Mathin's Well in Tekn bears witness to a historical romance.
Located inside the police station compound at Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district, the water of this well is mixed with the sorrowful tale of Dhiraj and Mathin's doomed romance.
The immortal love story has always attracted tourists, making them return to the well again and again. To retain and gain more tourists' attention, Mathin's Well has been renovated recently.
Unrequited love history
At the turn of the 20th century, a police official named Dhiraj Bhattacharya was transferred to Teknaf. He soon fell in love with Mathin, the daughter of a local zamindar who used to come to draw water from the well at the police station.
But their romance was cut short when Dhiraj suddenly left the area after receiving a letter from his father. Without informing Mathin, he took a month's leave and went to Kolkata in India.
Over a month passed, but Dhiraj never returned to Teknaf. Unable to bear his absence, Mathin stopped eating, fell sick and finally, succumbed to death.
After Dhiraj's autobiography, titled "Jakhan Police Chhilam" (When I was a policeman), was published by Lahore Unique Publications in 1930, the true story of their romance was revealed to the public for the first time.
From left, a bust of Dhiraj Bhattacharya and Mathin's well inside the police station compound at Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district Dhaka Tribune
Ever since, Mathin's Well has borne special significance for tourists in Teknaf. The recent renovation will only serve to increase local and foreign tourists' attraction towards the well.
A special bond
Most tourists who come to visit Teknaf and St Martin's Island every year do not leave without taking a tour of Mathin's Well. Many of the tourists become touched by Dhiraj and Mathin's love story.
One such tourist who had to come to visit the well was Majedul Chowdhury from Rajshahi. When this correspondent talked with him, Majedul said: "The romantic story of police official Dhiraj and Rakhine zamindar daughter Mathin is truly immortal.
"It has mixed with the daily lives of the general people," he said. "This story shows how deep the love between two humans can be.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Majedul's coworker and fellow traveller, Rahat Alfaz. "It has always been my dream to visit Mathin's Well and learn the story behind it," Rahat said. "Today, my dream has come true."
Rahat added: "I request the relevant authorities to renovate the well, and showcase it to not only people from Bangladesh, but from all over the world."
The tourists further said that if Mathin's Well is renovated, it would attract more foreign tourists and help expand the local tourism industry.
Historian and journalist Abdul Kuddus Rana said: "To immortalize the Dhiraj-Mathin story, we put a sign board on Mathin's Well in 1984 to indicate the location."
Talking about his attempts to preserve Mathin's Well, Rana said: "I was studying in school when a few journalists came from Kolkata to Teknaf, carrying a few books. One of them was 'When I was a policeman'.
"That book did not have any bindings or cover," he continued. "But inside the book, there was a letter signed by Dhiraj, with the name of Mathin's Well on the top. After reading the book and the letter, I put up a sign board, and Mathin's Well became famous."
According to Rana, almost six lakh to seven lakh tourists visit Mathin's Well every year. "To them, Teknaf equals to Mathin's Well, and Mathin's Well equals to Teknaf," he said.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Kamal Hossain said: "Different initiatives have been taken to preserve Mathin's Well, so that the story behind it never gets forgotten. Renovations have been made to turn it into a place for visitors."
The DC further said that a sculpture of Dhiraj has been erected beside the well to preserve his memory. Other initiatives include rebuilding of the border wall, planting a flower garden, renovating the well, and improving the condition of the roads.