Aquarium Park: Where the city meets the wild

At the centre of the capital, a new kind of park is quietly emerging. Nestled in Agargaon, adjacent to the Bangladesh Air Force Museum and the Agargaon Metro Station gate, it features a glass tunnel aquarium, a bird aviary, a koi pond, and a waterfall.

“The park was built with the purpose of doing better for our animals,” said the park’s CEO Ashraf Shiddike Rizve, one of the minds behind curating the place from scratch.

The Aquarium Park is a section of the Bangladesh Air Force Museum.

This microcosm of wildlife, with its fish, birds, and natural elements, offers a perfect escape from the bustle of Dhaka, leaving you in a state of quiet cognitive dissonance -- wondering whether you are still in a metro city or have wandered into a jungle.

As you stroll through, you will come across a landscaped hill rising in the middle of the city. However, do not be too amazed just yet! Wait until you walk past the 36-foot waterfall, where the splash of downhill-flowing water chills your soul as you pass through the tunnel beneath it.

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An aviary housing over 300 birds across several species -- budgerigars, cockatiels, conures, macaws, Amazon parrots, and African grey parrots -- creates the feeling of walking through a forest.

The birds here are tame and trained, allowing visitors to feed them as they gently peck from their hands. They are naturally interactive and appear to enjoy human company. Conures, for example, are known to perch on visitors’ hands, while Amazon parrots are among the most vocal and responsive birds, capable of mimicking words and engaging in simple exchanges.

The glass tunnel aquarium is set to become a point of curiosity not just for locals but also for international visitors. Plans are underway to introduce species such as sharks and octopuses.

The koi pond, with crystal-clear water, is still a work in progress, with plans to develop it into another serene highlight of the park.

“We will keep adding new exhibits every month so visitors keep returning,” said Rizve.

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A significant portion of the park’s maintenance budget goes into animal care. The staff’s gentle attention to each species is both a soothing sight and an instructive lesson for children on treating animals with kindness.

Instructors also conduct brief workshops on how to care for fish in home aquariums. Both children and adults can attend these sessions every month without any additional fees.

“We want to prioritise proper living conditions, environment, filtration, and lighting so the animals do not feel distressed,” said Rizve.

This park is a haven not only for birds and rare species but also for children. Upon entry, children are given interactive quizzes, turning the visit into a small scavenger hunt, with badges and stickers as rewards at the end. With guided tours on offer, children are likely to leave having learned something meaningful. The entire park is designed for interaction, whether between species or among visitors.

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Amid the glare of city life, we sometimes forget that nature is where we belong. We keep nature’s wilder beings and elements at arm’s length. This park is a small attempt to bridge that distance, stripping away the invisible barrier we often place between ourselves and nature.

The ticket costs Tk 100 per person, while entry is free for toddlers up to two years of age. The next time you are planning a weekend outing and craving a quiet, bucolic escape, consider bringing your loved ones here.