To get rid of the busy life in this brick-and-mortar city, everyone wants to have a day out with family. Lakes with calm water and fresh air can be perfect destinations for spending some quality time with family, kids and friends. Due to constant urbanization and massive population growth, Bangladesh’s capital city has lost its grandeur. Now, Dhaka is the 4th least liveable city in the world according to the Global Liveability Index 2021. Even after that, there are some beautiful lakes amid this dry town. Stay with us to learn more about the scenic lakes in Dhaka city.

Top 7 lakes in Dhaka for day outs with family

Hatirjheel Lake

This huge lake connects several areas of Dhaka city including Mogbazar, Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon, Farmgate, Gulshan, Badda, Rampura, and Mouchak. Thousands of visitors flock here almost every day to visit the lake through water boats. Furthermore, the entire Hatirjheel can be circled once in a very short time by a tourist bus. These two modes of transport have facilitated the movement of people over Hatirjheel. It also contributes to reducing the pressure of traffic on the roads of Dhaka city.

The four bridges over the Hatirjheel lake are decorated with different colored lights. The illuminated bridges create an enthralling view after dusk. As there are food courts at both ends of each bridge, these places remain crowded from afternoon to late night.

Besides, the artificial fountains have given an exotic look to the Hatirjheel Lake area at night.

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Crescent Lake

This popular lake flows along the boundaries of Chandrima Udyan located just opposite the Parliament Center, the heart of Dhaka city.

A mausoleum complex was established here centering on the tomb of former President Major General Ziaur Rahman. This is a great place for a morning walk in the southwest of the city.

There are beautiful stairs and seating arrangements around the lake for visitors. A beautiful bridge has been built through the middle of the lake to enter inside. There are two artificial fountains on either side of the suspension bridge. When the fountains are turned on after dusk, a spectacular scene unfolds.

In the east and west courtyards of the park, there are two ornate gardens with a wide-open courtyard.

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Diabari Lake

Diabari, located in Sector-15 of Uttara in the capital, has been a well-known place for local travelers. A tributary of the river Turag, flowing through the Diabari, has been renovated into a lake. To enhance the scenic view of this lake, an aesthetic bridge has been built across it.

The best time to visit the lake is Autumn. The gentle whiteness of the catkins and the twilight sun hanging on the horizon can make every visitor temporarily forget all the exhaustion and tensions of day-to-day life.

The shady place under the huge Banyan trees standing on both sides of the road is now known as 'Diabari Battala'.

From any part of Dhaka, Uttara House building area can be reached by bus. To reach Diabari Bottola from this place, rickshaws are available in front of Mascot Plaza.

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Dhanmondi Lake

The vast waterbody of Dhanmondi Lake seems like a piece of nature located amid the hustle-and-bustle of Dhaka city. The lake has become known as Dhanmondi Lake due to its location occupying a large area in the Dhanmondi area.

The magnificent combination of green trees surrounding the waterbody has made Dhanmondi Lake popular among the residents of Dhaka city as well as the visitors from other places of the country. The park around Dhanmondi Lake is enriched with walkways, a variety of plants, benches, exercise areas, food courts, and standard restaurants. In addition to these, there are some recreational facilities such as fishing in the lake and traveling across the lake water via boat.

Various cultural programs are organized on different occasions at the renowned recreational center- Rabindra Sarobar.

No fee is charged to enter Dhanmondi Lake. However, visitors can roam here from dawn to dusk.

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Ramna Lake

Many residents of Dhaka city start their morning activities through jogging in Ramna Park located at Shahbag in Dhaka. What makes this ancient park amazing is the huge lake surrounded by greenery. Established during the Mughal period in 1610, the park was spread over a large area including the adjoining Suhrawardy Udyan. Racecourses used to be organized here.

Every year on the first day of Boishakh (First month in Bengali Calender), a cultural program centering Bengali New Year celebration is organized by Chayanat at the base of the great Banyan tree of Ramna.

The nice walkways, resting benches, and garden lamps enhance the comfort and beauty of the Ramna Lake’s environment. Besides these, the flowering trees and chirping of birds around the Ramna Lake rejuvenate the souls of the visitors. This place is open to all from 6 am to 7 pm and there is no entry free.

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Nikunja Lake

This is a newly built lake expreaded from Nikunj-1 to Nikunj-9 next to Airport Road. RAJUK undertook the renovation work in 2018 and completed the work by June 2020.

Green Lake is another name for the whole lake covered with all kinds of flowers. Neat and clean walkways and seating areas look quite aesthetic. A crescent-shaped bridge has been built in the middle of the lake which is illuminated at night.

The Khilkhet part of the lake is decorated with marble stones depicting the historical events of Bangladesh including the six-point movement and the great speech of the 7th March.

Security guards are on duty 24 hours to protect the beauty of the lake. So any lake lover can come here with family any afternoon without any worries.

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Purbachal Ecopark Lake

The lake is basically part of the Turag river. The specialty of the lake is the two wonderful floating restaurants built on it. Now what is the easiest way to visit Purbachal Eco Park Lake? The visitors should first reach Kuril Bishwaroad which is easily accessible from any part of Dhaka city. From this place, they take a bus and arrive at Nila Market. Purbachal Eco Park is only a 5 to 6-minute walk from the beautiful roads of Shaheed Moyez Uddin Chattar.

However, the floating restaurants built on the lake have two floors. It looks very festive due to a lot of lighting since evening. The umbrellas hanging above give a great look to the whole restaurant.

In the afternoon, visitors cannot resist the temptation to take a boat ride on the lake. An island in the middle of the lake is a sight to behold during a trip to the Purbachal Eco Park Lake.

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Over to You

So far, we have mentioned top 7 captivating lakes in Dhaka city. Though located in the busiest places across the capital, these lakes enhance the scenic view of the respective areas. The responsibilities and duties of the visitors are immense to preserve the natural beauty of each lake. Those who are going to visit these beautiful lakes need to be cautous about not polluting the local environment and encourage others to do the same. Because at the end of the day, it is the common people who will go there for day-outs with family. So everyone should keep these lakes clean for themselves and their future generations.