Jessore travel guide

Jessore, Bangladesh

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Jessore

Introduction

Jessore, officially known as Jashore, is a city in southwestern Bangladesh, serving as the district headquarters of Jessore District within Khulna Division. The city is organised into nine wards and seventy-three mahalls, and its municipality dates back to the nineteenth century.

For visitors with an interest in aviation, Jessore holds a notable place in the country's history: it is home to the first flight training school of the Bangladeshi Air Force, established in 1971. The city also has a domestic airport, Jashore Airport, which makes it a practical point of arrival or departure in the region.

Before you go

Jessore sits in southwestern Bangladesh, and the practical details of getting there and getting around are worth settling before you set out. The city is served by an airport with domestic links, and it also sits on the rail network, so you can arrive by air or by train depending on where you are coming from. Once you are in town, rickshaws and other local transport are the usual way of covering short distances.

The climate shapes when you should plan your trip. Summers here are hot and humid, the monsoon months bring heavy rain, and winters are mild and dry. If you would rather avoid the wettest and hottest stretches, aim your visit at the cooler, drier part of the year, and pack accordingly.

Getting there

Jessore Airport (JSR) is small and has service only to Dhaka, so flying in is practical mainly if you are arriving from the capital. Overland, local buses are the way in: services run from the Benapole border post, from Khulna, and from other places in the region.

Getting around

Jessore is small enough to cover on foot in places, but the street layout is irregular, so expect to ask for directions as you go — locals are generally happy to point the way. Walking suits short errands and exploring a single area, though it is rarely the quickest way to cross town. There is no metro or tram network, so your practical choices are walking, cycle-rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws, buses, and trains for longer journeys.

Conventional taxis and app-based ride-hailing are not part of the local transport mix, so the CNG fills the role a taxi would elsewhere. A car is not necessary. From Jessore Airport, a short drive from downtown, cycle-rickshaws and CNGs are the natural choice for the final leg — take a CNG if you arrive after dark. Carry small change, watch your belongings on crowded buses, and take extra care at night, particularly as a woman travelling alone.

Where to stay

Jessore has a handful of places to sleep, most of them clustered along MK Rd and in the downtown area. Banchte Shekha, a charity with a long record of work in Bangladesh, offers rooms at its large Jessore base; staying there means dining with the charity's staff, sometimes including its founder, Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Angela Gomes. Grand Hotel is a cheap option nearby, while RS International and Hotel Magpie are slightly nicer and also on MK Rd. Hotel Hasan has spacious rooms and a buffet breakfast.

For a more central base, Hotel City Plaza International sits on City Plaza Rd next to City Plaza Mall, with a restaurant, free breakfast, hot tub, wifi and a/c. Zabeer Hotel International, on Maulana Mohammad Ali Rd downtown, is a glass-facade highrise that calls itself five-star, with a rooftop pool high up, a restaurant, full breakfast, gym and luxury-style rooms.

Food & drink

For Chinese food, head to Rose Garden Chinese restaurant, across from the Hotel Mid-Town on MK Rd in a shopping complex. It can be slightly hard to spot, so look up for the sign; the kitchen turns out great Chinese dishes, including a non-greasy and tasty vegetable chowmein. About 50 metres west of Rose Garden, New Noori Hotel is a great and popular spot for local food, where a feast of fish, rice, spinach, potato curry, dal and dessert makes for a filling meal. For a snack, you can pick up chatpoti at Doratana point. When you want to sit over a drink, Jessore has plenty of cafes. Among the better ones are Carees Food Center, Day Light and Owesis.

What to see and do

There isn't a great deal to see in Jessore itself beyond a couple of small, ordinary mosques, so the town is best taken at a stroll — wander around and you'll likely make a few friends along the way. At the entrance to town stands Bijoy '71, a tall sculpture by Khondoker Badrul Islam dedicated to the casualties of the Bangladesh War of Liberation at Palbari. The Jessore Institute Public Library is the nation's oldest and largest, established in 1851, with a collection running to over a hundred thousand books alongside manuscripts, journals and newspapers. You can also visit the birthplace and former home of Micheal Modhushudhon Dutta, now a museum devoted to his life. Dihi Union Public Library, the first union-based public library in Bangladesh, was established at Pakshia Bazar under Sarsa and holds a rich collection of books as well as an arboretum where various species of plants are being collected, roughly 20 km north of Benapole. For green space in town, head to the Jashore Collectorate Park on the west end of downtown, where a historic red building dating from the British period as a collectorate office still stands, or the popular Municipality Park next to Abdur Razzak Municipal College, with its ponds and covered bridge where you can relax. Just south of downtown, Chanchra was once Chanchra Rajbari and is now completely ruined, though you can still see the Shiv temple, which is almost restored, the ruined Dosh Mahabidya temple — the only one of its kind in Bangladesh — and the Jora Shiv Temple at Murali, in an almost ruined condition. Further afield, you can take in the Naldanga Temple Complex, a massive banyan tree, and the colourful mosques near Barobazar, including Nungola Masjid, Jhenaidah Golakata Mosque, Pir Pukur Masjid, Dhulgram Kali Mondir and an eleven-temple complex. If you can befriend one of the numerous army officers who populate Jessore cantonment, you may get a chance to play on a nine-hole golf course — no need to bring your own equipment, though it will cost you some. You can also visit the airport, locally known as the runway, and tour Binodia Park, Jess Garden Park, the boat club, and Newtown Park and Lake, all just beside the main town.

Three days in Jessore

Day one: Arrive at Jessore Airport (JSR), also known as Jashore Airport, which serves the Bangladeshi Air Force as well as civil flights. From the airport, take a CNG or cycle rickshaw into town and settle into a hotel such as the Grand Hotel, RS International or Hotel Magpie. Spend the afternoon walking along MK Rd, the main commercial street, and get your bearings in Jessore District.

Day two: Travel overland to Benapole, the border crossing into India, or head south to Khulna. Buses and local trains serve the region, and Jessore Junction is the main railhead, with services toward Darshana and beyond. If you prefer to stay in town, visit Banchte Shekha, the organisation associated with Angela Gomes, a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient.

Day three: Use the morning for a final walk through Jessore, then take a conventional bus or train toward Dhaka, or return to Jessore Airport for your onward flight. Summers here are hot and humid, so carry water and plan your walking for the cooler parts of the day. Agree on your fare before boarding a CNG or cycle rickshaw.

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