The archaeological sites in Khulna are not being restored or maintained properly, neither are any new archaeological excavations being carried out because of fund crisis and lack of manpower at the region’s (Khulna and Barisal) Archaeology Department.
The 91 sites of Khulna region – 71 in Khulna and 20 in Barisal – are more or less in similar condition; these historic sites are at risk of being lost without proper maintenance and restoration.
In most of these places there are no proper facilities for the visitors. Lack of security has rendered these sites safe haven for drug addicts and prostitutes. On top of all that, local influentials are grabbing up the lands of these heritage sites.
Archaeology Department Khulna Regional Director Md Amiruzzaman said: “The maintenance and excavation works are carried out amidst a lot of constraints. Several excavations remain incomplete because of the small budget and manpower. However, we have been allocated Tk26 lakh this year for excavation and upgradation survey of 96 sites in Khulna including in Bagerhat, Norail, and Meherpur. If such funds are allocated in the future, the progress of work can be faster.”
Recently, the homestead of Khanjahan Ali (ra) of Bagerhat was discovered. But excavation work of at the site stopped since March 19 because of budget constraints.
According to sources at the department’s regional office, for the 91 sites and seven museums of the region the approved workforce is 55. Of those, seven positions have not been filled. Under the circumstances, 83 day labours have been employed to carry out the various tasks. The Dakhindihi Rabindra Complex in Fultola has no assigned workforce under the organogram. Neither does the Khulna division museum and the soon-to-be-inaugurated Barisal division museum.
Shorthand Typist Bijoy Kumar Ghosh at the Khulna office said: “An organogram with creation of 157 new positions have been proposed with 18 positions for the Khulna division museum, 29 for the Barisal division museum, 18 for Dakhindihi Rabindra Complex and 91 for the 91 archaeological sites.”
Regional Director Amiruzzaman said: “Tk80 lakh were allocated to us in the year 2014-15 for restoration and maintenance of the relics/sites in Khulna. Of that money, Tk70 lakh went into the wages of day labours. The rest Tk10 lakh was used to restore the Bibichini mosque in Barguna, Kodlar field in Bagerhat, and Kuthir Bari in Shilaidaha.” He added that if the day labours were included in the organogram then their wages would have been allocated separately.
It was also learned that there are several land dispute cases for the lands of some archaeological sites including Khanjahan Ali (ra) shrine in Bagerhat, 1.93 acre land of Mirzanagar Hammamkhana in Keshobpur, Kuthirbari in Jhenaidah, and Bibichini mosque in Barguna.
Director Amiruzzaman said the dispute with the 6 acre land of Kuthirbari have been settled; the illegal structures there have been torn down and the land taken possession of. In the Bibichini mosque case, the plaintiff withdrew the case so there is no more dispute, he added.