Neelam Ghar of Old Dhaka: Grandeur to be replaced by mere building

 

The century-old Neelam Ghar on the Court Street in Old Dhaka is recognised by conservationists as a rare feat of masonry. The property has been leased out to Dhaka Bar Association by the deputy commissioner’s office. The association is now planning to construct a multi-storey building named Bangabandhu Bhaban by demolishing this structure. Photo: Anisur Rahman

A century-old building in Old Dhaka, known as the Neelam Ghar, will be knocked down and lost like many other historical structures of the city.

Dhaka Bar Association got the property on lease and decided to violate the agreement and build a 20-storey building in place of the two-storey one.

The two-storey building on Court House Street holds immense architectural value, conservationists say. Built during the British era, the structure was used by the British and Pakistani rulers to auction off confiscated objects. Hence the name Neelam Ghar.

The Deputy Commissioner's Office of Dhaka, which is the custodian of the 15 decimals of land, leased it out to the bar association on February 15 for just a year.

The association laid an engraved foundation stone mentioning Bangabandhu Bhaban at the site on March 7. Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh inaugurated it.