DSCC to revive Dhaka’s heritage: mayor Taposh

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh yesterday said they will take steps to recover the heritage of Dhaka city. 

The mayor made this comment while visiting Northbrook Hall, also known as Lalkuthi, a historic site at Farashganj in Old Dhaka, on the north bank of Buriganga River.

"Northbrook Hall is a heritage site of Dhaka, and we want to recover it from encroachers, so we visited the site as part of the initiative," said the mayor.

He said Lalkuthi was built with a very nice aesthetic value and they will bring back its beauty.

Taposh said they will hold programmes in the hall and will demolish all illegal structures adjoining Lalkuthi to create a clear view of the site from Buriganga.

According to Banglapedia, Northbrook Hall was originally built as a town hall and was named after Lord Northbrook, viceroy of India (1872-1876).

Later, it was converted into a public library, and a clubhouse was added and called Johnson Hall. The building blends elements of Mughal architecture and architectural styles of European renaissance.

The building's semi-circular horseshoe arches containing entrances at the north, the four octagonal minars at the northern salient, the ornamental parapet and the towering pinnacles above, demonstrate Muslim features.

The deep red colour of the grand monument with its graded roofs, pinnacles and parapets, contribute to a magnificent view from the riverfront.