The Archaeology Department of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs has listed Baroda Kanta Math, of Barisal’s Hijla upazila, and Ulania Zamindar Bari, of the district’s Mehendiganj upazila, to be preserved as historical sites.
The department sent two separate letters in this regard to the Barisal Divisional Museum on Tuesday, according to Barisal Divisional Museum Custodian Shahin Alam.
Pucca Bari, of Mehendiganj upazila, has also been listed for preservation, but the letter has yet to reach the museum, he added.
Baroda Kanta Math Preservation Committee President Dr Ashoke Kumar Bhattacharjee said he welcomes the Archaeology Department’s decision to preserve the site.
Baroda Kanta Math is located in the Kauria Bazar area of the erosion-affected Hijla upazila. The dual-math, tomb, was constructed on 3 acres of land at the cremation site of Zamindar Ram Kanai Mitra and his wife, by their son Baroda Kanta Mitra Roy Chowdhuri in 1899.
The building, which is 80 feet tall, attracts many visitors on a daily basis because of its architectural beauty, Dr Ashoke said.
On the other hand, Ulania Zamindar Bari in Mehendiganj upazila was constructed by Muhammad Hanif. Hanif settled in the area after accompanying the Mughal Emperor Aurangajeeb’s forces commander, Aga Mehedi, when he went there to curb Burmese Mogh and Portuguese pirates in the 16th century.
The sprawling complex includes multiple buildings, a pond, mosque, and other structures. However, much of it has been damaged by erosion caused by the Meghna River, said Atikur Rahman Himu, who had been campaigning to preserve the site.
According to the Antiquities Act, 1968 (amended in 1976), all buildings or establishments that are more than 100 years old can be protected by the state for their historical importance.