Postal Museum

Mymensingh Museum (ময়মনসিংহ জাদুঘর), formerly known as Momenshahi Museum (মোমেনশাহী জাদুঘর) is located at the bagan bari (garden house) of Zamindar Madan Babu at 17 Amrita (অমৃত) Babu Road, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The museum, which began as an important regional institution for preservation of locally collected historical evidence, lacks proper preservation. Its objective is to preserve the rare and unique relics of local architecture, sculpture, metal works,utensils, handwritten scripts on paper and leaf, and commercial products. Collected from the palaces of Mymensingh District Zamindars, the museum's initial collection included 214 articles. They are housed in three rooms within the museum.

The museum was established in 1969 at the initiative of the-then Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh. Initially run by the Mymensingh Municipality. The Department of Archaeology, Cultural Affairs Ministry took charge of the museum in 1989. By 1995, it was enlisted in the gazette. The collection includes manuscripts and coins, though many are not on display due to insufficient showcase space. A peacock mummy comes from Mymensingh Medical College. Bamboo and cane items, preserved birds, photographs and pottery were damaged during a renovation in 1999–2001.

Several articles were collected from Zamindar palaces. The Muktagacha zamindar palace contribution includes a stone flower vase, a compass, antique clocks, Bakharee (an ornament), pottery, weaving machines, ornamental flower tub stands, candle stands, iron shelves and sports items. Statuary and sculptures include those of Saraswati, Vishnu, and a dragon.

Natural history items include a tiger head, two deer heads, and the head of a wild bull. Elephant heads, a sofa set, Italian statues, and a huge shade used during hunting come from the Gouripur(গৌরীপুর) zamindar palace. A rhinoceros hide and a table with a marble stone top were acquired from the Atharabari (আঠারোবাড়ি) zamindar palace .The museum contains many paintings of rural Bengal.

In Fultala Union, Khulna there is a Rabindra Memorial Complex built in memory of the Great Poet Rabindranath Tagore. It was the  house of Rabindranath Tagore's in-laws, which was converted into a memorial complex after renovation.

At age 22, Rabindranath got married to a girl named "Vabatarini". Later she was introduced as Mrinalini Devi. It is assumed that the father of Mrinalini was involved in supervising the business of the Tagore family. Before his marriage, all of Rabindranaths kith and kin came to Pithavoge and stayed here. Then they went to Fulpur (Daksmindihi) to visit the bride. After that the marriage took placce at Kolkata.

Now the two storied building has been decorated and renovated after receiving a government fund and was turned into a museum and photo gallery. Some rare photos of Rabindranath Tagore is showcased here. Some important documents about Tagore's publications are also displayed here. A bust of Rabindranath Tagore is also there. Every year on 25-27 Baishakh (after the Bengali New Year Celebration), cultural programs are held here which lasts for three days.

In 2001, after receiving a fund from the UNESCO, a museum has built by the government at Bagerhat in the UNESCO world heritage site "Shat Gombuj Mosque" complex. It is now being used as a learning center to let people aware about the ancient city named Khalifatabad established by Khan Jahan Ali which is known as Bagerhat today.

It is a one storied building. It has two large galleries to display antiques. Antiques found in Bagerhat are categorized into two parts. One of them are the earthen materials and another is wooden and slate (rock/stone). There is a photo gallery too to display the rare photos of artifacts and ruined architectural structures.

The building is built later but the designers made it with a beauty of ancient structure visibly similar with the mosque because of the dome so that the museum does not look odd in the complex. During the summer time, it is opened from 9 am to 6 pm for the visitors. The entry fee for the complex is 20 taka for Bangladeshi citizens and it is also the ticket of the museum, there is no separate ticket is needed.

The latest collection of this museum is the skin of the alligator (named Kalapahar) of Khan Jahan Ali. After its death, the skin is preserved and being displayed at the museum.

Currency Museum is located at Mirpur beside Bangladesh Bank Training Academy. This project is taken regarding the enlargement of the currency museum into money museum. The country’s eminent artists, architects and historians have worked together for the museum along with the central bank to make it launch.

Museum authority has collected local and foreign coins and banknotes in different ways to enrich this museum. The museum has now thousands of coins and notes from the Pala, Sena, Gupta, Sultani, Mughal and British periods. About 2500 coins and notes found in Wari-Bateshwar of Narsingdi will be reserved in this Museum. Bangladesh Numismatic Collectors’ Society handed over 100 coins of different eras to the Currency Museum of Bangladesh Bank.

The historically significant deposited coins included 48 of the Alauddin Hossain Shah era, 29 of Nasiruddin Nusrat Shah, four of Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, five of Sikandar Shah, three of Giasuddin Azam Shah, three of Rukunuddin Barbak Shah, two of Nasiruddin Mahmud, one of Mahmud Shah, one of Shahjahan, two of Badsha Alamgir , one of Islam Shah and one of the Shah Alam era.

A museum, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will help young people to know about the currency’s history and its evolution. Not only the history of Money, this museum will also help people to get acquainted with the lifestyle, education, culture and various aspects of archaeological evolution of human civilization through coins and currencies of different eras.

It showcases coins and banknotes, which are witnesses to history, to uphold the history and heritage before the present and future generations. Efforts are already on to collect old coins and install digital signage, touch screens, LCD monitors etc to equip the ‘Taka Museum’ into a modern, prosperous, state of the art, rich in information and technology-based museum.It has been established with modern technology to attract visitors.

The Governor, Expressed his appreciation in people of the society who are coming forward to enrich the collections of the Taka Museum of the bank, Dr Atiur Rahman said those institutions and individuals who would handover old coins as presents to the museum would be gladly accepted and the presenters would be properly recognized.

Background History: A currency museum was set up in the Bangladesh Bank in 2009, which was displaying currencies of almost all countries of the world. Initiatives had been taken to expand this museum to open the 'Taka Jadhughar’. At the end, the central bank's existing currency museum is being restructured as the 'Taka Jadughar'. The restructuring of the 'Taka Jadhughar' took place on the premises of Bangladesh Bank Training Institute at Mirpur. Along with this, the central bank is collecting obsolete coins and banknotes to exhibit in the gallery.