Dhaka's lakeside promenade: curving bridges, kilometres of walkways, an amphitheatre and water taxis, all lit up in the evening. Free.
Hatirjheel opened on 2 January 2013: a 302-acre lake and road project in the middle of the city, built by the army's Special Works Organisation to a design led by the architect Iqbal Habib. It is the largest stretch of open water in Dhaka.
Nearly 10 km of walkways and footpaths circle the lake, crossed by curving bridges and broken up by viewing decks. There is an amphitheatre seating about 2,000, a musical fountain, a children's park, and water taxis linking FDC, Rampura and Gulshan. It is at its best in the evening, when the bridges are lit.
The lake has its problems. Sewage has polluted the water, and upkeep has slipped since maintenance passed from the army to RAJUK in 2021. Enjoy it from the walkways, and keep to the busier, well-lit stretches after dark.
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September – May: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, every day
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