Gateway to the Sundarbans — the world's largest mangrove forest and the Bengal tiger's last delta stronghold
Khulna is Bangladesh's third-largest city and the principal jumping-off point for the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove delta forest spanning the Bangladesh-India border and home to the most significant remaining population of Bengal tigers. The Sundarbans' labyrinthine waterways are navigated by boat — overnight launches from Khulna's jetties are the traditional way in — through an ecosystem where spotted deer, Irrawaddy dolphins, saltwater crocodiles, and the occasional tiger share a tidal forest that floods twice daily. The city itself has a colonial-era character around the Bhairab…
Khulna grew significantly during British colonial rule as the administrative centre for the southwestern delta region and a major jute-trade port. The Sundarbans were managed as a British forest reserve from the mid-19th century. The 1947 Partition of Bengal split the Sundarbans along the Bangladesh-India border, and the 1971 Liberation War saw significant conflict in the region. The nearby Bagerhat mosque city was built by Sufi saint Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century, making it one of the oldest Islamic complexes in the Indian subcontinent.