Grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam

Locally the place is known as Moynamoti Ranir Kuthi or Moynamoti Ranir Banglo. According to Bengali textbook, the name is Moynamoti Ranir Bihar.

Mainamati’s Palace Mound is the largest and highest mound in the northern extremity of the ridge near Mainamati village, just east of Brahmanbaria road. The Gumti River, identified with the ancient river Ksiroda, has now shifted a few hundred yards to the east, but once flowed along its eastern edge, partly washing its northern and southern foot as well. Its old silted up bed is still very clearly traceable.

The site has been traditionally associated with the legendary Chandra Queen, Mainamati, mother of the last known Chandra King, Govinda Chandra, and is popularly regarded to have been the last seat of that dynasty.

Limited excavations here for a season or two have uncovered part of a massive defense wall round different parts of the site, probably a citadel, and the corner of a substantial structure, probably a palace at the center of the site. Scholars widely regard it as the center of Devaparvata, the capital of Samatata.

Written by-[M Harunur Rashid]

স্থানীয়ভাবে এই রাজপ্রাসাদটি ময়নামতি রানীরকুঠি এবং ময়নামতি রানীর বাংলো নামেও পরিচিত। তবে, পাঠ্যবইয়ে এই প্রাসাদটির নাম হল ময়নামতি রানীর বিহার।

In Cox’s Bazar, there is a newly built radar station, constructed by Japan. The station is under overseas development agreement. Cox's Bazar RADAR Station is discovered by Bangladesh Sea Beach Tourism Society. Bangladesh is a land which faces natural disasters every year. That's why Bangladesh is called the land of natural calamities.

The common natural disaster in our country are floods, storms, cyclones, drought and famine and in pre and post-monsoon season. Natural calamities cannot be prevented. Timely forecast from RADAR station could minimize damage of natural disaster.

Japan has been contributing to the improvement of meteorological services in Bangladesh since 1987 in terms of institutional strengthening of disaster management administration along with disaster management support during floods and cyclones. In this respect, Government of Japan assisted in replacing two radars located at Cox’s Bazar and Khepupara in 1987 with two modern S-band meteorological radars. In 2004, both the radar systems failed which made Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) incapable of locating cyclone centers or intensity of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. This new project is designed to provide new radar stations in these two strategically important locations and JICA has been assigned to conduct the basic design study for implementing this project.

Project Components: 1. Replacement of the existing meteorological radar system at Cox's Bazar and Khepupara Meteorological Radar Stations 2. Satellite Communication Systems from Cox's Bazar and Khepupara Meteorological Radar Stations to the Storm Warning Centre (SXC) in Dhaka 3. Spare Parts for the existing meteorological microwave link 4. Construction of radar tower buildings at Cox's Bazar and Khepupara meteorological Radar Station

Expected Impacts: 1. BMD will have the ability to provide near real time cyclone information and warnings to the Prime Minister’s Office, Disaster management Bureau, media and other related agencies for effective disaster prevention countermeasures. 2. Strengthening of BMD's cyclone and weather monitoring capacity using a combination of meteorological satellite data and radar data from the new satellite and meteorological radar system 3. BMD's forecasting ability for Cox's Bazar district will be improved along with the accuracy of the meteorological information for the Cox's Bazar Airport, fishing trawlers and small boats which will ensure prompt issuance of warning signals.

The Rose Garden Palace was built by a Hindu Zamindar Hrikesh Das in the late 19th century. Around that time jalsas (parties) held at Baldha Garden were an important part of the social life of the city's wealthier Hindu residents. The story goes that Hrishikesh, a Zamindar of lower caste background, being insulted on this account by someone at one of the jalsas at Baldha Garden, decided to create his own garden to outshine that of Baldha. Here he staged jalsas of his own. The centerpiece of the garden is an elegant pavilion. However, this was not created as a residence, but rather a setting for entertainment such as musical performances (although subsequent owners did use it as a house). This extravagant lifestyle caused Hrikesh to go bankrupt and he was forced to sell the property.

The palace was bought by Khan Bahadur Kazi Abdur Rashid from Hrikesh in 1936 and renamed the building Rashid Manzil. His eldest son Kazi Mohammed Bashir (Humayun) who carried his name and fame until this generation.

The building, which remains a private property to date, has been renovated by its owners keeping the original character fully maintained. At present it is owned by Qazi Abdur Raqib, Barrister, who has leased it out to the Bengal Motion Picture Studios Limited.

The building has Corinthian columns and has eight apartments including a central hall on its ground floor. The upper floor has a further five apartments including a large dance hall in the middle. In the front yard, there was a fountain originally, the structure of which still remains. There are several classical marble statues in the garden, although the rosegarden that gave the mansion its name does not exist anymore.

The lodge contains on the ground floor eight apartments including a central hall whilst the upper floor has a further five apartments including a large dance hall measuring in the middle. At the back of the building to the east there is a veranda triple-arched entrance porch which leads to a staircase for the upper storey. Originally there was an ornamental fountain in the garden and a number of classical marble statue.

১৯ শতকের শেষের দিকে হিন্দু জমিদার হৃষিকেস দাস রোজ গার্ডেন প্যালেসটি নির্মাণ করেন। সেসময়, বলধা গার্ডেনে অনুষ্ঠিত হওয়া জলসাগুলো শহরের বিত্তবান হিন্দুদের সামাজিক জীবনের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অংশ ছিল। বলধা গার্ডেনের এমনই এক জলসায় হৃষিকেস দাস নামক এক নিম্নবর্ণের জমিদারকে অপমান করা হয় এবং এর ফলে তিনি নিজেই বাগানবাড়ি স্থাপনের সিদ্ধান্ত গ্রহন করেন। হৃষিকেস দাস তাঁর নিজস্ব বাগানবাড়িতে জলসার আয়োজন করতেন। তাঁর বাগানের মূল আকর্ষণ ছিল একটি নয়নাভিরাম সাজঘর। তবে বাগানবাড়িটি শুধুমাত্র বিনোদনের জন্য তৈরি করা হয়েছিল (যদিও পরবর্তী মালিকরা এটি বসবাসের জন্যেও ব্যবহার করতেন)। বিলাসবহুল জীবনযাপনের কারনে হৃষিকেস দাস দেউলিয়া হয়ে যান এবং ফলশ্রুতিতে তাঁকে তাঁর সম্পত্তি বিক্রি করে দিতে হয়েছিল।

১৯৩৬ সালে খান বাহাদুর কাজী আব্দুর রশিদ এই প্রাসাদটি হৃষিকেস দাসের কাছ থেকে কিনে নেন এবং প্রাসাদটির নামকরণ করেন রশিদ মঞ্জিল। তাঁর বড় ছেলে কাজী মোহাম্মদ বশির (হুমায়ুন) আজ অবধি তাঁদের নাম ও খ্যাতিকে ধরে রেখেছেন।

আজ অবধি ব্যাক্তিগত সম্পত্তি এই ভবনটির মূল আবেদন ধরে রেখে ভবনটিকে রক্ষনাবেক্ষন করা হচ্ছে। বর্তমানে এই প্রাসাদটির মালিক ব্যারিস্টার কাজী আব্দুর রকিব প্রাসাদটি বেঙ্গল মোশন পিকচার স্টুডিও লিমিটেডের কাছে ভাড়া দিয়েছেন।

প্রাসাদটির নীচতলায় একটি হলরুম ছাড়াও করিনথিয়ান কলাম এবং আটটি কক্ষ রয়েছে। প্রাসাদের উপর তলার মাঝে নৃত্য করার জন্য হল ছাড়াও আরও পাঁচটি কক্ষ রয়েছে। প্রাসাদের সামনে একটি ঝর্ণা ছিল যেটির চিহ্ন আজও বিদ্যমান। প্রাসাদের বাগানে কয়েকটি মার্বেলের তৈরি মূর্তি রয়েছে যদিও স্থানটির নামকরণ যে গোলাপ বাগানের জন্য করা হয়েছে সেই গোলাপ বাগানটি এখন আর নেই।

প্রাসাদের পিছনে পূর্বদিকে একটি বারান্দা আছে যেখানে প্রবেশের জন্য ধনুকাকৃতির তিনস্তর বিশিষ্ট একটি প্রবেশপথ রয়েছে যেটি দিয়ে উপরে ওঠার সিঁড়িতে যাওয়া যায়।

Sheikh Fazlul Karim’s house is in The Union kakina kaliganja kakina mauja which is widely known as "kabi bari"(poet’s house.) Karim was born in Bengali 30th chaitra in 1289, (according to history researcher Samar Pal 14 April 1883) at the end of Monday night (Tuesday), in Kaliganja Sadar in kakina village. Kokila Bibi was his mother. His wife's name was Basiron Nesa. He died in the mid-night of September 8, 1936 kakinaya in his own home, He occupied in front of his house. To bright his memory fajlal Sishu Niketana and Karim Girls' High School was made in Lalmonirhat corporation khordoshaptona mouja in west in collectoret field in 1945.

The lines “Kothaye shorgo, kothaye norok, ke boley ta bohudur/ Manusher majhey shorgo norok, manushetey shurashur” are only too familiar but poet Sheikh Fazlul Karim, who penned the verses, has been relegated to obscurity.

Though the poet's 75th death anniversary was observed at his native village, Kakina of Kaligonj upazila, in Lalmonirhat district, on September 28, no major programme was held to mark the occasion in Lalmonirhat town. Likewise no government or cultural organisation has taken the initiative to observe Karim's birth anniversary in Lalmonirhat district, despite the fact that his poems are included in textbooks. At least 55 books of the poet were published from Calcutta (now Kolkata). Karim died on September 28, 1936. The poet was born into an affluent family on April 13, 1883. His parents were Amir Ullah Sarder and Kokila Bibi.

Kobi Sheikh Fazlul Karim Girls High School in Lalmonirhat town and a reading club were founded at the poet's native village Kakina. Except these two establishments, no initiative had been taken to preserve the poet's memory.

The poet's grandson Wahedunnabi Islam, 70, lamented: “People from different areas regularly visit the poet's home and his final resting place but no initiative has been taken to protect and preserve the poet's home.”

Source: The Daily Star