বাংলাদেশের প্রাচীন কিওী সংরক্ষনে আমাদের কিছু সাফল্য ও ব্যথ্রতা

EARLIEST CITY SITE OF BANGLADESH [MAHASTHANGARH]

Archaeology is a fascinating modern science which is increasingly becoming popular in the world for its un-limited scope of Rediscovering Civilizations and culture s long extinct. In advanced countries many scientific methods are used to expand our knowledge deeper into the past using infallible material evidences of man and his environment. It extends the horizon of un- recorded history and Prehistory to an infinite range. In the absence of any Recorded history the only unerring source of piecing together man’s activities and progress on our planet is the material remains that he has left behind in the form of Monuments, arts and Crafts, various objects of daily use, Inscriptions, coins etc. which are known as Antiquities.Scientfic excavation and study of such antiquities faithfully preserved by nature in stratified sites for centuries, reveal a fairly accurate picture of lost civilization and culture.

Bangladesh possesses an immensely important cultural heritage, this arising from the fact that the eastern half of Bengal has been one of the cultural richest regions of the Indian world; a vision far from the catastrophic one that the western world often tends to favors. The region is associated with the art of the Pala and Sena dynasties (8th – 13th century). Archaeological study has however revealed vestiges that are more ancient like the Mahasthan site which stands on what used to be Pundravardhana, and goes back to the Maurya and Sunga periods (3rd – 1st century BC). It has also revealed vestiges from the Gupta period (4th – 6th century). Pundravardhana-Mahasthan is, to this day, the oldest Indian city known to be in the east.
T h e a n c i e n t s i t e o f P u n d r a n a g o r i s n o w l y i n g underneath the Mahasthan Garh. It was known from the archaeological research that this city had prospered as a very rich and resourceful habitation from fourth century B.C. to fifteenth century A.D. The famous Chinese pilgrim Huen-Tsang’s report that there were four independent kingdoms in the then Bengal: Pundrabardhan (North Bengal), Samata (East Bengal), Tamraliptty (South or South-west Bengal) and Kornashubarna (West Bengal).In ancient times, it was a very prosperous city. Mahasthan Garh of today which is only 7 miles away towards the north of Bogra town is suppose to be the ancient city of Pundrabordhan by the scholars and specialist. It is assumed that just after the return of King Alexander the Great to Greece, Chandra Gupta Mourya established a kingdom covering a vast part of India. It is also apparent from the Greek writings that
the northern part of Bengal and perhaps the whole of the delta was watered by mighty rivers belonged to the Maurya Empire. An inscribed stone found at Mahasthan Garh (seven miles away towards the north from Bogra town) undoubtedly proved that the Mourya Empire ruled in North Bengal. That inscription in Brahmi letters also proved that in north Bengal the centre of the Maurya administration was P u n d a n g a l i e P u n d r a n a g o r . We found a mention of the provincial Mourya Governor.‘Mahamatra’, in that inscription which obviously proved that Mahasthan Garh of today was the historic city of ancient Pundrabordhan. The inscript ion s a id tha t a t a certain time famine occurred in that area following natural disasters when the centre of the state issued two orders to the Mahamatra (Provincial Governor). The first order of the state would not be made out. The second order of the state directed to the regional governor to launch a relief operation for the famine affected people together with Gondok and Kakonik (punch marked coins that were in vogue). This sort of punch marked coins have been discovered at various places in the country.

Among these , Pundra was an ancient racial name .
Bangladesh is a country of tropical climate which is characterized by
High temperature, heavy precipitation, excessive humidity and fairly marked Seasonal variations. This type of climate is not suitable for preservation of ancient brick-built structures, which constitute almost 100% of our heritage.
Besides the climatic factors, certain cultural factors are also responsible for Deteriorating the tangible cultural heritage of the country. Sometimes cultural factors are stronger than the natural factors. For instance, vandalism in the Cultural mounds by the owners of the concerned lands and their associates in recent times in Mahasthan and its environs is so strong and vibrant that if it
continues in its present pace, after five years or so those mounds will entirely disappear. So it is most urgent that some measures must be taken right at the monument to stop this vandalism.

SAVE SONARGAON AND PANAM NAGAR

SAVE SONARGAON AND PANAM NAGAR

SAVE SONARGAON AND PANAM NAGAR
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These historical sites Sonargaon and Panam Nagar are in danger of being lost for lack of coordinated programmes to protect them,"
According to me, Sonargaon as a historical place that bears many symbols of archaeological development of ancient Bengal and the authorities concerned should protect these for the next generation. "It's a place which can attract tourists from abroad too,

The government should take immediate steps to provide transport
facility, especially bus services up to the spot, so that people from capital Dhaka can visit the place in comfort.A famous university was established in this importantf Sonargaon, in the 14th century and many great scholars from across the world used to teach the students. "Among many historical events,there was a slave market there during the Muslim rule."A planned city, Panam Nagar, was built there which is now in shabby condition.
"We should protect these historical sites for the future generation."Very Recently in the name of conservation these historically Importants Monuments were made as a Modern Building.This is really a Painful story of our History.

According to history, Sonargaon was the capital of eastern Bengal under the rulers of Shahi Sultan during the medieval age. It now survives as a township about 27 kilometers southeast of Dhaka but from the old remains it appears
to encompass a wide tract bounded on the east, west and south by the Meghna, the Shitalakhya and the Dhaleshwari rivers respectively and on the north by the Brahmaputra.With the annexation of the Muslim principality of Lakhnauti by Shamsuddin Firuz Shah in the 14th century,
Sonargaon became the seat of an independent ruler under his son and successor Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah and after the fall it became the headquarters of the eastern province of Bengal under Tughlaqs till 1338
Most ordinary people spend the bulk of their lives moving from one building to another, traveling ever-increasing distances in cars, buses, trains or on foot, with more and more chores to carry out in less and less time.
Individuals find that their quality of life, whether in the developed world or in developing societies, is conditioned by the quality of the environment being built around them by others - increasing the sense of individual alienation, especially among the underprivileged.

Rapid urbanization is expected to continue, drawing two-thirds of the world population into cities by the next century.
By the year 2030, the urban population in developing countries will be twice the size of the rural population.
In some cases, urban sprawls will not only dominate a country's economic life but take up most of its physical space, turning it into a vast urban territory.
In the over-populated cities of the developing South, other than in a few "museum towns", the demolition of entire historic urban sectors, the abandonment of unique historic buildings, and the construction of new buildings that
are incongruous, to say the least, with the integrity of the historic urban fabric are combining to transform the cities' very identity. Furthermore, work to upgrade roads and improve mass transport systems, while necessary,
may unfortunately be done without due regard to maintaining the integrity of historic centres.

If the essence of heritage protection is to preserve the ingenuity of the past for future generations, as well as to stimulate new creations, heritage must have a meaning in contemporary society. This is a fundamental precept of
the World Heritage Convention, contained in Article 5. For heritage preservation that denies modernity, that obstructs development, that attempts to freeze time, would be counter-productive to the ultimate goal of
human progress.

Despite globalization, the reality of each individual city is unique and complex. There are no "urban models" of reference, only case studies. I hope that the architects, urbanists and mayors who have kindly agreed to
participate in this conference will demonstrate to us, through such case studies, the ways in which each city's future can be anchored in its individual identity. Let us all strive to protect and build an "urban heritage" as the basis for developing urban policies for the city of the future, the city of the new, democratic age.