Protecting and preserving Lalbagh Fort

The preservation of heritage is an important sign of how a nation takes pride in its history. That being the underlying truth, it is easy to understand the nature of the demand made the other day by the Paribesh Bachao Andolon and Bangladesh Scouts Dhaka District Rover regarding measures toward protecting Lalbagh Fort. It is quite surprising that where the High Court directive asking the authorities to ensure a preservation of the Fort should have led to speedy and effective action, the demand by the two bodies only shows up once more the laid-back attitude so often adopted by the authorities over issues of public interest. There is no denying that over a long period of time, unauthorized constructions have appeared not only outside the Fort, in its immediate vicinity, but inside the Fort compound as well. How that has happened is a question which, we suspect, the authorities cannot answer to our satisfaction. All we know is that had the authorities been alert and carrying out their responsibilities, Lalbagh Fort would not be in the position it finds itself in today.
Back in October this year, the High Court had directed the government to demarcate the area of the Fort through a proper survey. It also opined that all unauthorized and therefore illegal structures within the area should be removed within a period of three months. Of course the three-month period is yet to be over, but what ought to have been done since the HC issued its directive was for the authorities to go into quick action against those who have been encroaching on the premises of Lalbagh Fort. The human chain formed on Saturday was a clear sign that not much progress had been made over the issue. Land grabbers, as we understand, have already built 30 structures at the northwestern wall of the Fort. Besides, quite a good number of residential quarters have also come up well within the Fort area proper. Such images are only reflective of an administration that is either callous about performing its duties or could care less about the cultural heritage the country is heir to and must preserve strenuously. Now, the plight of Lalbagh Fort raises a further question: in what states of neglect do other places of historical interest happen to be at present? A large number of old buildings and other structures of great archaeological interest as well as old cemeteries dating from early times to the War of Liberation dot the entire landscape of Bangladesh. There are often reports of how many of these structures lie in neglected and dilapidated conditions. It is such circumstances which must be looked into by the government, particularly the ministry of culture.
On a final note, we observe with concern that some organizations often arrange cultural programmes on historical sites. We believe that such tendencies should be dispensed with, for the particular reason that celebrations of any kind inside the fort will only worsen the precarious state of the fort. If the aim of the organizers is to draw attention to our heritage, they can surely do it through other means.
Let Lalbagh fort and all other sites of historical interest be preserved as proud symbols of our past. No excuses must be there for the authorities to treat the matter in indifferent fashion.