Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani and Nawab Bari

Munshiganj, or Bikrampur as it was formerly known as home to a number of rich landlords and merchants, who lived in palatial houses, built on large estates. Most of these perished in course of time as the mighty Padma River devoured most of Bikrampur. Of all that remain in today’s Munshiganj, the largest is the house at Abdullahpur, known as Tokani Pal House (টোকানী পাল বাড়ি). There isn’t enough source to know about who built this house, but Tokani Pal, an elderly merchant from Barisal, bought this 7 acre estate and moved in here sometime in the early 1890s. His second wife Nabanga Sundary and all six sons from his two marriages accompanied him.

The estate now consists of 11 buildings and six ponds. The sprawling gardens have hundreds of trees – fruit bearing, medicinal, or for wood itself. And there were once several hundreds of flowering plants. But when Tokani arrived, the estate was in a mess. Kamini Pal, the eldest son of Tokani,took charge of cleaning up the estate. He chose a place to set up a temple, dedicated to Radha-Shyam, of whom they had been followers for generations. By this time, the masons of Abdullahpur had made a name in craftsmanship and expertise, and Arfan Ostagar was the most revered of all. He was hired, for a daily fee of five quarters and a pack of tobacco. His designer had to be paid an additional three quarters. A 15X6 feet room was planned to build, with a wide sprawling varanda, where followers could sing devotional songs every evening. The room would have a large platform, on which would rest a large metal statue of Radha-Shyam. The exterior wall would be decorated with fine ceramic designs. Once completed, the temple became a marvel, people from far and wide came over to see.

The Pal’s principal business was surrounded around the Kamala river port of Bikrampur, which was known as the Second Kolkata. Betelnuts, mustard, lentils etc would arrive from Barisal or Chandpur, and would be traded with Kolkata. Almost 20,000 laborers worked daily at this port, where the second largest wholesalers were the Pals. They set up warehouses at places as far as Barisal, Jhalokathhi or Shwarupkathhi, or Chandpur. Kamini Pal also became the most prominent money-lender. Dwarkanath became a prominent dealer in Kerosene oil. Other brothers also chipped in here and there. Business for the Pals was running well.

After the Partition of India, a large section of the family moved to Kolkata. Those who remained to protect the family businesses, soon found it difficult, as business with Kolkata became complicated. They had to explore new business avenues, but that wasn’t too easy.

In 1971, Hindus were being tortured or killed, their businesses were being shut down, their houses were being torched. The Pal estate being protected with a strong high boundary wall became a safe refuge, not only for members of this family, but for members of extended families, and also for friends and their families. About 500 people had found safe shelter here, until one dark night, when the Pakistani Army entered the compounds, killed several family members, and set the main houses of fire. The entire clan moved to India through Agartala.

Almost two years later, Shashadhar Pal, the second son of Dwarkanath Pal, who by then was head of the clan, returned with his family. But by this time major parts of the estate had been grabbed and taken over by others. He tried to revive some of the businesses, but did not quite succeed. His family members went back to Kolkata, but he decided to stay back, reminiscing his childhood memories, and gradually selling off part of their properties. He lived either in one of the houses within this estate, or in the other Pal House, which also was built by his uncle Kamini Pal several decades ago. He passed away in the late 1990s.

Beside the bank of the Ichhamoti river (ইছামতি নদী), you'll find an old house that is currently abandoned. No inscription was found about the house. From the architecture of the old house, you can only guess that it was a house of a wealthy man who could have been a Zamindar (জমিদার) or a rich merchant. Boktnogor/Boktonogor(বকতনগর/বক্তনগর) is a place located near the Shikari Para(শিকারী পারা) after Bandura bazaar(বান্দুরা বাজার).

This well-built edifice has lot of rooms inside. Front side of the house is still firm, but damaged at the back sides. Still now a days the house has a lot of open spaces around including ponds. At the south-west corner of the mansion, another edifice is available. This one is an old mosque. Again it is unsure about the builder of the mosque.

If the owner of the mosque and the house is the same person, then the owner must be a Muslim. The village name is Boktnagar (বক্তনগর) which should came from Bokht Nogor (বখত নগর). Possibly someone lived there named Bokht (বখত) and sounds a Muslim name, but all are predictions.

The mosque is a small one having three domes at the top. Middle one is a bit larger compare to other twos. Just above the main gate, and inscription is found written in Arabic. The mosque has a pond at the southern side and a graveyard at the eastern side.

ইছামতি নদীর তীরে একটি পরিত্যাক্ত ভবন দেখতে পাবেন তবে কোন শিলালিপি না থাকায় এই ভবনটি সম্পর্কে বিস্তারিত জানা যায়নি। তবে, ভবনের স্থাপত্যশৈলী দেখে বোঝা যায় এটি ছিল একটি জমিদার বাড়ি। এই ভবনটির অভ্যন্তরে বেশকয়েকটি কক্ষ রয়েছে। জমিদারবাড়ির সামনের দিকটি এখনও মজবুত থাকলেও পেছনের দিকটি বেশ ক্ষতিগ্রস্থ হয়েছে।

এখনও ভবনটির চারপাশে একটি পুকুরসহ বেশকিছু খালি জায়গা রয়েছে। জমিদারবাড়ির দক্ষিন-পশ্চিম কোনায় একটি প্রাচীন মসজিদ রয়েছে। মসজিদটির নির্মাণের ব্যাপারেও কিছু জানা যায়নি। যদি জমিদারবাড়ি এবং মসজিদের মালিক একই ব্যাক্তি হয়ে থাকেন তবে ধরে নেওয়া যায় যে তিনি ছিলেন একজন মুসলিম। ধারনা করা হয়ে থাকে যে গ্রামতির নাম বক্তনগর হয়েছে বখতনগর শব্দ থেকে। এমনও হতে পারে যে, বখত নামক কোন মুসলিম ব্যাক্তির নামে গ্রামটির নামকরণ করা হয়েছে।

এখানে অবস্থিত মসজিদটি ছোট এবং তিনগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট। তবে মাঝখানের গম্বুজটি অন্য দুটি গম্বুজের চেয়ে বড়। মসজিদের মূল প্রবেশ পথের উপরে আরবীতে লেখা শিলালিপি দেখা যায়। মসজিদের দক্ষিনে একটি পুকুর এবং পূর্বদিকে একটি কবরস্থান রয়েছে।

Shoshi Lodge (শশী লজ) is located at the center of Mymensingh city which is also known as the Residential Palace of  Moharaja Shoshi Kanto Acharya (মহারাজা শশীকান্ত আচার্য). This palace is very close to the river Brahmaputra which is being used as Women Teachers Training College from the year 1952.

According to the history, most of the rulers from Zamindar family have adopted babies in different era and those adopted child ruled the area later. For example Gourikanta(গৌরীকান্ত) was adopted by Roghunondon(রঘুনন্দন). Son of Gourikanta was Shashikanta(শশীকান্ত) and his wife adopted Surjokanta (সূর্য্যকান্ত) as she was childless. Later, Surjokanto became the prominent Zamindar of Mymensingh district. People used to call him as Moharaja(মহারাজা).

Moharaja Surjokanto Acharya was the Zamindar in Mymensingh region for long 41 years. During the reign of his Zamindari he did so many work for social welfare and made a remarkable change in infrastructural development.

He started to build an unique two storied building on an area of nine acre at the end of nineteenth century. Childless Zamindar Surjokanto named after this building in the name of his adopted son Shoshi Kanto Acharya. After completion of construction this building was extensively damaged by a destructive earth quake on the year 1897. Zamindar Surjokanto was immensely worried at this great loss.

Later Zamindar Shoshi Kanto Acharya re-built this building with many additional features in the year 1905 and did more renovation work in 1911. This unique classical architecture and its surrounding will certainly attract a traveler to explore this place recurrently.

Dhanbari Nawab Manzil (ধনবাড়ি নবাব মনজিল) is locally known as Nawab Bari (নবাব বাড়ী). This is now owned by the descendants of Nawab Ali Chowdhury (নবাব আলী চৌধুরী). They have been taking a good care of this palace and also built several cottages inside the premise for the tourists for staying. This is the only heritage resort from our Bangladesh. This is also known as Dhanbari (ধনবাড়ী) Royal Resort. Inside the premise is very much neat and clean, adequate amount of stuffs and guards are around there to take care of everything.

Most of the Zamindar (জমিদার) mansions from Bangladesh were owned by the Hindu Zamindar (জমিদার). After the division of the country during 1947, and also later 1971, most of those powerful owners were coerced to leave the country, or cringed away to avoid the secular vandalism. Which results their mammoth mansions left unprotected. Later government has taken control of few of those buildings and used as their official purpose (which are still in a presentable state). But others are in total ruin by now a days for lack of care.

But this Nawab (নবাব) Palace is totally different from those. As it was owned by the Muslim landlords, they didn't have to leave the country or had nothing to fear. They were powerful during their ruling period. And yet still they are powerful on that region now a days. That's why this palace is still in a very good condition and has been taken proper care to maintain its state.

This palace was built by the Nawab Ali Chowdhury (নবাব আলী চৌধুরী) during 1919 to invite the British Lord Ronaldshay. He Came near Koyra (কয়ড়া) using the Steamer and had a reception with 30 elephants. [Reference: www.dctangail.gov.bd].

One of the decedents from the Nawab (নবাব) Family named Nawab Hasan Ali Chowdhury (নবাব হাসান আলী চৌধুরী) was the Industrial Minister during the reign of East Pakistan. Also he was a member of the Parliament during 1978. Later, after his death, his daughter Saiyeda Asheka Akbar (সৈয়দা আশেক আকবর) was the member of the Parliament during 1981. This information will give you an idea about their power and now you understand why the palace is still in a good condition.

You'll require to buy a ticket for 30 Taka to enter inside the palace premise. Each ticket is valid for 2 hours of visiting. The area is highly secured and the stuffs and guards around there are very much friendly. No unauthorized entries are entertained there. So no one will bother you while you are enjoying the surroundings.

ধনবাড়ি নবাব মঞ্জিল স্থানীয়ভাবে নবাববাড়ি নামে পরিচিত। বর্তমানে নবাব আলী চৌধুরীর উত্তরসূরিরা এই রাজবাড়ির দেখাভাল করছেন এবং পর্যটকদের অবস্থানের জন্য তারা এখানে কয়েকটি কটেজও নির্মাণ করেছেন। বাংলাদেশের একমাত্র ঐতিহ্যবাহী রিসোর্ট এটি। পরিষ্কার পরিচ্ছন্ন এই রাজবাড়িতে বেশ কয়েকজন কর্মচারী সবকিছুর দেখাশোনা করছে।

বাংলাদেশের বেশীরভাগ জমিদারবাড়ির মালিক ছিলেন হিন্দু জমিদারেরা। ১৯৪৭ সালে দেশ বিভাগের পর এবং ১৯৭১ সালে মুক্তিযুদ্ধের পর এদের মাঝে বেশীরভাগ প্রভাবশালী জমিদারেরাই দেশত্যাগ করতে বাধ্য হন অথবা ধর্মীয় গোঁড়ামির কারনে তাঁদের একঘরে করে দেওয়া হয়। এর ফলে এসব জমিদারবাড়ি অরক্ষিত অবস্থায় থেকে যায়। পরবর্তীতে কিছু জমিদারবাড়ি সরকার অধিগ্রহন করে তাঁদের দাপ্তরিক কাজে ব্যবহার করলেও বাদবাকি জমিদারবাড়িগুলো অযত্ন এবং অবহেলায় ধ্বংসের মুখে রয়েছে।

ধনবাড়ি নবাব মঞ্জিল অন্যান্য জমিদারবাড়ির চেয়ে ভিন্ন। মুসলিম জমিদার এই বাড়িটির মালিক হওয়াতে তাঁদের দেশত্যাগ করতে হয়নি। তাঁরা তাঁদের শাসনকালে যেমন ক্ষমতাধর ছিল তেমনি এখনও নিজ নিজ অঞ্চলে তাঁদের প্রভাব বিদ্যমান। আর এ কারনেই তাঁদের মালিকানার জমিদারবাড়িগুলোর অবস্থা এখনও বেশ ভাল এবং এসব জমিদারবাড়ির যথাযথ যত্ন ও রক্ষনাবেক্ষন করা হচ্ছে।

১৯১৯ সালে ইংরেজ লর্ড রোনাল্ডশ্যকে আমন্ত্রন জানাতে নবাব আলী চৌধুরী এই জমিদারবাড়িটি নির্মাণ করেন। লর্ড রোনাল্ডশ্য স্টিমারে করে কয়ড়ার কাছে এসেছিলেন এবং তাঁকে ৩০টি হাতির মাধ্যমে অভ্যর্থনা জানানো হয়েছিল। [সূত্র: www.dctangail.gov.bd];

নবাব পরিবারের একজন উত্তরসূরী নবাব হাসান আলী চৌধুরী পূর্ব পাকিস্তানের শিল্প মন্ত্রী ছিলেন। এছাড়া ১৯৭৮ সালে তিনি একজন সংসদ সদস্যও ছিলেন। নবাব হাসান আলী চৌধুরীর মৃত্যুর পর ১৯৮১ সালে তাঁর কন্যা সৈয়দা আশেক আকবর সংসদ সদস্য নির্বাচিত হন। উপরোক্ত তথ্য আপনাকে এই নবাব পরিবারের প্রভাব ও ক্ষমতা সম্পর্কে ধারনা দেবে এবং আপনি বুঝতে পারবেন আজও কিভাবে এই নবাবমঞ্জিল এতোটা ভাল অবস্থায় রয়েছে।

ধনবাড়ি নবাব মঞ্জিলে প্রবেশ করতে আপনাকে ৩০/- টাকা দামের টিকেট কাটতে হবে। প্রতিটি টিকেট নবাব মঞ্জিলে প্রবেশ করার দুই ঘণ্টা পর্যন্ত কার্যকর থাকবে। নবাব মঞ্জিলের নিরাপত্তা ব্যবস্থা বেশ কঠোর এবং এখানকার কর্মচারীরা বেশ সাহায্যপরায়ন। এখানে বাইরের কাউকে প্রবেশ করতে দেওয়া হয় না তাই আপনি নির্বিঘ্নে নবাব মঞ্জিল ঘুরে দেখতে পারবেন।