Gouripur Lodge in Mymensingh: Once a cultural beacon, now a neglected landmark

Gouripur Lodge, a century-old iconic architectural landmark, once used to stand in all its glory in the Jubilee Road area of Mymensingh city.

But now the historic landmark, which bears the rich history of the zamindar dynasty of the region, lies in a neglected state.

In a show of utter disregard for the historic and cultural value of this landmark, the lodge is being used to house guest rooms, store rooms, etc, by a government-owned bank.

Meanwhile, the house has not even been registered yet as a historic landmark in the city by the Department of Archaeology.

Brajendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, the zamindar (feudal lord) of Gouripur, established the two-storey, intricately designed Gouripur Lodge in 1828, as per estimation, on the bank of the Old Brahmaputra.

After partition in 1947, the house was used as a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan between 1949 and 1971.

After independence, Sonali Bank used it as a branch office till 1985, before abandoning the house, said sources at the bank.

The house has glass doors, wooden walls, and a corrugated iron roof. The construction was reportedly done by workers from China, with the glasses imported from abroad.

The floors and pillars of the house were made of stones with a beautifully designed arched corridor.

The house has a total of 10 rooms. Of those, four on the ground floor are now being used as store rooms, and another is being used to accommodate the bank's Ansar members.

The five rooms on the wooden top floor are being used as a 'guest house' for bank officials and kitchen.

"The use of the iconic landmark as a guest house and kitchen is an instance of utter neglect on the bank's part," said Advocate Shibbir Ahmed Liton, secretary of Mymensingh Poribesh Rokkha O Unnayan Andolon.

Ashit Chakraborty, a retired official of Sonali Bank, said the house's present condition is not good due to a lack of proper care and maintenance.

"If preserved properly, Gouripur Lodge can become a tourist attraction," he added.

Archaeology and history enthusiast Sajal Quraishey said Zamindar Brajendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury was also a renowned classical music exponent of the time.

Maestros of Hindustani classical music, including Enayat Khan (father of Ustad Vilayat Khan), Wazir Khan, and Mohammad Ali Khan, direct descendants of Mian Tansen, Mohammad Dabir Khan, and many others, performed at Gouripur Lodge upon invitations by Brajendra Kishore, Sajal also said, citing the zamindar's son Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury's books, titled "Indian Music and Mian Tansen" and "Raga Sangeet".

Contacted, Md Hafizur Rahman, deputy general manager of Sonali Bank, said the house is a property of the bank and will not be handed over to the DoA.

Sabina Yeasmin, field officer of DoA (Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions), said Gouripur Lodge is indeed a "national heritage" as per the Antiquities Act-1968 (Amendment Ordinance in 1976).

She, however, admitted that the house has not been enlisted with the DoA yet, adding that it will be part of a survey by the department, proposed to be conducted on the archaeological sites under Mymensingh Sadar upazila.

Once enlisted after the survey, steps will be taken to preserve the house while no one will be able to claim it as their property, she added.