[Reader-list] Save the Mahasthangarh (one of the most prominent 'citadel' cities in South Asia) from educated destruction

[Swadhin Sen]

Save the Mahasthangarh (one of the most prominent 'citadel' cities in
South Asia) from educated destruction

 

Swadhin Sen

 

Mahasthangarh is one of the most
prominent 'urban citadel site' in South Asia. There are over hundred satellite
sites in the form of mound surrounding the main city fortified by a massive
wall and rampart. It is identified as the Pundranagar, the ancient capital of
Pundrabardhan. Several excavations have been conducted on various parts of this
site. Continuous habitation from the early historic period to the colonial
period has been detected. Archaeological stratigraphy from the Interim Report
of the excavation conducted by the Bangladesh-France joint team has suggested
with the corroboration of the Radiocarbon dates that the earliest date goes
back to the 4th-3rd century BCE. However, most of the area covered by the
citadel is yet to be excavated. Besides, recent excavations at Vasu Bihara (a
Buddhist monastery) and Bihar dhap (a mound) and Mazar area have revealed
interesting cultural history in this part of undivided Bengal. 

 

There is a Mazar of Saint Shah
Sultan Mahisawar on one of the prominent location of the southern fortification
wall. Oral history and legends associate Mahisawar with Raja Parashuram. The
narrative suggests that local Hindu king Parashuram was defeated by the saint.
The narratives are different in the causes and consequences of the battle
between the two, embodying possibly the rise of Islam in this part of Bengal.

 

The site, site museum and the
mazar attract thousands of people every year. A huge mela (fair) is organized
during the Bengali month of Boisakh (April-May) in the Mazar area.

 

The recent event of destruction
started in the name of constructing a multistoried building beside the mazar on
27 November 2010. Digging of foundation trenches and destruction of precious
archaeological remains were noted by the officials of Department of Archaeology
under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh. Many people acted immediately against these act of destruction. The
custodian and other officials of the Mahasthan Site Museum and regional office
of the Department of Archaeology, and local journalists, in particular of the
Daily Star and the Kaler Kantha acted promptly in taking administrative and
legal steps and moves of dissemination of the news of the destruction. 

 

It is to be noted that, the
destruction, illegal digging for looting valuable artefacts, for the collection
of soil for even governmental developmental activities are very common in the
Mahasthan area where site density is heavy in a wide area. Mention could be
made of the Karmasrijan Project (Project to ensure employment) by the local
Shibganj Upazila Parishad involved the digging of an important archaeological
mound - Baro Tangra Dhap- in mid-2010 for the construction of a road.

 

On 7 December Human Rights for
Peace in Bangladesh submitted a writ petition to the High Court of Bangladesh
alleging the violation of the constitution by the destruction. Preservation and
protection of the National Cultural Heritage have been ensured in the
constitution of Bangladesh and any kind of construction work threatening the
protection has been prohibited. High Court Bench promptly ruled for the
immediate stop of the destruction in the name of construction. The nexus
between the ruling party president of the Bogra district, District Commissioner
of Bogra and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Shibganj upazila was covert. The
nexus of the local elites and Bureaucrats inhibited the implementation of the
high court rule.

 

Another Karmasrijan project by
the UNO started ransacking another satellite mound - Nitai Dhapanir Pat for the
construction of a road. The grass root level Govt. officials and several local
journalists acted promptly again. The same High Court bench again summoned five
persons including two local ruling party men on 2 February 2011. The bench
again ruled for the construction of a ten member inquiry committee and asked
the ministry and local administration for their failure in the protection.
Unfortunately, most of the members are either bureaucrats or intellectuals with
no background in grass root level archaeological reality and heritage studies.

 

Latest ruling of the High Court
followed the newspaper reports of the re-commencing the construction activities
during night. The District Commissioner, Police Super and The chairman of the
Mazar Development Committee have been summoned to the court for their failure
in following previous High Court ruling. The bench has also asked the ministry
to find the possibility of removing the mosque associated with the mazar
considering religious sentiments.

 

Meanwhile, reliable sources
disclosed several acts of threatening and harassment of the grass root level
Govt. Department of Archaeology officials and journalists by the District
Commissioner and UNO. They and their families are living under constant fear of
physical attacks.

 

Interestingly, the urban elite
perception about the destruction of archaeological material and cultural
heritage in Bangladesh uncritically take the 'illiterate', 'ignorant' and
'poor' mass as the main agents of the destruction of the cultural heritage. In
contrast to this urban middle class perception, this series of events
pertaining to the demolition of the rich and unique cultural heritage of an
extremely important site as Mahasthangarh overtly illustrates that the main
agents and culprits are educated, conscious and powerful elite groups. This is
true to many other cases of destruction of cultural heritage in Bangladesh.
This is a case of educated destruction of cultural patrimony of Bangladesh. 

 

We call for immediate action to
stop these educated peoples:

 

We demand immediate punishment of
the District Commissioner, Police Super and Bogra district Awami Leage President
for violating the constitution, failure in upholding the High Court ruling and
for complete negligence and sheer audacity they have shown by crossing the
limits of the jurisprudence.

 

We demand a judicial inquiry into
the entire affair.

 

We demand that all the reports by
previous inquiry committee should be made public and placed before the High
Court.

 



Finally,
we demand the security of the grass root level Govt. officials and journalists
who are continuously living with fear and terror by the educated powerful
sections related to the state apparatus.



 

13 Bachelors' Quarter; Jahangirnagar University  



Swadhin Sen Archaeologist - Assistant Professor   Dept.of Archaeology            Tel:       +88 02 779 10 45-51 Ext. 1326 Jahangirnagar University      Mobile:  +88 0172 019 61 76   Savar,Dhaka. Bangladesh    Fax:      +88 02 779 10 52    swadhin_sen at yahoo.com; swadhinsen at hotmail.com www.juniv.edu



 
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