach. The defensive walls contain two tiers of firing holes for matchlocks and light guns. Crossing the river by country boat from Narayanganj ghat to Bandar gives an clear perspective of the fort's strategic position.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry free; boat crossing across Shitalakshya roughly ৳5–10; rickshaw in Bandar about ৳25
How to get to Sonakanda Fort
In Bandar on the east bank of the Shitalakshya. Take an engine boat across the river from Narayanganj 5 No. Ghat, then a rickshaw for 5 minutes.
Narayanganj town is about 18 km from Dhaka, around 1 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Narayanganj guide.
More to see in Narayanganj
Photo: Dolon Prova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Panam Nagar পানাম নগর
A historic street of 52 brick merchant mansions in Sonargaon, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳100 for Bangladeshis, more for foreigners; easy-bike from Mograpara about ৳30
Photo: Ahidul hasan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Museum বাংলাদেশ লোক ও কারুশিল্প ফাউন্ডেশন
A sprawling cultural museum at Sonargaon featuring folk artisan workshops, rural crafts and the restored Boro Sardar Bari palace.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳50 for Bangladeshis, more for foreign visitors; pedal boats on the pond about ৳100
Photo: Rafi Bin Tofa, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Hajiganj Fort হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ
A pentagonal 17th-century Mughal water fort built by Mir Jumla on the western bank of the Shitalakshya river.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- About an hour
- Cost
- Entry free; rickshaw from Chashara about ৳30–40
Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Goaldi Mosque গোয়ালদী মসজিদ
A 1519 Sultanate brick mosque tucked among village trees near Sonargaon, notable for terracotta rosettes and stone mihrabs.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- About an hour
- Cost
- Entry free; auto-rickshaw from Panam Nagar about ৳30–40