Writ petition seeks HC directive to protect Teota Zamindar Bari in Manikanj

Following a report published on The Daily Star on Teota Zamindar Bari, a 300-years-old running archeological mansion in Manikganj, a Supreme Court lawyer has filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its order on the government to protect and save it.

Advocate Zahid Ahammad Hero submitted the petition as a public interest litigation on Sunday praying to the HC to direct the respondents to protect the existence of a culturally significant and historically important place and architecturally artistic mansion Teota Zamindar Bari situated on the bank of the Jamuna river in Shibaloy upazila of Manikgonj District as per relevant law and constitution.

In the petition, he urged the HC to order the respondents to declare Teota Zamindar Bari as a protected antiquity by notification in the official gazette as per section 10 of the Antiquities Act, 1968, and to take proper and effective steps to keep the antique structure safe for the visitors by preventing the unlawful activities at night as well as to evict the encroachers and protect the place from being encroached.

Secretary at the ministries of cultural affairs, director general of the department of Archeology, deputy commissioner of Manikganj, and Shibaloy upazila nirbahi officer have been made respondents to the petition directives.

Advocate Zahid Ahammad Hero, also a former assistant attorney general, filed the petition after The Daily Star published a report on July 19 under the caption that "Teota Zamindar Bari" "Ruins that whisper Love and legacy".

It was said in the report that this culturally significant and historically important building is being decayed day by day because of uncared and unprotection since not guarded or shielded from harm or damage.

Moreover, it was stated in the report that this historical building is being encroached day by day and become safe abode for the drug abuse and encroachers.

This is not just a mansion but Teota Zamindar Bari embodied history, politics, love and culture and unfortunately this heritage is fading day by day, according to the report.

Petitioner Zahid Ahammad Hero told The Daily Star that the HC may hold hearing of the writ petition next Sunday.