Lalbagh Fort Complex

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Variant Names	Fort Aurangabad
Location	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Date	1678
Style/Period	Mughal
Century	17th
Building Type	palatial
Building Usage	fort
Keywords	indigenous/vernacular/traditional; restoration and conservation

Notes

The fort complex is located in the northwestern part of Dhaka on the banks of the Buriganga River. Prince Muhammad Azam, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, began the construction while he was serving as the Viceroy of Bengal. Governor Nawab Shaista Khan continued the project after Prince Azam was recalled to assist his father in the war against the Marhattas. It is commonly believed that the premature death of his favorite daughter, Iran-Dukht, popularly known as Bibi Pari, caused the suspension of the project. She was betrothed to Prince Azam, and upon her death, Nawab Shaista considered it inauspicious to continue the project. The rectangular fort encompasses an area of 1082' x 800'. Only some gateways and a long fortification wall with semi-octagonal bastions on the south side and high defense walls running along the western side remain. The two monumental gateways at the southeast and northeast ends face each other at a distance of 800'. The southeastern gateway is a majestic structure built in the Mughal style. It was intended to be three storeys, but the upper storey was never completed. The inner facade has a four-centered archway with deep plastered semi-octagonal alcoves on either side. Short octagonal minarets define edges. The outer facade also has a four-centered archway flanked with plastered semi-octagonal alcoves. Above each alcove there is an oriel window in two stages that is capped by an elegant cupola. The central archway leads to a square domed hall with guardrooms on either side. It appears that the defensive walls were reinforced by an internal embankment of earth along the east portion of the southwest corner. It contains an underground room, which may have been used as a summerhouse. The entrance is under a half-dome, which is decorated with ornamental plaster-cut work. Sources: Ahmed, Nazimuddin. 1980. Islamic Heritage of Bangladesh. Dacca: Padma Printers, 47. Hasan, Syed Mahmudul. 1980. Muslim Monuments of Bangladesh. Dhaka: Anjuman Printing Press, 52. Ahmed, Nazimuddin. 1984. Discover the monuments of Bangladesh. Dhaka: University Press Limited, 169.