Protecting our heritage sites

After Lalbagh, the High Court had again to weigh in with its authority to save another historical site of the country, the Mahasthangarh in Bogra district. The intervention of the highest judiciary was necessary, because, similar to what had happened in the previous cases, those involved in the destruction of the ancient historical relics of Mahasthangarh continued with their activities in defiance of the orders from the cultural ministry and the archaeological department to stop work.
In the present case of grabbing a heritage site, a local influential person, the president of Bogra district Awami League, was allegedly committing this offence, to all intents and purposes, to which apparently the district administration turned a blind eye. Though the deputy commissioner (DC) of Bogra did deny his involvement, the fact remains that, earlier, he had failed to respond to the directives from the secretary to the cultural ministry as well as the archaeological department to stop the construction activities. And the ruling party leader, who is also the president of Mazar Committee, the entity in whose name the construction work was going on, on the other hand, claimed that he had taken permission from the DC for the purpose.
One cannot be but intrigued at such prevarications about who gave the permission to the ruling party leader to flout the Antiquities Act 1968 and Building Construction Rules 2008, in the first place, and try to destroy the ancient heritage site, which was declared a protected area, by a government order about a century ago. The whole episode hardly speaks well of discipline and hierarchy in the administration.
On this score, it is hoped that the four-member probe body formed under the cultural affairs ministry for the purpose would find out the truth.
Whoever is primarily to blame, the damage has been done as, according to the archaeology department, thousands of ancient bricks and artefacts, including terracotta, have already been damaged by construction workers.
Now that the construction work at the Mahasthangarh heritage site has stopped, thanks to the timely intervention of the High Court, the next step should be to ensure that the government takes up the matter with due seriousness and bring the perpetrators of the offence to justice. It should also force the quarters responsible for the evil act to demolish the structures already built on the Mahasthangarh premises, vacate the site forthwith and compensate for the damage already done to the site.
Meanwhile, the government needs to empower the archaeological department and the cultural ministry for that matter adequately so that it is able to handle any future attempt at encroaching upon other such protected sites of historical and cultural importance on its own. It should at the same time also ensure that the existing laws to protect such sites are updated and also duly implemented regardless of the political or social position of the violators of the law.