Feature

An Architect's Dhaka

Dr. Mahbubur Rahman

THE Ahsan Manjil was an icon of British Dhaka that otherwise was declining since the Mughals left. Dhaka's importance and fortunes weaned with the capital at Calcutta. Reminiscence of Dhaka's glory was kept alive by various socio-cultural activities of the Nawabs. Their chequered history was indeed the history of Dhaka's urban and political developments in the late-19 and early-20C.

Connoisseur of art and culture, the Nawabs not only introduced and patronised many socio-cultural activities, often in their own premises, but also some of them were writers, poets, and performers. While they acquired taste of many sports and games like hunting and horse racing from the British, members of the extended family had participated in competitive sports, spent large sums for entertaining the British, and donated handsomely in various activities.

Ironically, the catalytic role played by the family in support of Muslim politics and division of India brought about their own demise, as a language and culture based Bengali Muslim community emerged, given territorial identity by the partition. Culturally and socially the Nawabs had already estranged themselves from the majority Bengalis. Few members of the family became ministers after 1947, who mostly pledged allegiance to political, economic and cultural subjugation by the Pakistanis.

However, the Nawabs of Dhaka were also notable builders. Abdul Ghani and Ahsanullah spent a lot for reconstructing and renovating several of Dhaka's historic buildings, e.g. Lalbagh Fort, Buckland Bund, Hussaini Dalan, road to the Shah Ali Bogdadi's Mazaar, Satgambudj Mosque, Lalbagh Shahi Mosque, Kaltabazaar Mosque, Peer Jangi's Mazaar, and the Kadam Rasul sahrine. They built many mansions and gardens all over the city, which are extinct now.

I used to wrongly think that the area Shahbag derived its name from Hotel Shahbag, which now houses the PG Hospital; it in fact is other way round. Shahbag or the Nawab's Garden contained an area that now broadly forms the Dhaka University Arts Faculty area. The whole area between this and the Press Club area, and Nimtali and Palashi to Dhaka Club, was developed by various noble courtiers during the late-Mughal period, revived partly in the 1820s by the British. The Nawabs converted part of it into their own garden.

The Mahalla Sujatpur area had two 19C mansions between the TSC and Bangla Academy premises bought by Alimullah. Upon assuming the charge of the estate in 1868, Ahsanullah decided to construct a villa and acquired adjacent areas and started laying out the garden in 1873 on about 67 acres of land. It took several years to replicate the luxurious Mughal gardens. It had a few kilometre long serpentine lake and a number of natural and manmade embanked ponds with islands in them linked by bridges. The garden was filled with tall shade trees and flower plants, and the ponds were adorned with fountains and fishes of various colours and varieties. The place soon became the subject for the contemporary poets.

Shahbag was the nucleus of the social, cultural and political activities of Dhaka's elite from the end of the 19C to early 20C. Among the mansions in Shahbag was Israt Manjil a two-storied pavilion where there was a Jalshaghar with marbled floors. This and the surrounding apron were used as a skating rink and dance floor. A two storied Nishat Manjil, or club-house for distinguished guests, contained an exclusive family museum holding rare private collections.

The Nawabs ran a zoo around the present Sarak Bhaban-Engineers Institution premises, which in the 1950s was relocated in Mirpur. An exhibition of local products used to be held every year here from 1875 onwards, with awards for the participants under various categories. Jatra, puppetry, magic and bioscope shows were held for the visitors. Receptions were held in the mansions in honour of visiting dignitaries like Lord Hardinge, Lord Curzon, Lord Dufferin, Lt. Governors Bailey, Charles Elliot, Lord Carmichael, Lord Ronaldsay and Inspector General of Registration. Meeting of various social and political organisations took place here.

Khwaja Salimullah made a northward extension from 1902 by turning the low-lying land full of ditches into a garden; the Shahbag channel was extended to flow through it. He added a large single-storied palace called the Paribag House named after his sister Paribanu, with a hammam and an artificial hill. Beside the palace was the Hawakhana an octagonal marble canopy. In 1905 Nawab Salimullah constructed a mosque near the western wall of Paribag which was just recently demolished, and set up a dairy farm. To its western edge was sat up the first power generation plants, which was later taken over by the WAPDA, who still uses the place. In 1952, when the government abolished the Zamindaari, many important members of the family built their dwelling places on the northern side of this garden.

The Bangabhaban and part of the Central Business District are located on the land of Dilkusha Garden now. Ghani Miah bought the land in 1866, and made a splendid bungalow for Ahsanullah, who extended the garden further to the north by leasing 5 acres of land from the Dhaka Municipality in 1877. At the same time he built another garden to the west of Dilkusha on nearly 27 acres of leased land, later to become Company Garden and then cantonment. A big canal that was later turned into a lake ran through it giving the place its name Motijheel.

The area includes Dakhini masjid, and graves of Shahjalal Dakhini, Shah Niamatullah, and later of some members of the Nawabs family themselves, at the north-west of the RajUK building. The small mosque was conserved as a token effort by RajUK in the early-90s; the Principal Architect of the Ahsan Manjil conservation project was deputised for the job. Mir Mukim, a Mughal naval officer set up his residence in the present Matiur Children Park area; a bungalow belonging to an Armenian named Manuk is also located here. Governor Azam Khan shifted to this building after his wooden palace was damaged in 1961. It was later converted to Toshakhana storing gifts received by the head of the state. Also known as Sher-e-Bangla House, the buildings original design was changed during a renovation in the 1980s.

The Nawab's palace was red coloured where he spent a good part of his life, including the days after the devastating 1888 tornado that damaged the Ahsan Manjil. In 1873 a large pond called Dana Dighi was dug and an exquisite pavilion called Hawakhana was set up. In addition, he commissioned two other significant architectural works at this place a tower with maze called Bulbhulaiya and a bungalow known as the Baradari with 12 doors and a majestic drawing room overlooking the garden.

The Dilkusha Garden had a serpentine lake, various kinds of fountains, water tanks with fishes of different colours, various species of indigenous and exotic trees, and fruit and flower plants, which currently include 80 species of birds, 11 reptiles, 6 amphibians, 15 animals, 13 fishes and 65 insects species. The artificial lake near the entrance had crocodiles. In an adjacent playground, the Nawabs used to arrange kite-flying competitions in winter. In the glory days of the Nawabs, the Dilkusha garden house was host to many significant social, cultural, and political events in the city. For example, 1885 Pundits Conference, reception to Governor Lord Carmichael and Lt. Governor Sir Stuart Bailey, 1891 Agricultural and Industrial Fair, reception by Lady Fuller, and many local leaders. In 1905, the government took lease of the southern portion of the Garden to build a temporary bungalow which came to be used subsequently as the office cum residence of the Governor until it was badly damaged by a cyclone in 1961 and was torn down.

The Nawabs also established a hunting and pleasure ground, and a wildlife sanctuary on the river Turag in Saadullahpur several kilometres northwest of Dhaka. Khwaja Alimullah started setting the place up, known as the Baigunbari Park that was later completed by his son. The natural hilly setting of this wooded area was conducive to breeding various species of exotic animals and birds. In 1896 the silt of the River was cleared to facilitate the journey to Baigunbari by decorated country boats. On many occasions the Nawabs took along high officials and zamindaars for hunting.

The park had a Sadarkotha, a Rangmahal, lodges, Andarmahal, and separate rooms for the servants and armed footmen. The most attractive building in Baigunbari was a two-storied palace that had open verandas and eleven semi-circular arches on both the floors. The single-storied Andarmahal had similar arcaded verandas. The palace garden was adorned with different species of exotic trees, flowers and fruits. Nawab Ahsanullah built a mosque and excavated two large ponds that still exist; the dilapidated mansion is now used as a revenue office. A 10-acre tea plantation was started by Ghani Miah in 1860; Ahsanullah in 1892 sent about 300,000 pounds of tea to Kolkata from this garden, but in all their experimentation in tea production proved short-lived.