Heritage Report : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
When in Dhaka the Rickshaw Capital of the World, do as what the Bangladeshis do. Bangladeshis not only recommend tourists to travel around in their CNG tuk tuk and rickshaws at least once, they will recommend tourists to visit Ahsan Manzil, the symbolic landmark building of Dhaka and National Museum located along Dhaka Riverfront in remembrance of Khwaja Alimullah, Nawab Abdul Ghani and Nawab Ahsanullah. Due to time constraints, my new Bengal friends Jisan Zidni and his uncle Kazi Anwar Hossain Badal accompanied me to Ahsan Manzil by car in March 2016.
Ahsan Manzil known popularly as the Pink House is originally not a palace of the reknown Nawab Family of Dhaka. The Pink House was built by French traders as a factory. The building itself is as old as Singapore. However, nobody knows what the factory produced and exported. It was purchased by Khwaja Alimullah from the French traders in 1835 later to be the home of the Khwaja family.
At Ahsan Manzil, Khwaja Alimullah encouraged his family to learn English. They forged social ties with Englishmen. He and his family contributed to the Dhaka Municipality and developed social welfare activities with British assistance and set up the Ramna Race Course.
Khwaja Allimulah died in 1854 and was succeeded by Khwaja Abdul Ghani who controlled land in the districts of Dhaka and other then-Northeast Indian cities. Abdul Ghani conferred himself the title of Nawab in 1875 and the word Nawab was made hereditary in 1877. Abdul Ghani and the Muslims of East Bengal (Bangladesh) stood firmly by the Raj during the Indian Mutiny and due to his courage, Khwaja Abdul Ghani was renamed Nawab Abdul Ghani.
Nawab Abdul Ghani is remembered by posterity as the person who establishes the water works system in Dhaka by supplying filtered water to the people of Dhaka. He established schools, madrasahs and donated funds for Mitford Hospital in Dhaka, Kolkata Medical College and Aligarh College. Education in Dhaka flourishes to this date as a result.
Nawab Abdul Ghani handed over Ahsan Manzil to his eldest son Nawab Ahsanullah in September 1868 and passed away on 24 August 1896.
Nawab Ahsanullah known initially as Khwaja Ahsanullah was a famous Urdu poet who donated generously to establish Dhaka's first Engineering Institute, the Ahsanullah School of Engineering. He improved water supply system in Dhaka and built the many mosques and public institutions in Dhaka. Dhaka first had electricity supply in 1901 under Nawab Ahsanullah's rule before he died in December 1901 from heart failure.
Ahsan Manzil stands today as Bangladesh's National Museum in remembrance of the above pioneers in the utilities and education history of Dhaka. It witnesses Dhaka's remarkable economy development and self-reliance. Snap pictures of the Pink House but refrain from indoor photography on the Nawab Family artefacts.
The Dhaka tourism and heritage authorities may consider riverfront activities in front of or along side of Ahsan Manzil in remembrance of the contributions of Khwaja Alimullah, Nawab Abdul Ghani and Nawab Ahsanullah to Bangladesh including poetry readings, night shows and Earth Day activities to attract Bangladeshis and tourists.
Consider renovating the museum's interior and organizing daily audio-visual shows to introduce the pioneers and their heritage, Dhaka Riverfront heritage etc. Finding ways to expand Ahsan Manzil to show the utilities history of Dhaka and selling unique souvenirs and street snacks and refreshments of Bangladesh and Dhaka Riverfront will surely attract more tourists and residents. Take cue from Hong Kong's Noah's Ark and the National Museum of Singapore.
It was an enjoyable visit to Ahsan Manzil and Dhaka Riverfront with my friends.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
When in Dhaka the Rickshaw Capital of the World, do as what the Bangladeshis do. Bangladeshis not only recommend tourists to travel around in their CNG tuk tuk and rickshaws at least once, they will recommend tourists to visit Ahsan Manzil, the symbolic landmark building of Dhaka and National Museum located along Dhaka Riverfront in remembrance of Khwaja Alimullah, Nawab Abdul Ghani and Nawab Ahsanullah. Due to time constraints, my new Bengal friends Jisan Zidni and his uncle Kazi Anwar Hossain Badal accompanied me to Ahsan Manzil by car in March 2016.
Ahsan Manzil known popularly as the Pink House is originally not a palace of the reknown Nawab Family of Dhaka. The Pink House was built by French traders as a factory. The building itself is as old as Singapore. However, nobody knows what the factory produced and exported. It was purchased by Khwaja Alimullah from the French traders in 1835 later to be the home of the Khwaja family.
At Ahsan Manzil, Khwaja Alimullah encouraged his family to learn English. They forged social ties with Englishmen. He and his family contributed to the Dhaka Municipality and developed social welfare activities with British assistance and set up the Ramna Race Course.
Khwaja Allimulah died in 1854 and was succeeded by Khwaja Abdul Ghani who controlled land in the districts of Dhaka and other then-Northeast Indian cities. Abdul Ghani conferred himself the title of Nawab in 1875 and the word Nawab was made hereditary in 1877. Abdul Ghani and the Muslims of East Bengal (Bangladesh) stood firmly by the Raj during the Indian Mutiny and due to his courage, Khwaja Abdul Ghani was renamed Nawab Abdul Ghani.
Nawab Abdul Ghani is remembered by posterity as the person who establishes the water works system in Dhaka by supplying filtered water to the people of Dhaka. He established schools, madrasahs and donated funds for Mitford Hospital in Dhaka, Kolkata Medical College and Aligarh College. Education in Dhaka flourishes to this date as a result.
Nawab Abdul Ghani handed over Ahsan Manzil to his eldest son Nawab Ahsanullah in September 1868 and passed away on 24 August 1896.
Nawab Ahsanullah known initially as Khwaja Ahsanullah was a famous Urdu poet who donated generously to establish Dhaka's first Engineering Institute, the Ahsanullah School of Engineering. He improved water supply system in Dhaka and built the many mosques and public institutions in Dhaka. Dhaka first had electricity supply in 1901 under Nawab Ahsanullah's rule before he died in December 1901 from heart failure.
Ahsan Manzil stands today as Bangladesh's National Museum in remembrance of the above pioneers in the utilities and education history of Dhaka. It witnesses Dhaka's remarkable economy development and self-reliance. Snap pictures of the Pink House but refrain from indoor photography on the Nawab Family artefacts.
The Dhaka tourism and heritage authorities may consider riverfront activities in front of or along side of Ahsan Manzil in remembrance of the contributions of Khwaja Alimullah, Nawab Abdul Ghani and Nawab Ahsanullah to Bangladesh including poetry readings, night shows and Earth Day activities to attract Bangladeshis and tourists.
Consider renovating the museum's interior and organizing daily audio-visual shows to introduce the pioneers and their heritage, Dhaka Riverfront heritage etc. Finding ways to expand Ahsan Manzil to show the utilities history of Dhaka and selling unique souvenirs and street snacks and refreshments of Bangladesh and Dhaka Riverfront will surely attract more tourists and residents. Take cue from Hong Kong's Noah's Ark and the National Museum of Singapore.
It was an enjoyable visit to Ahsan Manzil and Dhaka Riverfront with my friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment