First Shaheed Minar of Bangladesh

The first Shaheed Minar was built on February 23, 1952. To commemorate the martyrs of February 21-22, 1952, students of Dhaka Medical took the decision of building a memorial for the language martyrs at midnight on February 22. Students started building the Minar in the afternoon of February 23 and working throughout the night, they finished it at dawn. Writing “Shaheed Smritistombho” on a paper, it was attached to the Minar. It was inaugurated by the father of Shafiur Rahman the following morning on February 24. However, on February 26, the Pakistani Police and Army demolished it. 

The first Shaheed Minar is thought to be designed by Dr. Badrul Alam, who was a 24-year-old boy at that time. For his contribution to the Language Movement, he was posthumously awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2014. The whole nation is owed to Dr. Abdul Hafiz, who took a photograph on 24 February 1952 and restored it to its previous quality. He got the photograph while he was flipping through an old textbook.

The second Shaheed Minar was built two years later (February 21, 1954) after the destruction of the first monument. However, the original Shaheed Minar was rebuilt in 1972. It is located very close to the Dhaka Medical College and adjacent to the Mathematics department of Dhaka University. It is half a kilometer away from Shahbag and a quarter-mile away from Chankharpul. 

Rayer Bazar Matha

It is sad to see that matha (মঠ), which is a sacred place for Hindu religious people, located at Rayer Bazar is on the verge of being extinct. Shops have been made surrounding the religious site, causing the lower part of the abbey to be covered. Another reason for which the shrine is facing the threat of being destroyed is tares, which are grown on the outside wall. If authorities related to archaeology do not take proper steps, it will be utterly destroyed in the near future. In order to protect this infrastructure, we are paying attention to the people who are working in the related field. Their timely decision can save a monastery from being extinct. 

Shakrain Festival

Shakrain is a century-old traditional festival in Bangladesh. From the Mughal period to the present day, this festival has been celebrating here every year. Despite becoming one of the oldest annual festivals, very few people in our country know about it. However, the celebration of this event is limited only to the older part of Dhaka city. 

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Shakrain festival is celebrated on the last day of the Bengali month, Poush. Thus, the other name of ‘Shakrain’ festival is “Poush Sankranti”. On the last day of Poush, the sun moves towards its southward from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer. Therefore, it is also known as “Makar Sankranti”. 

However, this festival has got countrywide popularity as ‘Kite festival’. On this occasion, people belong to different ages- children, youngsters, middle-aged- fly kites of different colors and shapes from the rooftop. Though kite is flown from the beginning of the day, it becomes more serious in the afternoon, thus leading the kite flying competition to take the form of kite fighting. Participants who join this competition often brag about how many kites of others they have cut down.

Shakrain festival becomes more colorful with the setting of the sun. Fireworks, lanterns (paper balloons) and flame-eating (also called fire-breathing) are also arranged on the rooftop to entertain people of all ages. Fireworks and flame-breathers’ skill of manipulating fire will make you thrill. Apart from these, laser lightings, music and dance parties are also arranged by the young people of the community.

Shakrain is a non-communal festival because people from different social statuses and religions celebrate it. It connects people irrespective of their social status and religion. That is why, it is called the symbol of brotherhood, unity and happiness.

A village of traditional art

Tikoil is a small village in Nachole Upazila of Chapainawabganj district. Every wall of Tikoil village is a canvas and people are the artisans of alpona. For this reason, it is now known as “Alpona Gram” (village of traditional art) across the country. The inhabitants of the mud houses here have decorated their own artistic realm in their own way. Everyone is a king in the realm of color here. The main artisans of alpona at Tikoil village are the housewives and girls of this village. Year after year they perpetuated this tradition on the walls of their houses, which has been passed down through generation. In the Alpona village in Nachole, every single wall inside or outside of the house bears this beautiful artwork created from brush strokes. From the kitchen to the bedroom, every wall is filled with hand-painted alpona by the girls. 

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The villagers make alpona in their mud houses to present the mud houses of Tikoil beautifully and because of their artistry. They draw this alpona with their own made color. The source of making alpona on mud houses here is also soil. According to the villagers, earlier housewives would use ochre, chalk, color and Turpentine oil to draw alpona. However, the alpona painted on those materials did not last long. Therefore, at present, powder made by cursing dried palm, ochre, old mango shell, and chalk powder, different colors and saps of arum and banana tree are used to create a special kind of paint. They create a paint mixture with all these ingredients and then keep them for at least 4-5 days before painting the alpona. As a result, that alpona lasts for more than a year. According to them, the alpona rids their home of all the evil elements and makes the home beautiful at the same time.

Even the elders of Tikoil village do not know how this tradition started, but they have been carrying on this artistic tradition for generations. On various occasions, such as festivals, pujas, or any other joyous occasions, they observe this tradition with great joy. The joy of creation can be seen in the works of these people. They fill their rural lives with such pleasurable moments.

The interesting thing is that previously village elders selected brides and grooms based on the quality of the alpona they drew in their homes. Still today, women of the Hindu neighborhood continue this tradition. Tikoil villagers believe that the next generation will continue this tradition. The women of Tikoil village paint alpona on the walls of their homes. This makes their house look beautiful and seek the blessings of the gods.

How to go there?

Tikoil village in Nachole Upazila is 24 km north-east of Chapainawabganj Sadar. The village falls in Nezampur Union, which bears the memory of Ila Mitra, the undisputed leader of the Tebhaga movement. The only means of direct travel from the capital Dhaka to Chapainawabganj is by road.  The distance between Dhaka and Chapainawabganj by road is 317 km. Numerous buses of various transport companies leave for Chapainawabganj every day from different bus stops in Dhaka, including Gabtoli and Kalyanpur bus terminals. In fact, these regularly leave from Chapainawabganj for Dhaka. The names and contact sources of the notable transport companies operating on the Dhaka-Chapainawabganj route are given below:

Every day from dawn till midnight, the passenger buses of these transport companies run from Dhaka and Chapainawabganj to specific destinations after one hour or half an hour. Apart from all these, buses of Lata, Nahar, Sathi, Durduranta and other transport companies also run regularly on Dhaka-Chapainawabganj route every day.

Though the BRTC bus does not run on Dhaka-Chapainawabganj route from the BRTC bus counter, they regularly leave for Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bagura, Kushtia, Magura, Faridpur and Barishal from Chapainawabganj.

Chapainawabganj has no direct train from Dhaka. However, two separate trains run regularly from Chapainawabganj to Sirajganj and Khulna via Rajshahi.

Chapainawabganj district is connected with Nachole Upazila by rail. Besides one can go to Nachole from Chapainawabganj by bus, taxi and other vehicles.

Hawa Khana: A decaying archaeological site in Rajshahi

“Hawa Khana” (হাওয়া খানা) is an Urdu word whose literal translation is “Air Chamber”. Hawa Khana is one of the archaeological sites situated in Rajshahi division of Bangladesh. It is one of the 17 historical sites of Rajshahi. 

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Description:

The famous Char-Ani king of Puthia built this installation. Now, the question is- “What is this Hawa Khana, and why was it built?”. Hawa Khana is a two-storied building positioned in the middle of a large pond or lake. This two-storied building was made in the middle of a 10-acre lake for entertainment during leisure time. Kings and members of the royal family would take a small boat to reach Hawa Khana. Aside from cold weather, they enjoyed the scenic beauty of the lake. For the convenience of the visitors, a road has been constructed filling soil in the middle of the lake, which divided the lake.  Now, you do not have to take a boat to go to Hawa Khana. You can go there on foot.

Infrastructure:

Hawa Khana is constructed with thin brickwork, lime, and brick. The length, width, and height of this building are 45 feet, 42 feet, and 34 feet respectively. This building has no door and window. The first floor of this building is located under water. On the second floor, there is a total of 10 doors- one on the west wall and three on each wall. There is a six feet wide verandah around the building. There is a three feet wide staircase to go up to the third floor. The ground floor of the red-colored two-storied building sports an arch. There is a staircase on the south side to go up to the second floor of this building. Though there are three doors on three sides of the third floor, it has no door on the west wall.

History:

Members of the royal family went to the lake either by horse-drawn carriage or elephant. They went to Hawa Khana by boat to spend their leisure time enjoying the cold weather. According to local people, throwing foods into the water, the king of Puthia observed the fish. In the afternoon, the king himself went to the lake on a horse. He then reached Hawa Khana by boat to enjoy the cold weather. Sometimes he traversed the entire lake on a small boat. There was a time when Ratha Jatra fair (রথযাএা মেলা) was held around the lake. The name of the king who last used this building is Naresh Narayan Roy (নরেশ নারায়ন রায়), who converted to Islam while marrying a Muslim woman named Kamar Begum (কমর বেগম) and took the name Nurunnabi Ray (নূরুন্নবী রায়). There king used to have fun, play chess, card, and dice along with his companions. According to some people, it is a temple, where the priest used to go there and worship during Ratha Jatra (Chariot festival).

During the partition of the country, King Naresh Narayan Roy alias Nurunnabi Ray when leaving Puthia for Kolkata leased the Hawa Khana lake to his two employees named Gani Mandal (গনি মন্ডল) and Deljan Mandal (দেলজান মন্ডল). As a result, the lake was divided from the middle causing an aesthetic deterioration to Hawa Khana and the lake. Besides, the bathroom on the first floor has been filled with soil. The local people are of the opinion that Hawa Khana at Tarapur in Puthia will be one of the tourist destinations in the northern part of the country if the dam in the middle of the lake is removed and four banks are repaired by the government or private initiative and small boats are floated and Hawa Khana building is renovated. Apart from this, local tourists think that the tourist spot will play a big role in improving the socio-economic condition of the place. The Hawa Khana building needs immediate renovation.

Location:

Hawa Khana is located at Tarapur village, which is 3 kilometers from the Palace at Puthia Upazila and 3 kilometers west from Puthia Bazar. If you want to see this historical installation, you will have to go to Tarapur village in Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi division. At the turning point near Tarapur on Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway, you have to go 1 km by foot or a take rickshaw or van.

Location: Village- Tarapur, Union- Puthia, Upazila- Puthia, District: Rajshahi.