Nine sites, houses to be turned into museums

Three historically important houses and six archeological sites are being developed as museums in Cumilla, aiming to boost tourism.

The houses will be developed as memorial museums while the archeological sites will be developed as open museums. The museums will preserve memories of renowned personalities of the region, said sources.

Of them, Laksham’s homestead of Nawab Faizunnesa Choudhurani, city’s Sachin Dev Burman’s house, and Dhormosagor’s Rani Kuthi will be established as memorial museums.

Sachin Dev Burman’s house.

Kotbari’s Rupban Mura Bihar, Etakhola Bihar, Lotikot Bihar, Rani Maynamati’s palace, Jagannath Temple or Seventeen-Jewel Temple in Sadar upazila and Lalmai’s Chondimura Temple will be developed as open museum to attract more tourists in the district which is already famous for Maynamati and Shalban Bihar.

According to the district office of Archeology Department, around 40 lakh tourists visit Shalbon Bihar and Maynamoti Museum in Kotbari as well as other private recreational places every year.

The number of visitors would exceed 80 lakh once the nine museums are opened to public. The government can earn a good amount of revenue from this tourism sector, said its officials.

According to the sources, a proposal for constructing the nine museums were sent to The Department of Archeology from its Cumilla office in January, 2018.

Talking to the news agency, Alam Imrul, director of Cultural and Tourism Organization, said, “The district has numerous archeological sites. Through the nine more museums, the tourism sector here will flourish. It will also help boost motel and restaurant business in the area.”

Ataur Rahman, regional director of Cumilla-based archaeology department office of Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, said the work of preserving the homestead of Nawab Faizunnesa is underway and most of the renovation work of Sachin Dev Burman’s house has been completed.

The construction of ticket counters for Rupban Mura Bihar and Etkhola Bihar are underway. The archeological significance of Cumilla will reach a new height after opening of the nine museums, he added.