Natural History

Established on 27 December 1975, the Department of Natural History has been active since then in appreciation of the growing tendency to interrelate man and nature to gain a wider perspective and vision of the people's life in relation to their environment, to develop a better understanding of the natural world and the process that moulds it, and to explore the interrelationships and mutual dependence of all forms of life. The first ten galleries of Bangladesh National Museum are devoted to natural history. The objects that are on display include rocks and minerals, specimens of petrified wood, corals, fossil organisms, species of rare mollusk, marine fishes, tropical plants, flowers and fruits, medicinal herbs and spice plants, reptiles, mammals, a gigantic skeleton of a whale, and birds such as Mayna, the eagle, the fairy blue bird and the peregrine falcon. Herbarium sheets, oil paintings, models, colorful pictorial representations of some specimens, and a Chart of the Geological Timescale have enriched the displays. The objects of fossilized wood as well as the endangered flora and fauna provide a glimpse of the country's natural heritage from the past. The diorama of the Sundarbans is particularly attractive to visitors. This Curatorial Department is unique in that it promotes public opinion in favor of conserving nature and natural resources through special exhibitions, seminars and symposia. It also collects, preserves and documents objects.