Staff Reporter :
Environmental activists and archaeologists have expressed concern over the construction of parking lot inside the 400-year old ancient Lalbagh Fort’s compound, distorting the original design of the historic structure.
They demanded immediate halt to the construction work and punishment for those involved in taking the project in a bid to derive financial and business benefits from the historic site.
The Department of Archaeology has taken the construction project demolishing part of the wall surrounding the fort to set up a parking lot.
Paribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust, Paribesh Unnoyon Society and some other organisaitons on Saturday staged demonstration in front of the Lalbagh Fort protesting the decision of the authorities. They demanded stopping of the construction work immediately. Addressing the demonstration programme, Poba Chairman Abu Naser Khan said that the construction of the parking lot is clearly an adverse action against the main design of the Lalbagh Fort. It is also a violation of the Antiquities Act of 1968. It has to be stopped, he added.
He said the entire Lalbagh Fort is a historic site. It is the country’s greatest archaeological resource. The authorities can’t build anything in the site by changing its original design. But it is being done, he claimed. He further said a High Court decree also banned building of any new structure and change to the existing buildings. But the archeological authorities are constructing the parking lot defying the HC’s decree, he claimed.
The High Court on October 26 in 2011 ordered the authorities concerned to remove illegal structures inside and around the fort. But the order has been very weakly enforced, while the parking lot is being constructed defying the HC’s decree.
The Department of Archaeology is responsible for preservation and protection of historic and archaeological sites. But it has itself pulled down a portion of the boundary wall of Lalbagh Fort, a 17th century Mughal palace fortress in the capital.
Abu Naser Khan said the Mughal period fort is unprotected in many ways. The parking area, which is only for VIPs, is being constructed in the name of protecting the fort. But the proposed parking lot will benefit a certain interested quarters, he said. Joint Secretary of Bangaldesh Parisbesh Andolan (BAPA) Alamgir Kabir, President of Green Mind Society Amir Hossain, National Advocatory Officer of WBB Trust Maruf Hossain and Ward Councilor Aleya Parveen Ronju also addressed the programme, among others.
