DOT Desk: With an aim to let people know about ancient Dhaka’s culture and heritage the Asiatic Society Heritage Museum at Nimtali of the Old Town is all set to be launched for public visit today, reports The New Age.
The museum will, however, remain open for the members of the society from 9:30am to 2:00pm today marking the 67th founding anniversary of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, its officials said.
Asiatic Society of Bangladesh established the museum in five rooms of the 250-year-old Nimtali Deuri, also known as Nimtali
Gate, which was a part of the Nimtali Palace built by the East India Company for the Nayeb-Nazim family of Dhaka in 1765-66, said the museum’s curator Jahangir Hussain.
Though the main part of the palace had been destroyed due to lack of preservation, another part of Nimtali Deuri is still on its place, he said.
The renovation work of Nimtali Deuri began in 2009 and continued up to 2011 at a cost of Tk 1.50 crore, Jahangir further said.
Cultural affairs ministry financed the works as part of the 400 years celebration activities of Mughal Dhaka, said Jahangir.
The museum was planned as a measure to protect the Deuri in 2018.
The museum is decorated with around 80 artefacts that reflect the culture and lifestyle of the people of Dhaka from 1700 to 1900 AD, he added.
The artefacts were collected from 15 sophisticated families of the Old
Town, he said.
Many items, including forks, knives, dishes, plates, jewellery box, muslin cloth, kettles, deer antlers, cash box, jar, copper and silver coins, which were used by the people during the Mughal and British rule are put on display in the museum, according to an official document of the museum.
The attractive side of the museum is Diorama — a scene with three-dimensional figures that depict the Nayeb sitting on his chair attended by two assistants in his court.
Sabbir Rahaman, general secretary of Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, however, expressed concerned over the maintenance cost for the museum.
The maintenance cost of the museum is about Tk 50 lakh a year, said Sabbir.
There was no fund for the museum till now, however, a letter was sent to the cultural affairs ministry asking for Tk 50 lakh for a year, he said.
On January 23, 2017, president Abdul Hamid inaugurated the construction of the museum that ended on June 2018 while cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor formally inaugurated it on October 11, 2018.
The museum will be open for visitors on Friday and Saturday from 10:30am to 4:30pm with a one-hour break beginning from 1:00pm on Friday for jumma prayers.
The entry fee is set at Tk 20 for the commoners, Tk 10 for students and Tk 200 for foreign visitors.
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