Dhaka's glorious past
Khaled Hasan / driknews
All the mega, modern & prestigious cities in the world have a glorious past and all of them have cemented their glorious history by preserving the oldest part of the city. Dhaka, which will soon be celebrating its 400th birthday, also has a glorious history, culture and lifestyle but we have failed to uphold the history and glory of our city. The old Dhaka has lost its glory, the look, culture and the lifestyle. Buildings/houses made in the last couple of centuries have almost vanished from the localities. Few of them still stand high, thanks to the authorities concerned for saving them from demolition. The houses built during the Mogul & British rules have been erased and houses without architectural designs are being erected. The parks have turned out to be parking lots for trucks and rickshaws. I was shocked to see Kabi Nazrul and Jagannath College buildings recently. The original architecture has been overshadowed with a simple 4-5 storied building . Both these buildings have lost their originality. These happen to be government funded colleges. Like these buildings, most of the old structures of Dhaka are disappearing right in front of our eyes. The government should immediately intervene and preserve these old structures. The traffic movement also needs to be restricted in some parts of old Dhaka. Rickshaws and motorized vehicles cannot run side by side in those narrow lanes. Some roads should be freed of vehicles (including rickshaw). Commercialisation of old Dhaka must also be regulated. The areas which will attract tourists such as Ahsan Manzil, Lal Bagh Kella, Bahadur Shah Park should have enough open/vacant space for arranging cultural shows.
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