Narayanganj: Hajiganj Fort

Friday, 14 June 2013

Narayanganj(নারায়ানগঞ্জ) is situated beside the river Shitalakkha(শীতলক্ষ্যা) and this river has an important role for transportation, specially for carrying the trading goods. It was same even 300 years back. The river was the main channel for any landing parties whoever uses to come here. To hinder any unwanted entries through this river, several observatory forts have been built around. The Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ) is one of those observatory forts.

It is uncertain about the builder of the fort(though many people believe it was Mir Jumla(মীর জুমলা)). But it is certain that the fort was built during the 17th century, at the Mughal(মোঘল) era. This fort is contemporary to the Idrakpur Fort and the Sonakanda Fort.

Unlike the other forts from Bangladesh, the Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ) is a hexagonal shaped fort having round corner bastions which have used to place the cannons. The three bastions are larger in diameter and these are facing towards the river Shitalakkha(শীতলক্ষ্যা). And other three are having smaller diameter.

The fort has a facade at the north-east side. It has a observatory tower inside and its now totally dilapidated in condition. Upper portion of the wall of the fort are having corrugated toothed shape and those are having holes for the firing parties inside the fort.

It was Friday when we have reached there. Local people were playing cricket inside the fort and we have had a sit beneath the fort wall and enjoyed their playing. After that we have started capturing the photos of the fort and had an observation. It was around an hour or more that we have spent there.

Main facade of the Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ).

How to Go:

Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ) is located at the center of the Narayanganj(নারায়ানগঞ্জ) town. You shouldn’t face any difficulties to locate this fort. Still, below are the instructions for locating it.

1) Come to the Chashara(চাষাড়া) of Narayanganj(নারায়ানগঞ্জ) using BRTC or any similar buses from Gulistan(গুলিস্তান). Its around 40 taka per person. You can use train too.

2) From Chashara(চাষাড়া), take a rickshaw and ask the driver to drop you at the Hajiganj Kella(হাজীগঞ্জ কেল্লা). Local people know this as Kella(কেল্লা) instead of Durgo(দুর্গ).

For more help, the GPS coordinate of the Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ) is (23°38’1.17″N, 90°30’46.53″E).

Larger bastion from the fort.

This could have been a superb tourist spot for the local and international tourists. But our government is nonchalant about this spot like any other archaic edifices from Bangladesh. They have declared the custody of this fort on them, and that’s it. After that they didn’t do any thing for it; for example security improvement and protecting. Also, you’ll find local residents are thrashing their household wastage very near to the fort wall. Poor Hajiganj Fort(হাজীগঞ্জ দুর্গ).

Avoid visiting this fort during evening or at night. Its a perfect place for the drug addict people during the night time and the evening.