Brief
Rayer Bazaar is a well-known thoroughfare in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It is generally regarded as one of the historical areas of the city. Rayer Bazaar was founded during the colonial period most probably in the 19th century. It was the potters who first started to live here beside the Turag River. This Place was most probably named after someone titled Ray. It was easy to find the clay used to make pots in this area and spread it around by boats as it was situated near the river.
During the Mughal period, this place was famous for pottery and most of the potters of this region used to live in Rayer Bazar, because the famous “lal mati” was available in this place. During the Mughal and British Colonial period, the red clay was not available in the neighborhoods. As a result, the Potters of Rayer Bazar have a long tradition of working with this red clay. According to Dr. Wise, this place was known as “Kumartoli” during the Mughal period.
Rayer Bazar will remain in our memories, in our history for another reason. In the night of 14 December 1971, many of Bangladesh’s intellectuals including professors, journalists, doctors, artists, engineers, and writers were rounded up in Dhaka. They were taken blindfolded to torture cells in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh and other locations in different sections of the city. Later on, they were executed and thrown out in the swamps, at Rayerbazar.
In memory of the martyred intellectuals of 1971, a Memorial is created in there. The ‘Al-Badr’ and ‘Al-Shams’ Group helped the West Pakistan Army to locate the intellectuals and slaughtered them and many other innocent peoples at night. After the massacre they brought the corpses and left them into the swamps of Rayer Bazaar. After the Liberation War, the people of Dhaka found out that all the dead bodies of many great intellectuals and innocent people are piled up in here.” Martyred Intellectuals Memorial is the memorial built for the memory of the martyred intellectuals of 1971. The memorial is built in the Boddhobhumi at Rayer Bazaar.
Where to Stay
There are more than 71 quality hotel in Dhaka. Some are listed below…
1. Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka
107 , Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Tel: +880 2 811 1005
Website : Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka
2. Ruposhi Bangla Hotel
1 Minto Road, Shahbagh, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
Phone : 88-02-8330001
Fax : 88-02-8312975
Email : sales@ruposhibanglahotel.com
Website : Ruposhi Bangla Hotel
3. Radisson Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka
Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment,
Dhaka 1206 Bangladesh.
Telephone: + 88 02 8754555
Fax: + 88 02 8754554 , + 88 02 8754504
Email : reservations.dhaka[at]radisson.com
Website : Radisson Water Garden Hotel
Dhaka Bangladesh
4. Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort
Airport Road, Nikunja 2
Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
Phone : +88-02-8913912, +880 2 8900250-9
Fax : +88-02-8911479
Email : info@dhakaregency.com
Website : www.dhakaregency.com
5. Best Western La Vinci Hotel, Dhaka
54, Kawran Bazar,
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Phone No : 880-2-9119352
Fax No : 880-2-9131218
E-mail : lavinci[at]bol-online.com ,
reservation[at]lavincihotel.com
Web : www.lavincihotel.com
6. The Westin Hotel
Main Gulshan Avenue,
Plot-01, Road 45, Gulshan-2
Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone : 88-02-9891988
7. Royal Park Residence Hotel
House no. 85, Road no. 25A
Block – A, Banani,
Dhaka 1213 Bangladesh.
Telephone: + 88 02 8815945/46
Fax: + 88 02 8815299
Email : hotelinfo[at]royalparkbd.com
Website : Royal Park Residence Hotel
8. Bengal Inn
House # 07, Road # 16,
Gulshan – 01
Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh.
Tel: +880 2 98880236, 9880610
Fax: +880 2 9880274
Email : info[at]bengalinn.com
Website : www.bengalinn.com
9. Hotel Sarina Dhaka
Plot #27, Road #17
Banani C/A,
Dhaka 1213 Bangladesh.
Tel: +880 2 8859604 -10, 8851040 -2, 8851011-4
Fax: +880 2 988-9989
Email : sales[at]sarinahotel.com, reservations[at]sarinahotel.com
Website : www.sarinahotel.com
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[name] => {:en}Megalithic Tombs Stone{:}{:bn}প্রাগৈতিহাসিক যুগের স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ{:}
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This glorious place, of Megalithic Tombs Stone, holds the remaining pieces of Jainta Kingdom. The damaged Rajbari or King's palace, Jainteshvari temple, and megalithic monument are found here. Megalithic monument is the best heritage structure among these. There is no other megalithic monument in Bangladesh other than this. Jaintiapur is the only place in Bangladesh where Meghalithic remnants have been discovered.
Due to its geophysical condition the region remained independent for a long time and was well known as Jaintapur Kingdom. As such it was mentioned in Epic, Puranic, and Tantric literatures. However, a number of local legends, folk tales, and inscriptions suggest that from approximately the 7th/8th century AD Jaintapur came under the control of Kamarupa Kingdom and that later it went under the control of the Chandra and Varman rulers.
After the fall of the Varmans, Jaintapur was again ruled for some time by the Deva dynasty. Jayanta Ray, the last ruler of the Deva dynasty, had a daughter named Jayanti, who got married to a son of a Khasi chief, named Landowar. Due to this matrimonial alliance, Jaintapur kingdom went under the control of the Khasis in c 1500 AD. Subsequently, Khasi kings ruled over the kingdom independently till the British occupied it in 1835.
{:}{:bn}স্মৃতিস্তম্ভটি সিলেট সদর থেকে ২৫ মাইল দূরে ভারতের মেঘালয়ের নিকটে এই প্রাগৈতিহাসিক যুগের স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ অবস্থিত। এ স্থানে রয়েছে জৈন্তা সাম্রাজ্যের অবশিষ্ট স্মৃতি। এখানে আপনি ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত রাজবাড়ি, জৈন্তেসবাড়ি মন্দির, এবং সবচেয়ে আকর্ষণীয় প্রাগৈতিহাসিক যুগের স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ দেখতে পাবেন। জৈন্তাপুর ব্যাতিত বাংলাদেশের আর কোথাও প্রাগৈতিহাসিক যুগের স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ পাওয়া যায়নি।{:}
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[name] => National Martyrs Memorial
[post_id] => 5659
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/national-martyrs-memorial/
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Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho (জাতীয় স্মৃতি সৌধ) or National Martyrs Memorial is the national monument of Bangladesh is the symbol in the memory of the velour and the sacrifice of all those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought independence and separated Bangladesh from Pakistan.
National Martyrs Memorial is situated in Nabinagar, Savar approximately 35 km from Dhaka. The memorial designed by architect Moinul Hossain is dedicated to the sacred memory of the millions of unknown martyrs of the war of liberation. This Martyrs Memorial is a symbol of Bengali nationalism. It is really a scenic beauty of 108 acre of land. The top of this monument is 150 ft. high, which consists other 07 triangular monuments.
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[name] => Central Shaheed Minar
[post_id] => 5650
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/central-shaheed-minar/
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Central Shaheed Minar is the national monument of Bangladesh. It is located near Dhaka Medical College Hospital and in the Dhaka University area. It is a Historical place, on February 21, 1952, dozens of students and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal status to their native tongue, Bangla. Every year on February 21 many people come here to show respect as well as all year round. The Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor.
The first Shaheed Minar was built immediately after the events of February 21, 1952. According to the main planner and the designer of the first Shaheed Minar, the decision to build it was first made by the students of Dhaka Medical College. Shaheed Minar is situated near Dhaka Medical College Hospital and in the Dhaka University area. It is adjacent to the Mathematics department of Dhaka University. It is only 0.5 kilometers (0.3 mi) away from Shahbag and 0.25 km (0.16 mi) distant from Chankharpul. Shaheed Minar is an outstanding monument of Bangladesh. It was built to tribute the martyrs who given up their life for language. The main incident had been occurring inside of Dhaka medical college hospital. So a decision was taken to build a memorial adjacent to DMCH. The planning started at midnight on February 22, and the work started the next day. This Minar was sponsored by Pearu Sardar, one of the old Dhaka panchayet sardars, when some of the students asked his help at midnight of 22 February, to contribute the raw materials needed to build the monument. Although curfew was in place, students started building the Minar in the afternoon of February 23. They worked through the night and finished it at dawn. A hand written paper was attached to the Minar with "Shaheed Smritistombho" written on it. The original Minar measured 10 by 6 feet (3.0 m × 1.8 m).
The Minar was inaugurated by the father of Sofiur Rahman, killed during the massacre. It was demolished within a few days by the police and Pakistani Army. Smaller versions of the memorial were built in other places of the country. Two years after the first monument was destroyed by the police, a new Shaheed Minar (Monument of Martyrs) was constructed in 1954 to commemorate the protesters who lost their lives. This Minar (monument) was inaugurated by Natyaguru Nurul Momen. Work on a larger monument designed by the architect Hamidur Rahman began in 1957 with the support of the United Front ministry.
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[name] => Hajong Mata Roshimoni Monument
[post_id] => 5189
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[post_content] =>
On the way of BDR camp of Bijoypur, you'll find a monument. This monument was built for remembering the courageous sacrifice of Hajong Roshimoni (হাজং রশিমনি). She was killed during the Tonk Andolon (টনক আন্দোলন). The GPS coordinate of the monument is (25° 9'27.72"N, 90°39'32.31"E).
That event was actually taking position against the barbarian ruler of that area. The Shushong King/Zamindar (সুসংগ রাজা/জমিদার) was the owner of all lands and local people were only allowed to cultivate there. They were forced to pay a portion from their crops, no matter how good or bad the harvest is. This cruel rule just crippled the farmers economically. So they have decided to stand against the ruler under the banner of Hajong Roshimoni (হাজং রশিমনি) who was later killed.
The monument is simple in design and may not be an attractive structure to you, but if you know the history behind, you may find this interesting. The book Bangladesher Krishoker Shongram (বাংলাদেশের কৃষকের সংগ্রাম) by Shotten Sen (সত্যেন সেন) has more detail about this courageous lady.
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