Lalbagh Fort

Lalbagh Fort () (also known as "Fort Aurangabad") is an incomplete Mughal palace fortress at the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was commenced in 1678 by Prince Muhammad Azam during his 15-month long vice-royalty of Bengal, but before the work could complete, he was recalled by Aurangzeb. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not complete the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688. His daughter Iran Dukht nicknamed Pari Bibi (Fairy Lady) died here in 1684 and this led him to consider the fort to be ominous.

Lalbagh Fort is also the witness of the revolt of the native soldiers against the British during the Great Rebellion of 1857. As in the RedFort in India, they were defeated by the force led by the East India Company. They and the soldiers who fled from Meerat were hanged todeath at the Victoria Park. In 1858 the declaration of Queen Victoria of taking over the administrative control of India from the Companywas read out at the Victoria park, latter renamed Bahadur Shah Park after the name of the last Mughal Emperor who led that greatestrebellion against then British empire.

Layout of fort

The fort was long considered to be a combination of three buildings:

• the mosque;
• the tomb of Bibi Pari; and
• the Diwan-i-Aam, comprising two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall.

Recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh, however, they have revealed the existence of...
Read More