# List of World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. Bangladesh accepted the convention on 3 August 1983, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
There are three World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh, and a further seven on the tentative list. The first two sites listed were the Mosque City of Bagerhat and the Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, in 1985. Both sites are cultural. The most recent site, the Sundarbans, was listed in 1997 and is a natural site.

## World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.
World Heritage Sites :
| Site | Location (division) | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
| Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat | Khulna | 1985 | 321: iv (cultural) | The city of Bagerhat was founded in the 15th century by Khan Jahan Ali under the name Khalifatabad. It contains over 300 mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, and water tanks, mostly constructed from baked brick. The city represents some of the most significant examples of early Muslim architecture in Bengal, including the Tomb of Khan Jahan and the Sixty Dome Mosque (pictured). The architectural style is unique to the site. After the death of the founder, the city got covered by the jungle. |
| Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur | Rajshahi | 1985 | 322; i, ii, vi (cultural) | Somapura Mahavihara, a Buddhist vihāra, or monastery, dates to the 8th century. It was an important centre of Mahayana Buddhism in the region until the 12th century, and is the second largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. It was decorated with stone and terracotta sculptures and carvings. It influenced the construction of temples in Myanmar, Java, and Cambodia. |
| The Sundarbans | Khulna | 1997 | 798; ix, x (natural) | The national park covers the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans, the delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. It is the world's largest and richest mangrove forest, with about 78 recorded mangrove species. It is a biodiversity hotspot, home to a large population of Bengal tigers, as well as an important habitat for the Irrawaddy dolphin and Ganges river dolphin, several species of birds and sea turtles. Three sanctuaries are listed. In India, the Sundarbans National Park is listed as a separate World Heritage Site. |

## Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. Bangladesh lists seven properties on its tentative list.