Chittagong (officially Chattogram) is Bangladesh's second city and its main port, sitting on the Karnaphuli River near where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is a working city rather than a tourist one — crowded, commercial, and a gateway to other places more than a destination in its own right.
The old town has some genuine points of interest: the Bayazid Bostami shrine with its large tank of soft-shelled turtles, the 17th-century Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque, the 14th-century Qadam Mubarak Mosque said to contain a footprint of the Prophet, and the Mughal tank of Laldighi at the heart of the bazaar district. The World War II Commonwealth War Cemetery is well maintained and worth visiting. The 16th-century Portuguese quarter at Firingi Bazar and the harbour area at Sadarghat — the city's oldest waterfront — are worth a wander, as is the climb up DC Hill for views over the old town.
Outside the city, the Shipbreaking Yards at Sitakunda are one of the most extraordinary industrial sights in South Asia — the place where the world's ocean-going ships are run aground and broken up by hand. Patenga Beach and Foy's Lake are the main local outings for families.
Chittagong is the jumping-off point for Cox's Bazar to the south and the Chittagong Hill Tracts to the east. Most travellers pass through rather than linger.