The residence of Deshpriya Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, a historic British-era landmark in Chattogram's Rahmatganj area, now lies in neglect.
A noted leader of the anti-British movement, Sengupta was a five-term mayor of Calcutta Corporation during the British period and president of the All India Congress. He organised one of the subcontinent's largest labour movements as part of the struggle for freedom from British rule.
Cultural activists and civil society members have long been urging the government to conserve the site. Senior officials of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs visited the building in 2021 and decided to prepare a plan for its preservation and transformation into a museum showcasing relics from the anti-British movement in Chattogram, said sources.
Article 24 of the Constitution mandates protection of any monument or site of artistic or historical importance. A signboard announcing the planned museum and a plaque quoting the constitutional provision were installed at the house, along with Ansar deployment, said sources.
No further step followed. The house has since deteriorated and is now on the verge of ruin. A recent visit found bushes encroaching on the compound and the building visibly fragile. The signboard remains, but no security guard was seen.
Rashed Rauf, poet and journalist, urged immediate government action, saying the site is crucial for future generations to understand the country's history.
He said Sengupta's family made major contributions to education and social welfare, though many of their properties now lie in disrepair.
Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, chairman of Liberation Struggle of Bangladesh and Liberation War Research Centre, said Chattogram's central role in the anti-British movement makes the residence an important landmark that must be preserved.
In a joint statement on August 29 last year, eminent citizens in Chattogram called for urgent government action. They noted that the house had hosted visits by Netaji Subhash Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali. The statement also alleged a land-grabbing attempt on January 4, 2021.
A Directorate General of Archaeology team led by regional director Nahid Sultana visited the site on July 25 this year.
She said they found justification for conservation and sent a proposal to the directorate.
Contacted, Directorate General of Archaeology DG Sabina Alam said she was unaware of receiving such a proposal and would check.
Archaeologist Dr Ataur Rahman said conservation work suffers because Chattogram lacks a regional office of the archaeology department, unlike every other division.
