History & Background
Established in 1909 by Narendra Narayan Roy Chowdhury, the zamindar of Baldha in Barisal, the garden began as his private collection of exotic and native plants gathered through extensive travel and correspondence with botanists worldwide. Divided into two sections, Cybele and Psyche, it once held over 1,000 plant species including rare cacti, orchids, and the aquatic Victoria amazonica lily. Nationalized after 1947, it now functions as a public botanical garden and a quiet retreat within the dense urban fabric of Old Dhaka.