Three best spots for a sudden trip 

Pleasure trips have always been an effective way to rejuvenate the inner spirit when people feel exhausted with the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Normally the word 'tour' implies that it will be a costly and time consuming trip - does not matter whether it is at home or abroad.

But there are plenty of spots in the country where people can easily travel at minimal expenditure for a short period. We feature three such familiar spots with details on how to go there.   

Chalan Beel

As a riverine country, Bangladesh is rich with eye-soothing natural beauties, including dozens of rivers, canals and water bodies. The Chalan Beel of Natore district is one place where people can easily travel even on a sudden plan.   

Chalan Beel is a large inland depression, marshy in character, with rich flora and fauna. It was learnt that forty-seven rivers and other waterways flow into it. 

In monsoon, the swamp takes on a terrifying appearance with water swelling like a sea, while in Autumn the water is green and calm. 

In Hemanta, ripe paddy and dried soil creates a sweet aroma in the air. 

In winter, the swamp turns relatively dry with water colours changing into yellow and green.  It is like a magnificent combination of the natural beauties. 

People prefer the Autumn for being amazed with the majestic beauty of the wetland. 

Natore, Pabna or Sirajganj — you can hire a boat from any of the three districts for going to the Beel. 

It will definitely be one of the best memories when you will travel on the boat and enjoy the majestic beauty of the Beel. 
There are arrangements of life jackets and other safety equipment for those who want to swim in clean water. There are also cooking arrangements for enthusiasts. 

Almost the full wetland can be travelled in a single day. 

Those who are interested to enjoy the enthralling beauty of the Beel can travel to Pabna on both bus and train. 

Around a dozen buses, including Pabna Express, Shyamoli, Sea Line, Sarkar, regularly ply on the Dhaka-Pabna route. 

Interested ones have to take the bus for Pabna from Gabtoli or Technical area of the capital city. Each seat of the AC buses will cost Tk700 while that of non-AC bus will cost Tk 400. 

After reaching Pabna Central Bus Terminal, one can take a minibus or a CNG-run auto rickshaw to reach Chalan Beel. The whole journey from the bus stand to the Beel will take around 40 minutes. 

If you want to travel by train, you have to disembark the train at Chatmohar Railway Station. From there, you have to rent a CNG-run auto rickshaw which will take you to the Beel within around 20 minutes at a cost of Tk 30. 

Hardinge Bridge

Hardinge Bridge, the longest railway bridge of the country, is located on the Padma River at Pakshi in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna. The bridge was named after the then Viceroy Lord Hardinge. 

The 1.6km long steel bridge was built by the tireless work of 24,400 workers for five years. There are two broad gauge railway tracks on the bridge.

Sir Robert William Giles, a British engineer, took over the construction project of the Hardinge Bridge in 1908. The bridge contains 15 main spans, in addition to three extra spans on both sides. 

The 12th span of the bridge was damaged in 1971 when the Allied force dropped a bomb from a plane aimed at cornering the Pakistani forces at the eleventh hour of the Liberation War. 
After independence the bridge was repaired and brought back to its previous appearance. Lalon Shah Bridge, the second bridge of the country, is also located on the river just next to the Hardinge Bridge.

To visit the spot, the interested ones have to reach Pabna either by bus or train. It will take around six hours to reach Pabna from the capital city by bus. 

CNG auto rickshaws are available at the Pabna Central Bus Terminal at a cost of Tk50 for the 30 minutes journey to the Hardinge Bridge. 

Besides, there are different rail coaches, including Chitra Express, Sundarban Express, Silk City Express, Padma Express, Dhumketu Express, that ply on different routes via Pabna. 

After hopping off the train at Ishwardi Railway Station, you have to take CNG auto rickshaw or battery-run rickshaw for going to the Hardinge Bridge. The 20 minute journey will cost a minimal amount. 

Suchitra Sen's house

Suchitra Sen, the epitome of romanticism in Bengali cinema, is still the icon of modernity for Bengali women. She was regarded as the embodiment of Banalata Sen, an imaginary character created by Poet Jibanananda Das. 

The noted heroin attracted millions of viewers with her enchanting presence on the screen. 

On 6 April, 1931, she was born at a house on the Hemsagar Lane in Pabna municipality area. She spent her early life here. During the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, she moved to Kolkata with family members. 

After a long legal battle, the Pabna district administration reclaimed Suchitra's ancestral home from grabbers on 16 July, 2014. 

Later, the authorities turned the house into a tourist spot and opened it for visitors in 2017. 

After reaching Pabna Bus Station, you have to rent a rickshaw which will take you to the house within around 10 minutes at a cost of Tk20. 

If you travel by train, you need to take a CNG-auto Rickshaw from Chatmohar or Ishwardi Railway Station to reach the spot.