Things to do in Khulna

Nature · South of the city, reached by boat from Khulna or Mongla

The largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 1997, covering around 140,000 hectares of tidal waterways, mudflats and salt-tolerant forest.

Local tip: Entry needs a Forest Department permit and an armed forest guard on board — not optional, and normally bundled into the price of a two- or three-night boat trip out of Khulna or Mongla. Go between November and February for wildlife and tolerable weather. Do not attempt a day trip: the forest starts hours from anywhere.

Landmark · Bagerhat, about an hour east

The centrepiece of the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage site — a fifteenth-century brick mosque of extraordinary scale founded by Khan Jahan Ali.

Local tip: It is called Shait Gumbad — 'sixty domes' — and does not have sixty, which locals enjoy explaining. Combine it with Khan Jahan Ali's tomb nearby and go early; the brickwork is best before the midday flatness.

Landmark · Eastern edge of the city

The working river that defines Khulna's eastern boundary, with the road bridge above and, since 2023, the 5.13 km Rupsha rail bridge carrying the new Mongla line.

Local tip: Take a small ferry across at dusk rather than driving over. The ghats on the Khulna side are where the city's river life still happens, and the fish landing in the early morning is worth being up for.

Neighborhood · North of the centre

The jute mill district — a planned industrial quarter of mills, workers' colonies and mill-owned housing, largely idle since the state mills closed in July 2020.

Local tip: Not a tourist site and that is the point. Walking it is the fastest way to understand what happened to this city's economy, and the tea stalls that survive have people who will tell you about it at length.

Culture · Central Khulna, near Shibbari

The city's central park and monument, and the surrounding streets where Khulna actually gathers in the evening.

Local tip: The evening crowd here is the best introduction to the city's scale — Khulna is small enough that you will start recognising people. Combine it with the Shibbari and Moylapota junctions for food.

Food · Across the city, best around Doulatpur and the Rupsha ghats

Freshwater and estuarine fish cooked with chui jhal — a woody pepper vine used as a whole stick in curries, and the southwest's signature flavour.

Local tip: Chui jhal beef is the dish to ask for and it is genuinely regional — you will not find it done properly in Dhaka. The vine is chewed for the flavour and not swallowed, which nobody tells first-timers.