লালবাগ কেল্লা

Hajiganj Fort (হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ) also called Khizrpur Fort, situated at Hajiganj locality of Narayanganj on the western bank of the Sitalakshya (শীতলক্ষ্যা). Having the characteristics of a water fort, it was originally built just at the point where the old Buriganga (বুরিগঙ্গা) discharged into the Sitalakshya. It may have been built soon after Islam Khan established the Mughal capital at Dhaka, and was intended to countercept the raids of the Magh and Portuguese pirates.

The fort, quadrangular in size, consists of a pentagonal curtain wall machicolated for muskets with rounded corner bastions. On the inner side of the curtain wall there is 1.22 meter high rampart walkway from the base of the curtain wall which is itself pierced by several musketry holes. Each of the corner bastions has staircase inside up to the rampart level and its merlons have wider holes in between meant for gun firing. In a corner of the fort quadrangle there is a free tall square column of brickwork which seems to be a guard tower. The existence of this column links the fort with other water forts of the time. The existence of the elevated platform for the setting of cannons is an important feature of the fort.

The only small gateway of the fort towards the river side suggests that the means of communication was by the river. The pentagonal gateway is placed in a rectangular structure with engraved rectangular arches on the both sides. The top of the gateway is decorated with lotus finial. There having no other structure inside the fort, it seems that the fort was occupied only in the rainy season when the pirates were expected, and that the occupants used tents as their shades. The fort area is now being used as the Fire Brigade headquarters of Narayanganj.

Bhitargarh Fort was formed a part of the chain of early medieval mud-forts erected mostly by the Muslim rulers at different times to defend their territory against the incursion of their northern Hindu neighbors. The territory east of the Karatoya River was for some time a part of the Ahom kingdom. In the 15th century, this area was included in the Tibeto-Barman Khen dynasty's territory and served as a sort of buffer state between Assam and the Muslim Kingdom of Bengal.

"The existence of fifteen garhs (fortifications) has hitherto been traced of which the most noted are Bhitar Garh, Hosain Garh, Mir Garh, Rajan Garh and Deven Garh. Panchagram is named after these five garhs. Amongst these fortification Bhitargarh is still vigilant archeological site. Total Garh is bounded by both manmade and natural canal and fort like wall."-Banglapedia.

Bhitargarh fort city, established in the sixth or seventh century, had a sovereign administration. Built on important trade routes, the fort city had trade links with Tibet, Bhutan, and China as well as with West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Punhdrabardhan of India.

The entire fort city is bordered by two rectangular wall- inner and outer wall or fortifications. There are two villages inside the wall- Bhitargarh and Maharajar Hat, with village market (Bhitargarh bazar). Most interesting feature is the Maharajar Dighi is a large pond, the most attractive place inside the fortification. It is really beautiful during rain. Probably the Maharaja (king) of Bhitargarh, dug the canal for supplying sweet water inside the fort. The pond might be connected by drainage network.

The fortification is now the most important archeological site of the country. The place comes to spot light after a recent excavation program, which has been uncovered some 200 archeological site inside the fort city.

Sonakanda Fort (সোনাকান্দা দুর্গ) a Mughal river-fort located on the eastern bank of the Shitalakshya (শীতলক্ষ্যা) at port area. A group of river forts, constructed by the Mughals, guarded the water routes to Dhaka and other places of strategic importance and the Sonakanda Fort is one of them. The fort, under the protection of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, has been restored and repaired several times. The defensive walls and the massive artillery platform are still in existence. It is quadrangular in plan,measuring 86.56 m × 57.0 m and surrounded by a 1.06 m thick brick-wall, 3.05 meter in height, with inner and intermediate bastions.

The wall is built solid at the bottom. There is a circular artillery platform with a staircase on the west side, which leads up to the raised artillery platform to be entered by a five-foil arched gateway. The artillery platform, meant for a big calibre cannon aiming at the attackers coming up the river, is a new feature of the Mughal river forts in Bengal.

The platform has two circles of which the inner is 15.70m and the outer is 19.35m in diameter respectively. It is 6.09m in height and surrounded by walls. The corner bastions on both sides of the western wing are wider than those of the eastern wing, which are 4.26m, while the two on the western wing are 6.85m in diameter. The fort has two main parts; one is a fortified rampart wall of enormous dimension, which has numerous wide and narrow loopholes. And the other part, the most important one, is a raised outwork on the western face. Excepting the artillery platform, there is no trace of any permanent structure within the fortification walls. All round, the walls are crowned by machicolated merlons, which are on average one metre high.

The fort is provided with a single entrance gate on the north. The arched gateway is placed within a rectangular frame and both the sides are decorated with several plastered panels. The lofty arch of the entrance gateway is of the four-centred variety. There are four corner bastions. Unlike the bastions of the forts at Hajiganj and Idrakpur the bastions of this fort are octagonal in plan.

The fort is not dated by any inscription. Though the construction of this fort is attributed to Mir Jumla, there is no evidence for this. On stylistic similarities with other Mughal river-forts in and around Dhaka it is datable to the mid-17th century.

Idrakpur Fort situated at Munshiganj proper, now on the west bank of the canal running through the town, and on the eastern vicinity of Deobhog village. This water fort was originally built at a strategic point on the junction of the river Ichhamati (now dried up) and the Meghna. The location of the fort had earlier been named as Idrakpur. The development of the township in the locality with the name Munshiganj is a later innovation. Still there is a village named Idrakpur in the suburb of the town. The surroundings of the fort are now filled with earth, and in some places the silt has risen up to the level of the parapet.

The erection of the fort was intended to check the advance of the Magh and Portuguese pirates proceeding towards the Mughal capital city of Dhaka. It was probably built by the Mughal subadar Mir Jumla in about 1660 A.D.
This brick built fort, quadrangular in size, runs from north to south measuring 86.87 meter in length and 59.60 meter in breadth. It consists of two main parts: i) the wider open area surrounded by curtain walls crowned by machicolated merlons, with engaged rounded corner bastions also crowned by merlons and pierced by musketry, and ii) the smaller area containing a round drum of huge dimension surrounded by another series of similar curtain walls. An approach to the drum is provided from the bigger court.

The most striking feature of the fort is the existence of an elevated rounded platform of 32.5 diameter and 9.14 meter high on the eastern part of the fort, which can be reached by a staircase. Another striking feature of the fort is the existence of a staircase leading to an underground room at the foot of the drum. Tradition goes that the staircase is a part of the provision for an underground tunnel meant for emergency exit of its occupants to some safe destination. But virtually the staircase simply leads to a secret underground chamber which was the magazine or storehouse for arms and explosives.

The main entrance gate of the fort is on the north with a high rectangular bastion crowned by machicolated merlons which served as a guard room.

Special features being discovered by recent renovation work:

12th of May 2015, A typical day for the workers who were employed for the renovation work of this Mughal fort. As the Dept. of Archaeology decided to make a museum & a cultural center inside the fort earlier.For the last 300 years there have been several renovations conducted there. But, this time something very interesting discovered while the workers were removing floor's plaster. All on a sudden they observed there have been a significant numbers of pitchers were placed in row & Column beneath the outer surface of floor. Initially, It's presumed that these pitchers is nearly 350 years old as this fort was built in 1660 AD.

Some of the researchers from Dept. of Archaeology interpreted that these vessels were used for keeping cool inside of the fort and some are opposing this interpretation. They said further investigation needs to be conducted to find out the reason of using these vessel. These kind of feature has been discovered very first time in Bangladesh. It's a unique Medieval architectural feature. After finding these pitcher, Dept. of Archaeology decided to hold on the renovation work as it might destroy very important spatial context.