International Buddhist Monastery, Dhaka
The International Buddhist Monastery is a Theravada Buddhist monastery located in Merul Badda, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 1981. The monastery is the headquarters of the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation.
History
The temple was founded in 1981 in a rented house near the Malibag rail crossing in Dhaka, with Sundarananda Bhikkhu as its first principal. In 1982, the Dhaka International Buddhist Monastery Construction Committee was formed to oversee the establishment of a permanent facility. The monastery relocated to its current site in Merul Badda in 1989, where a semi-permanent structure was built on purchased land with community support. Buddha Purnima is observed in the temple every year.The temple has hosted notable visitors, including the Thai Ambassador Makawadee Sumitmor, Vietnam Ambassador Nguyen Manh Cuong, and the Australian Acting High Commissioner Nardia Simpson in 2024.
On November 8, 2024, the monastery hosted the National Buddhist Grand Conference and the Kothin Chibar Dan ceremony. General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Army Staff, attended the event. He highlighted the monastery's role in promoting peace and harmony among various communities, including indigenous and Bengali populations in the hill tracts.
On April 13, 2025, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus laid the foundation stone for 'Sampriti Bhaban' at the monastery. Professor Yunus emphasized the monastery's role as a symbol of unity among diverse religious communities in Bangladesh. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and religious affairs adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain were also present.