🇧🇩 Bangladesh History & Heritage (1 Viewer)

[Saif]

Protect historic sites, preserve our past
Mymensingh's Alexandra Castle should be renovated urgently

VISUAL: STAR

Bangladesh has a rich history and culture, but when it comes to preserving our heritage sites, we do a poor job. The Alexandra Castle in Mymensingh city is a glaring example of our apathy towards preservation work. A report in this daily details how this beautiful 145-year-old structure, built mostly with wood and iron, has fallen into ruins as a result.

Built as a guest house in 1879, the two-storey, tin-shade building once lodged dignitaries including Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Since the Partition, it has been used by Teachers' Training College for various purposes. The first floor was used as a teachers' dormitory, which had to be moved later because of the floor's precarious condition. The ground floor has a library, but it is seldom used. That this beautiful architecture, popularly known as "Lohar Kuthi," has been in dire need of renovation for years is evident everywhere, from the plinth on which the building stands to the iron balusters, the louvered shutters on the balcony, the decorative balusters on the roof, and even the two partially broken Greek sculptures on the building premises.

According to the Department of Archaeology (DoA), the kuthi was enlisted as an archaeological site in 2018. It is obvious that the department did not carry out any renovation on the building in the last six years. A top official told our district correspondent that necessary funds for renovation and restoration of all archaeological sites in Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions have been approved, and that the work will start in the next fiscal year, meaning sometime between July 2024 and June 2025.

Such a statement should make us hopeful, but it is difficult to take DoA at its word. The department's past performance in terms of protecting, preserving and restoring heritage sites has been quite disappointing. It has 113 archaeological sites under its protection, but the conditions of many of those remain far from protected, with many facing threats of ruin and illegal occupation. We urge the DoA to push aside its lacklustre attitude and realise its mandate to restore and preserve these historical landmarks, keeping their architectural integrity intact.​

 

[Saif]

Three decades of ineptitude cannot be excused

DoA must preserve 200-year-old twin temples in Mymensingh

www.thedailystar.net

Three decades of ineptitude cannot be excused
DoA must preserve 200-year-old twin temples in Mymensingh

VISUAL: STAR

If the present is hostage to the inefficiencies of our policymakers and bureaucrats, one can easily guess how safe the past – or all that is left of it – must be in their hands. Take, for example, the woeful state of the Shree Anandamoyee Shiva and Kali Mata Mandir – also known as "Dhaksinashar Mandir," or "twin temples" – in Mymensingh's Muktagacha upazila, which are on the verge of collapse due to decades of neglect by the Department of Archaeology (DoA). According to a report by this daily, weeds and bushes have overtaken the once magnificent premises built in the 1820s, while cracks have developed on the structure's roof and walls, making it unsafe for the devotees to perform their rituals inside the temples.

It is inconceivable that a cherished heritage site and a marker of the local community's religious and cultural legacy have been left to rot by the authorities, with the temple's management committee at a loss as to how to address its deteriorating condition since it is now under the jurisdiction of the DoA.

The DoA authorities took over the temple in 1993, citing it as an archaeological site, with the intention of preserving and renovating it. However, three decades later, the authorities apparently are yet to even approve the project for renovation. What can explain such apathy of the DoA, whose primary responsibility it is to ensure the preservation of our dwindling archaeological and heritage sites? If three decades of neglect are any indication, it is that we, as a nation, have failed miserably at recognising the value of our own culture, traditions, and history, as well as at preserving them for posterity's sake. We have given the crucial task of their preservation to an institution whose very foundation, at this point, seems weaker than that of centuries-old monuments.

Whether it's the 300-year-old temples in Jasore, or a 600-year-old shrine in Dinajpur, or the Mughal architecture of Old Dhaka, heritage sites across the country are in ruins or under occupation of influentials, despite the grandiloquent rhetoric from the government about preserving the past. Whatever little we still have left of our past must not be allowed to be ruined permanently. We urge the government, and the DoA high-ups in particular, to fulfil their promises and mandates, and take urgent steps to preserve the twin temples in Mymensingh.​

 

[Saif]

Preserve historic Dinajpur shrine properly

600-year-old structure in Dinajpur yet to be recognised as a heritage site

www.thedailystar.net

Preserve historic Dinajpur shrine properly
600-year-old structure yet to be recognised as a heritage site

VISUAL: STAR

Another day, another painful reminder of the poor state of historic sites in Bangladesh – this time, it is a shrine dating back nearly six centuries. The site, locally known as the Chehel Gazi Pirer Mazar, is located in Dinajpur, about three kilometres off the district city. According to a report by Prothom Alo, it is at the risk of being destroyed and thus forever lost to history because of the lack of renovation efforts. What's worse, it is not even recognised as a heritage site by the Department of Archaeology.

The shrine is believed to contain the remains of 40 Islamic preachers – hence Chehel, which is Persian for forty – who once came to this land. The construction of the surrounding mosque was traced to December 1, 1460, based on a reading of one of the three inscriptions recovered from the mosque in 1847 by the then deputy commissioner of Dinajpur. One of those inscriptions is now at the district museum. Today, the site, decayed through the years and lack of care, remains in a precarious state, with about 80 percent of it estimated to have been damaged.

It's shocking to think that a site of such historical and religious importance would be left to the elements. According to law, any ancient monument or place of historical, ethnological, anthropological, military or scientific value that dates back at least a hundred years should be considered within the ambit of antiquities. But those at the Department of Archaeology are yet to recognise the shrine, let alone extend institutional protection to it, nor do they have, strange as it may seem, any information about it.

What could be the reason for such inaction and negligence? We know the answer. We have seen this happen too many times to discount the latest incident as an isolated one. We have seen how even heritage sites that are officially recognised have been falling into ruins or getting occupied/damaged because of neglect by the state. Only last week, we commented on the recovery of Brajo Niketan, a palatial residence of a British-era zamindar, from the clutches of local influentials in Nawabganj, Dhaka. The week before, we had a report about some 300-year-old temples on the bank of the Bhairab River in Jashore that are at the risk of being ruined because of lack of initiatives by the government. Despite having laws, court directives and separate state bodies in charge of such sites, lack of accountability and mismanagement have frequently come in the way of the all-too-important task of preserving history for posterity.

This is really disturbing. We urge the government to take steps to properly protect and preserve all historic sites in the country, including the 600-year-old shrine in Dinajpur. We need these sites to keep reminding us of our roots. A nation without a consciousness of its past cannot fare well in the future.​

 

[Saif]

We must preserve Old Dhaka’s heritage sites

Indifference of the relevant authorities is unacceptable

www.thedailystar.net

We must preserve Old Dhaka's heritage sites
Indifference of the relevant authorities is unacceptable

VISUAL: STAR

It seems as though we are on a mission to remove all traces of our history in Dhaka as elsewhere in the country. Otherwise, how can we endanger or be so indifferent to the plight of hundreds of heritage sites in Old Dhaka? As per a report by Prothom Alo, parts of the century-old Sankhanidhi House in Wari have been demolished by illegal grabbers despite it being listed as a heritage site by the Department of Archaeology. Similar is the situation of the centuries-old Ruplal House in Farashganj, where 30 families currently live, with a part of it turned into a warehouse for spices. Visiting at least 25 such structures aged over a century, the newspaper found that the designs of most have been changed.

The fact that their status as listed heritage sites made no difference to their plight beggars belief. Also, why is the High Court directive to preserve them being violated so blatantly? Reportedly, in 2009, Rajuk published a gazette declaring four areas including Shakhari Bazar and a total of 93 structures of Old Dhaka as heritage sites/buildings. Any kind of alteration, extension, renovation, removal or destruction of such structures or open spaces, roads or alleys situated in those areas are prohibited. But still, the buildings are being renovated and/or their designs are being changed randomly, which also pose a threat to their inhabitants.

True, there have been some citizen-led initiatives to preserve them, but it could hardly make up for the indifference or inaction of the relevant authorities including the Department of Archaeology, Rajuk, law enforcement agencies, etc. In many cases, we have seen how government institutions themselves have opted to demolish heritage buildings, terming them as risky, rather than conserving them. Neelam Ghar, Jahaj Bari, Boro Katra, or Chhoto Katra are some of the sites that were partly or fully demolished in the recent past.

This is totally unacceptable. If the authorities do not take proper measures to preserve them now, one by one, most of our archaeological sites will be gone. We must not let that happen.​

 

[Saif]

Preserve our heritage sites for posterity

300-year-old temples in Bangladesh at risk of being lost to history

www.thedailystar.net

Preserve our heritage sites for posterity
300-year-old temples in Bangladesh at risk of being lost to history

VISUAL: STAR

It's painful to see one historic site after another falling into ruins or getting destroyed thanks to the apathy of the authorities. The latest victims of this mindless trend are some 300-year-old temples located on the bank of the Bhairab River, about eight kilometres away from Jashore's Abhaynagar upazila headquarters. The place "bears the sign of a marvellous ancient architectural design" featuring 11 Shiva temples surrounding a large, square-shaped courtyard. Their spectacular designs remind one of the rich art and cultural heritage from a bygone era.

In 2001, the government recognised the place as an archaeological site. Yet, the temples are now on the verge of ruin due to a lack of maintenance and renovation by the authorities concerned. Sadly, as per a report by this newspaper, some major parts of the structure have already been damaged. Local historical documents trace the construction of these temples to around 300 years ago when a landlord, Nilakantha Roy, built them on around 60 acres of land. Only three acres of the property presently remain, while the rest have been illegally occupied in the absence of any form of supervision.

Some local worshippers and their families are the only ones to look after these temples now. Every Monday, around 150-200 of them gather there for worshipping. Had the government taken proper initiatives to maintain the site, it could have been turned into an attractive tourist spot, local historians say. This is something that we have witnessed happening time and again: far from preserving our heritage sites for tourists and future generations, these are being forced to fall into decay, or outright demolished by local influentials or the authorities themselves.

We fail to understand this negligence and disinterest about the history of this land. Despite all the rhetoric we hear from the authorities glorifying our past, very little of that is ever turned into action, which is really a travesty. A nation that is unaware or unmindful of its past is deprived of a vital source of learning, and stands little chance of forging a future that it can be proud of. That is why it is so crucial to stop the destruction and decay of our heritage sites, so that our future generations can look upon them and learn from the history they represent.

According to the director of the Department of Archaeology, the organisation currently does not have enough funding to start renovating the site. We fail to understand why that is the case. When so much of taxpayers' money is being wasted left, right and centre, it is unacceptable that the government cannot afford to allocate enough money for the preservation of these heritage sites. Therefore, we call on the government to allocate the necessary funding and manpower to immediately ensure that such historic sites are not lost to history.​

 

[Saif]

The Greeks of Dhaka

A small but graceful-looking memorial that stands at a corner of the TSC field in Dhaka University is a reminder of that Greek presence.

www.thedailystar.net

The Greeks of Dhaka

Illustration: Ashif Ahmed Rudro; Photo: Shadab Shahrokh Hai

Dhaka once boasted several foreign communities. We commonly hear of the Armenians, but did you know that there was once a Greek community as well? A small but graceful-looking memorial that stands at a corner of the TSC field in Dhaka University is a reminder of that Greek presence.

Perween Hasan, in her piece "Old Churches and Cemeteries of Dhaka", published in the book "Dhaka: Past, Present, Future" mentioned that there used to be a Greek cemetery in our city and that the present mausoleum was built in 1915.

The memorial houses several old gravestones. Hasan added that the oldest stone is of Sultana Alexander, who passed away in 1800.

As for the community itself, James Taylor wrote in A Sketch of the Topography & Statistics of Dacca (1840), "Like the Armenians, the Greeks were chiefly engaged in inland trade, and there are a few who still deal extensively in salt at Narayanganj." ​