Historical Pagla Bridge or Temple..??

Historical ruins at Pagla on Dhaka-Narayanganj Road (Feb 2007)



Deity of Shiva on the extension of historical structure


Temple priest in renovated area

pic of Pagla Bridge ruins (early 1990's) from the book of Prof Muntasir Mamun

Pic of 1890 from the book of Prof. Muntasir Mamun

Photo of Pagla Bridge taken by Hoffman in 1880 (British Museum)

Charles D'oyle's etching on 1827 (from M.Mamun's book)

Historical Pagla Bridge, 5 miles east of Dhaka on Dhaka-Narayanganj road, was known to be constructed in 1660 CE. by MIR JUMLA, Subahdar of Bengal under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, on the branch river, a former course of Dulai at Pagla. French traveler Tavernier noticed it in 1666 as a fine brick bridge. Bishop Heber, while visiting Dhaka from Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1824, found the Pagla Bridge in a fairly good condition and identified it as a fine specimen of architecture.

Mir Jumla's construction activities in Dhaka and its suburbs resulted in two roads, two bridges and a network of forts, which were necessary for public welfare, strategic purposes, and speedy dispatch of troops, equipment and ammunitions. A fort at Tongi guarded one of the roads connecting Dhaka with the northern districts. The other road led eastward, connecting the capital city with Narayanganj, where there were two forts. The Pagla bridge lies on this road off Fatulla.

While visiting Pagla last week, the extant of the dilapidated bridge structure (a bazaar grown around) was found inside a Temple (Mandir) area with a deity of ‘Lord Shiva’ placed there (see pic above). The priest (Sebayet) of the temple, south of main road, introduced the ancient structures as part of temple of ‘Pagal-nath’ (Shiva). He referred to a ditch away on the north as the site of the bridge. The Temple compound encompassing a third domical structure has several masonry rooms for devotees built not far long ago.

I went to see the remnants of historical Pagla Bridge but returned rather confused. The photos taken by me (posted above) claimed by the priest as part of Temple, have striking similarity with the images printed in the book of Prof. Muntasir Mamun on Dhaka and British Museum as 'Pagla Bridge'.

I hope the Archeological Dept. will provide correct information about the structures (ruins) of Pagla Bridge to dispel any doubt.
Also see: Mughal Bridges of Dhaka.

BSEC bldg. Karwanbazar swept by devastating fire- 26 Feb 2007

Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in the foreground

traffic impasse near SAARC intersection

View from roof of Property Enclave, New Eskaton

The 11 storey Bangladesh Steel Engineering Corporation building (BSEC) in Karwan Bazar, north of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, housing television channels NTV and RTV, daily paper Amar Desh, Dandy Dyeing, Chittagong Stock Exchange and many other Banks and commercial offices caught under devastating fire today at 10:30 am. The pictures of air rescue from roof top were taken from Eskaton area at 12:15 pm. Combined rescue operation of Fire Service, Army, Air Force, Navy, RAB, Police and Red Crescent was continuing at the time of this posting. ATN TV channel, from next block, televised the blaze and rescue operation live.

Homebound devotees from Ijtema 2007

for more pic of Tongi Ijtema see:
Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi

Bangladesh Bank - Tallest building of Dhaka

Bangladesh Bank Tower block (30 storey above PL)

Sena kollyan Buildingg - 21 storey (near Bangladesh Bank)

Bangladesh Bank, Motijheel C/A

BSB building Motijheel - 22 storey

Secretariate building - 23 storey
Also see: Skyline - Paribagh-Eskaton-Panthapath-Banani-Gulshan North

Amor Ekushey 2007 at Dhaka - Intl Mother Language Day

L: First Shaheed Minar of 1952----R: Present one

President Iajuddin, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin, Khaleda & Hasina

Foreign Embassy representatives

Floral wreaths relaid and arranged by volunteers

Afternoon scene of 21st February

Mad rush


Face painting




Street fair




Bangles


Handicrafts

Familiar face - street musician Monu Miah playing miniature 'Ektara'



Hayride on hackney carriage




Relax at TMC

Local TV interview


Cultural function at Institute of Fine Arts compound

Dhaka view - February 2007

Dhaka Stadium - west

Motijheel commercial area

Paribagh scene

New Eskaton road

Dhaka skyline

Elephant road (BATA signal) at night

Gulshan 1

Gulshan circle 1

Square hospital

Concord tower, Panthapath

Motijheel C/A

Motijheel C/A

Multiplan, Panthapath

Segunbagicha apartment

Old Elephant road

Rifles square, Dhanmondi

Sonargaon Hotel intersection

Dhaka view - Stadium, BB avenue & DMC building

Valentine Day scene at TSC: 14 Feb 2007

Pohela Falgun- ful futuk ar nai futuk- it's Spring time

Uttora eviction (pic daily star)

Katra to Buriganga on 09 Feb 2007

Katra entrance - north view

Katra entrance - closeup of arch

south view towards river

View of Chawk Masjid Minaret from Katra gate

Chawk central building - Masjid on west

Mughal-tuli Imamganj road


Dumpyard in narrow alley

Little boy enjoying sugarcane juice (Tk. 5/- a glass)

Billboard for Mughlai dishes

Swarighat river bank


River crafts racing away on river Buriganga
for 'Katra' history see: Mughal Katras (CaravanSarai) ;

Life on Dhaka street - 06 Jan 2007

Living on pittance

Looking for help

Fully stretched body

Pavement on lease from local toughs

Household chores

Trespassers

Unwelcome visitor

Alert in net

Fate sealed

One goes for Tk.120/-

Mouth watering at Karwan Bazaar kitchen market

Road blocked by passing train

Skyline - Paribagh-Eskaton-Panthapath-Banani-Gulshan north

Panthapath

Eskaton view from Karwan Bazaar

Eskaton sky

Eskaton Garden view

Paribagh - Sheraton hotel

Panthapath sky

Karwan Bazaar

Banani north (Banani High School in the foreground)

Banani north east

Gulshan-2 north

Gulshan-2 east and north Baridhara

Gulshan-2 southeast

Farmgate intersection

Kazi Nazrul Avenue commercial building

Apartment block, Katabon

Planners Tower and Basati, Sonargaon extension road

Karwan Bazaar commercial area

Apartment block, Katabon

Also see: Skyscrapers- Sonargaon to Airport Dhaka

ABACUS DIVERSION - Counting Tablets

Counting of stone beads, to calculate portion of sand volume carried by individual - looks simple but pretty complicated

Heaped sand carried by headload from trawlers

Trawlers anchored at Hasanabad, bank of River Buriganga

Dung fuel drying under sun

Finally a good wash in river

Calculus, the Latin term for pebbles, appeared at various times in several places around the world. The earliest consisted of a tray / board made of sun dried clay or wood over which sand layer used to be spread. Eventually, the use of sand was abandoned. Instead, pebbles were used and placed in parallel grooves carved into stone counting boards. The oldest surviving counting board is the 'Salamis' tablet, used by the Babylonians circa 300 B.C. Since then, lot of water has flown through the rivers and world has embarked into the age of high-tech electronics and microchips. Yet, here on the other side of river Buriganga (Hasanabad, Keraniganj) the labourers were seen keeping track of their work ( proportional carrying of sand from the trawlers to bank) in their own ingenuous way, using coloured stone beads. The photos were taken on Jan 27 2007. On Jan 28, the law enforcing authority evicted them to free the Government land.

Ijtema 2007- pics with difference

Pic taken by me - Wednesday, 31 January 2007, 13.31 BST (posted 01 Feb 07)
Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi, Dhaka, begins on Feb 02, 2007


BBC Pic: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6325349.stm (Friday, 2 February 2007, 17:49 GMT)

Ekushay Book Fair 2007 at Bangla Academy, Dhaka

On roller skates

On the way to Book Fair

Mural works on Bangla Academy walls



Long queue of visitors

Exit gate

Busts of the martyrs of language movement 1952







Popcorn corner

Sketch in 5 minutes for Tk.20/-

Decorative works of stalls still on




Central place



'Aj Himur Biye' taken to stall by head load

Marriage scene of Humayun Ahmed's fictional character 'Himu' with 'Himi' at 'Onnoprokash' stall on Feb 02

TMC Centre

Sunset view over Atomic Energy Commission office

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair which has become a part of Bengali culture and tradition is arranged every year since 1972 in observance of the Amar Ekushey (Feb 21st, now International Mother Language Day), got off in the Bangla Academy premises in the city on February 1st amid festivity and enthusiasm.

Soon after the inauguration by the Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government, people in large number thronged the Fair venue. Law enforcers searched the visitors with metal detectors before allowing them to enter the venue through the only entrance.

However, many stall owners were still busy with decorating their stalls on the second day of the fair. They were unhappy about the single entry point, having two archways.

Humayun Ahmed’s “Aj Himur Biye” published by ‘Onnoprokash’ was sold in the fair with a sensation of fanfare, singing and dancing and 'mock marriage' that attracted a large crowd.

Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi Dhaka begins on 02 Feb 07

Kakrail Masjid Ramna, Dhaka

Airport road at Khilkhet



Zia Airport VIP Lounge road


Hajj Camp complex near Airport

Trawler boats on river Turag

Ijtema site in the background



Makeshift toilets

Floating bridge

View from west

Entry from west



Incoming devotees with 'hogla' mats (pic: 31 Jan 2007)





Necessary utilities

Homebound devotees of 2004 Ijtema

pic of Ijtema 2005

Bishwa (World) Ijtema is a Muslim religious congregation organized annually by the Tabligh Jamaat Bangladesh. ‘Tabligh’ an arabic word, which means to reach out, to make known or to publicize. 'Ijtema' means a public gathering.

Ijtema has been held every year since 1966 on the bank of the River Turag near Tongi, Dhaka which is now known as the place for Bishwa Ijtema (world congregation). It is an annual meeting place of Muslim pilgrims from various countries of the world for special prayers. Its main objectives are to inspire Muslims of the world to follow the norms of Islam and encourage them to lead a life that conforms to the tenets of Islam as depicted in the Quran and Hadith.

Originally starting in 1920 under British India, the movement has spread to 150 countries and has an active following estimated to be between 70 to 80 million devout followers. The Jamaat does not solicit or receive donations. Rather it is self-funded by its members and operates on a very efficient model, where administrative expenses are almost absent or taken care of by donations from senior members.

Maulana Ilyas founded ‘Tabligh’ in 1920, at Sahranpur of Uttar Pradesh / Delhi, India. After partition of 1947, three Ijtema centres developed in three parts of the subcontinent - India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). However, in terms of popular attendance, the Tongi Ijtema is the largest of all these congregations.

The Tabligh Jamaat movement started in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1948 with a few followers in presence of Maulana Eusuf. The activities got momentum in Kakrail Mosque adjacent to Ramna Park in 1950s, at the initiative of Maulana Abdul Aziz, Engr. A Mohsin Ahmed and Engr. A Muquith Ahmed and some other dedicated souls. Congregations were organized in 1954 in Chittagong, 1958 in Narayanganj, and in 1960, '62 and ’65 in Ramna Race course (now Sohrawardy Uddyan). Ramna Race course proved to be too small to accommodate devotees. Consequently, a large open space at the village Pagar on the bank of the River Turag near Tongi was chosen for the next Ijtema in 1966. That year many devotees from overseas joined the Ijtema.

The number of participants in the Ijtema of 2001 was about 2 million. Among them were the representatives from 70 different countries including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, USA, UK, Germany, China, Japan, Kenya, and Turkey. Even the vast open space of the Ijtema venue proved too congested to accommodate the huge number of devotees who came to join the prayer on the third (final-Akheri Munazaat) day of the three day Ijtema function. Bangladesh Railways ran special trains to accommodate devotees attending the Ijtema.

Ijtema is now a symbol of the unity of all Muslims, an opportunity to demonstrate their mutual solidarity, love and respect and to reiterate their commitment to the Islamic values of discipline, brotherhood and magnanimity. Ijtema is the largest congregation of Muslims next to the Hajj.

Throughout the world, the activities of the Tabligh Jamaat are conducted from mosques, which the Tabligh activists call the markaj (group). The routine of Tabligh activities is so designed as to enable every member to be in touch with markaj daily. The central markaj coordinates the activities of all these local markajes.

The Tabligh Jamaat lays special emphasis on jimmadari (leadership/trustee). A jimmadar (leader) must have all the qualities of a guide as enjoined by Islam and is to be especially patient, modest, soft speaking, morally sound, and determined. Only those people who possess these qualities and devote maximum time in Tabligh work are inducted as leaders. At every stage of the Tabligh organization, Shuras (counseling assemblies) are constituted to advise the leaders. Bishwa Ameer, the world Tabligh leader, conducts all his affairs in consultation with the Shura members and the participants respect his decisions and directives.
Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablighi_Jamaat
http://banglapedia.net/HT/V_0059.HTM
http://ethikana.com/islam/tabligh.htm

Also see, Ijtema 2007 - pics with difference.

Skyscrapers - Sonargaon to Airport Dhaka

RANGS tower	'Lotus kamal' - Airport road
'Nitol Niloy' - Airport road	Gulshan Avenue - Westin Hotel
Mascot plaza - Uttora	Gulshan 1

Ideal Trade Centre - near Sonargaon Road

Biman Head office, Airport Road

Apollo Hospital, Baridhara

Rural Elect Board, Airport Road

BRAC Centre towards Mohakhali

Sonargaon Extension Road

Gulshan 2

Sonargaon road towards Panthapath

Uttora - plenty of fresh coconut

Also see Dhaka city - Tall Buildings
and Dhaka Hotels (Top to Medium Range) ;