The Bangladesh National Museum (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় যাদুঘর), originally established on 20 March 1913, albeit under another name (the Dhaka Museum),and formally inaugurated on 7 August 1913, was accorded the status of the national museum of Bangladesh on 17 November 1983. It is located at Shahbag, Dhaka. The museum is well organized and displays have been housed chronologically in several departments like department of ethnography and decorative art, department of history and classical art, department of natural history, and department of contemporary and world civilization. The museum also has a rich conservation laboratory. Nalini Kanta Bhattasali served as the first curartor of the museum duing 1914–1947