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Zoo in Bangladesh: National Zoo, Safari Parks and More
Updated: Oct 8
Bangladesh is not the first country most people picture when they plan a zoo visit, yet it has a long established national collection in its capital, several regional zoos, two safari parks that appear repeatedly in travel listings, and at least one large fish and aquarium attraction. Anyone researching a zoo in Bangladesh will quickly find that the same handful of names keeps coming up, and that one of them, Bangladesh National Zoo in Mirpur, Dhaka, dominates the conversation.
This guide sets out what is actually documented about the country's zoos and animal attractions, what is known about tickets, opening times and location, and where the record is genuinely thin. Where a fact could change from one season to the next, such as an exact closing time or a revised entry charge, the sensible approach is to check the zoo's own published information before travelling rather than relying on a third party summary.
What the Published Lists Actually Show
There is no single national register of zoos in Bangladesh that every directory agrees on. The Wikipedia list of zoos in Bangladesh carries a maintenance banner requesting more citations, which is itself a useful signal: the sector is documented unevenly, and different sources count different places. That does not mean the collections are obscure. It means a reader should expect the lists to differ, and should treat any confident figure about "how many zoos Bangladesh has" with a degree of caution.
Across the sources that do exist, these names recur most often:
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park
Bangladesh National Zoo
Bonobilash Zoo
Chittagong Zoo
Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden
Travel and attraction directories add a slightly different mix. The leading travel directory listing for zoos and aquariums in Bangladesh names Dhaka Zoo, Radiant Fish World, Dulahazra Safari Park, Chittagong Zoo, and Recreation Park and Rangpur Zoo. Note that Dhaka Zoo in that listing refers to the same institution discussed below under its official name, Bangladesh National Zoo. The zoo's own web presence uses the dhakazoo subdomain alongside the bnzoo.gov.bd official site, which confirms the two names are used interchangeably.
Put together, the two lists give a reasonable picture of the sector: one large national zoo, several regional zoos of varying scale, two safari parks, and an aquarium. What they do not give is a definitive total, and it would be misleading to invent one.
A Comparison of the Main Collections
The table below limits itself strictly to what the published sources record. Where a detail has not been documented in the sources consulted, the table says so rather than filling the gap with an assumption.
Collection | Type | What published sources record |
Bangladesh National Zoo | National zoo | Established 1974; 186 acres (about 75 hectares); located at Zoo Road, Mirpur 1, Dhaka 1216; operated by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock; the largest zoo in Bangladesh |
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park | Safari park | Appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh |
Bonobilash Zoo | Zoo | Appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh |
Chittagong Zoo | Zoo | Appears on both the list of zoos in Bangladesh and the leading travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums |
Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden | Zoo and botanical garden | Appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh |
Dulahazra Safari Park | Safari park | Appears in the leading travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums |
Radiant Fish World | Fish and aquarium attraction | Appears in the leading travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums |
Recreation Park and Rangpur Zoo | Recreation park with zoo | Appears in the leading travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums |
Two things stand out from that table. The first is how much of the sector rests on a single well documented institution. The second is how many of the other names appear in directories without corresponding detail on size, animal collection, opening arrangements or ticketing. That gap is not unusual for zoos in South Asia, but it does shape how a visitor should plan.
Bangladesh National Zoo: The Country's Flagship Collection
If you visit one zoo in Bangladesh, this will be it. Bangladesh National Zoo sits in Mirpur, in the north of Dhaka, and is described in the sources as the largest zoo in Bangladesh. It opened in 1974 and is operated by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, which places it firmly within government rather than private or charitable ownership.
Location and Setting
The zoo's address is given as Zoo Road, Mirpur 1, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh. Its mapped coordinates place it at approximately 23.81 degrees north and 90.34 degrees east. Visitor descriptions note a lakeside setting within the grounds, with the sort of lakeside strolls and evening light that give a zoo visit a park-like character alongside the animal exhibits.
That combination of zoo and open parkland matters for planning. A large site of 186 acres takes time to walk, and the experience is not purely a series of enclosures. Families treating the trip as a half day out in green space will get more from it than visitors expecting a compact, single-circuit layout. Comfortable footwear and a realistic sense of the distance involved are both worthwhile.
Size and Significance
At 186 acres, or roughly 75 hectares, the site is substantial by any measure. For context, that is a scale at which enclosure design, animal movement, keeper logistics, waste management, visitor wayfinding and record keeping all become genuinely complex operational tasks rather than simple ones. Zoos of this size typically need structured collection records, planned enclosure rotation, and clear internal signage so that both staff and the public can find their way around.
Independent travel content describes the zoo as a comprehensive park that integrates ecological conservation, education and entertainment, and notes that it has drawn large numbers of visitors since opening in 1974. That three-way framing, conservation plus education plus recreation, is the standard modern justification for a national zoo, and it is the framework within which the Dhaka collection operates.
Opening Times
Listing sources state that the zoo is open daily from 8:00 am. The closing time is not consistently recorded across the sources consulted here, and opening hours at large zoos do shift with season and daylight. Rather than quote a figure that may be out of date, the reliable approach is to check the zoo's own published information before you travel, particularly if you are planning a late afternoon arrival.
Ticket Prices
The zoo's published rates page records a main gate entrance fee of Tk. 30.00 BDT for visitors above two years of age, and a separate zoo museum entrance fee of Tk. 05.00 BDT. Children below the age of two are recorded as entering free of charge. These figures come from the zoo's own price information and are the sort of detail that can be revised, so it is worth confirming the current position on the official site or at the gate on the day.
Two practical points follow from that pricing structure. First, the museum is charged separately from general admission, so visitors who want to include it should budget for both. Second, because the free entry threshold is set at under two years old, families travelling with very young children should be prepared to pay for anyone aged two and above.
Official Information Sources
The zoo maintains an official website at bnzoo.gov.bd, with a companion site at dhakazoo.bnzoo.org that includes pages covering the zoo's history, general information, and prices and rates. Anyone planning a visit, or checking whether arrangements have changed, should treat those pages as the authoritative source rather than a directory listing that may not have been updated.
Photo by Dr Photographer on Pexels
Regional Zoos in Bangladesh
Beyond the capital, the country's zoo provision is spread across a handful of regional sites. The published record on each is thinner than for the national collection, so the details below are limited to what the sources actually confirm.
Chittagong Zoo
Chittagong Zoo is the only regional collection that appears on both of the main lists consulted, the Wikipedia list of zoos in Bangladesh and the leading travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums. That dual appearance suggests it has a reasonably established visitor profile compared with some of the other regional names, though the sources do not record its size, collection or ticketing arrangements.
For anyone travelling to the Chittagong area and hoping to include a zoo visit, the sensible step is to contact the zoo directly or check locally for current opening arrangements, since none of the sources reviewed here provide confirmed hours or entry charges.
Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden
Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh under a name that makes its dual identity clear. The botanical garden element distinguishes it from a conventional zoo, and combined zoo and garden sites usually serve a broader purpose: plant collections, shaded walking routes and horticultural interest alongside animal exhibits.
The sources do not record the size of the site, its animal collection or its visitor arrangements. Anyone planning a trip should verify details locally rather than assume the site operates on the same pattern as the national zoo.
Bonobilash Zoo
Bonobilash Zoo features on the list of zoos in Bangladesh but is not covered in detail by the sources reviewed here. No size, location, collection or ticketing information is recorded. That is a limitation of the available documentation rather than a comment on the zoo itself, and readers should look for local confirmation before making travel plans around it.
Recreation Park and Rangpur Zoo
The Recreation Park and Rangpur Zoo appears in the travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums in Bangladesh. As the name suggests, it combines a public recreation park with a zoo function, which is a common model in the region: a green space serving the wider community, with animal exhibits forming one part of the offer rather than the whole of it.
No ticket prices, opening hours or collection details are recorded in the sources consulted. Visitors in the Rangpur area should check locally.
Safari Parks in Bangladesh
Safari parks differ from conventional zoos in their emphasis on larger, more open enclosures and on the experience of moving through a landscape rather than walking a fixed path past individual exhibits. Bangladesh has at least two sites that appear under this description in the published lists.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh and is the safari park most consistently named in published sources. The sources consulted for this guide do not record its size, its location, its species collection or its ticketing arrangements, so any planning should be based on information obtained directly from the park or from current local sources.
Safari parks of this kind generally reward a different style of visit from a city zoo. Expect longer travel times within the site, less walking between individual enclosures, and a stronger emphasis on viewing animals at a distance in larger spaces.
Dulahazra Safari Park
Dulahazra Safari Park appears in the travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums in Bangladesh. It does not appear on the Wikipedia list consulted, which is a good illustration of how differently the two sets of sources are maintained. As with the other safari park, no size, location or pricing detail is confirmed in the research reviewed here.
Readers should treat the name as a starting point for further local enquiry rather than as a fully documented destination, and should confirm access, opening days and any entry charge before travelling.
Aquariums and Fish Collections
Bangladesh's animal attraction sector is not limited to terrestrial zoos. Radiant Fish World appears in the travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums in Bangladesh, placing it alongside the country's larger animal collections in visitor terms.
The sources reviewed here do not record the size of the facility, its species holdings, its location or its ticket prices. Fish and aquarium attractions typically operate quite differently from zoos, with indoor viewing, controlled lighting, and a strong educational focus on aquatic habitats rather than outdoor enclosures. Anyone planning a visit should check current arrangements directly, as aquarium opening hours often differ from those of outdoor attractions.
What to Expect from a Zoo Visit in Bangladesh
The picture that emerges from visitor-facing sources is of a national zoo that functions as much as a public park as an animal collection. The lakeside setting, the scale of the grounds, and the fact that travel content highlights lakeside strolls and sunsets alongside the animals all point in the same direction: this is a place where local families go for a day out, not just a quick look at exhibits.
That has several practical implications for anyone visiting from outside the country.
Allow more time than you would for a compact urban zoo, because the site covers 186 acres.
Expect signage, ticketing and information to be primarily aimed at domestic visitors rather than international tourists.
Check the museum charge separately, since the Tk. 05.00 BDT museum fee sits on top of the main gate fee.
Confirm the closing time on the day, because the sources consulted only reliably record the 8:00 am opening.
Carry the exact entry money in local currency where possible, as small charges are easier to handle that way.
None of that is a criticism. It is simply the reality of visiting a government-operated national collection in a country where the zoo sector is still being documented. Preparation goes a long way.
Why Records and Documentation Matter in Zoos
There is a professional angle to all of this that is easy to overlook as a visitor. A zoo of 186 acres, operating under a government ministry since 1974, is not just a collection of enclosures. It is an institution that has to track which animals it holds, where they came from, how they are related, what veterinary treatment they have received, and how they are distributed across the site.
That is why structured record-keeping systems such as Species360 ZIMS are used by zoos and wildlife parks internationally. A well maintained studbook and animal record system underpins breeding programme decisions, welfare assessment, enclosure planning and regulatory inspection. When a zoo's records are incomplete, everything downstream becomes harder: transfers, health monitoring, reporting, and any kind of conservation contribution the collection hopes to make.
The same principle applies to public-facing elements. Clear, accurate signage helps visitors understand what they are looking at, supports educational aims, and reduces the risk of misinterpretation. Enclosure design, keeper routines and enrichment programmes all depend on knowing the animals as individuals rather than as a general category.
For zoos in Bangladesh and comparable settings, the biggest gains often come not from grand new construction but from the unglamorous basics: consistent daily records, defined welfare checks, clear staff responsibilities, and interpretation that tells visitors something meaningful about the species in front of them. Those are the foundations on which everything else is built, and they are achievable at any scale.
Photo by Lorenza Magnaghi on Pexels
Planning a Trip to a Zoo in Bangladesh
If the national zoo is your destination, the essentials are straightforward. The address is Zoo Road, Mirpur 1, Dhaka 1216, and the zoo is open daily from 8:00 am according to listing sources. Entry at the main gate is recorded at Tk. 30.00 BDT for visitors above two years old, with the zoo museum charged separately at Tk. 05.00 BDT and free entry for children under two.
Beyond those confirmed details, a short checklist will save frustration.
Verify opening and closing hours on the zoo's official pages before you set out, since the sources consulted only record the opening time reliably.
Confirm the current ticket prices on the published rates page, as charges can be revised.
Plan for a half day at minimum given the site's size of 186 acres.
If you are visiting one of the regional zoos or either safari park, contact the site directly, because the published record on opening times and pricing is incomplete.
Build in flexibility for travel across Dhaka, which is a large and busy city.
For the regional collections, the honest position is that the sources reviewed here do not record enough to plan around confidently. Chittagong Zoo, Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden, Bonobilash Zoo, and the Recreation Park and Rangpur Zoo all feature in published lists, but the documentation stops there. A phone call or a check with local contacts will be more useful than any online summary.
The Wider Picture for Zoos in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's zoo sector is best understood as a national collection surrounded by a scattering of regional sites and a small number of specialist attractions. The national zoo carries the weight: it is the largest in the country, it has been running since 1974, it sits under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and it is the site that visitor-facing content consistently points to first.
Around it, the picture is less complete. Two safari parks and a fish attraction appear in travel listings. Several regional zoos appear on reference lists with little supporting detail. The Wikipedia list itself asks for more citations, which is a fair summary of where the documentation currently stands.
For anyone with a professional interest in zoos, that gap is worth noting. Well documented collections are easier to support, easier to regulate, and easier to improve. Better public information about the country's zoos, from accurate opening hours to reliable collection records, would benefit visitors and institutions alike. In the meantime, a visit to Bangladesh National Zoo offers the most complete and best documented zoo experience the country has to offer, and that alone makes it a reasonable starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest zoo in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh National Zoo, located in Mirpur, Dhaka, is the largest zoo in Bangladesh. It covers 186 acres, which is roughly 75 hectares, and it has been operating since 1974 under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. The published lists of Bangladeshi zoos consistently place it at the top in terms of size and visitor profile.
How much does it cost to enter Bangladesh National Zoo?
The zoo's published rates record a main gate entrance fee of Tk. 30.00 BDT for visitors above two years of age, plus a separate zoo museum fee of Tk. 05.00 BDT. Children under two enter free. Because charges can be revised, it is worth checking the zoo's own prices page before your visit.
Where is Bangladesh National Zoo located and when does it open?
The zoo's address is Zoo Road, Mirpur 1, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh, at approximately 23.81 degrees north and 90.34 degrees east. Listing sources state that it is open daily from 8:00 am. Closing times are not consistently recorded, so confirm the day's hours with the zoo before travelling.
How many zoos are there in Bangladesh?
There is no single agreed national register, and the published lists do not match each other. Wikipedia's list of zoos in Bangladesh names Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Bangladesh National Zoo, Bonobilash Zoo, Chittagong Zoo, and Comilla Zoo and Botanical Garden, while travel directories add Dulahazra Safari Park and Radiant Fish World. Treat any precise total with caution.
Are there safari parks in Bangladesh?
Yes. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park appears on the list of zoos in Bangladesh, and Dulahazra Safari Park appears in the travel directory listing of zoos and aquariums in the country. The sources reviewed here do not record their sizes, opening hours or ticket prices, so confirm arrangements locally before planning a visit.
Whatever your reason for looking into a zoo in Bangladesh, the practical conclusion is the same: start with Bangladesh National Zoo, treat its official pages as the source of truth for hours and prices, and approach the regional collections and safari parks with a willingness to check details directly. The country's zoo sector is larger than its documentation suggests, and a little preparation turns a vague idea into a workable plan.
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