Once upon a time, Rose Garden, a grand architectural marvel located in Old Dhaka, used to be a centre for socialisation among the elites.

Adorned with Corinthian Greek motifs, this architectural marvel not only exudes timeless beauty but also witnessed the formation of the Awami League, etching its significance in the narrative of Bangladesh's political landscape.

The ruling AL government acquired this 22-acre heritage site for Tk 331 crore on September 16, 2018, in a bid to preserve this structure by transforming it into a museum.

Though the mansion was acquired under the Dhaka Mahanagar Jadughar (Dhaka City Museum) project nearly five years ago, the works began this year after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the foundation stone of the mansion's renovation project on July 5.

The project, currently overseen by the ministry of cultural affairs, involves relocation of the museum from the DSCC building to a three-storey structure beside the mansion and renaming it Dhaka Mahanagar Jadughar.

Photo; Star

National Museum, departments of archeology and architecture, and Shilpakala Academy are also involved in this project.

While the restoration work of the new museum building is almost complete, works to preserve the Rose Garden is yet to begin, observed this correspondent during a recent visit to the place.

The museum work is around 90 percent completed and will be open to visitors from next June, said Md Imrul Chowdhury, director general of the archeology department who is overseeing the project.

"The prime minister has instructed us to keep the original essence of the structure intact during restoration. We were unable to start the restoration works of Rose Garden during monsoon as it would have not been feasible. As winter is here, we will start the restoration works soon," he added.

PEEKING INTO HISTORY

Built in 1931 by Zamindar Hrishikesh Das, Rose Garden was acquired by Khan Bahadur Kazi Abdur Rashid, another zamindar, five years after its establishment.

Moving into the mansion with his family in 1937, he named the structure Rashid Manzil.

In 1960s, Rashid's second son rented the estate to Bengal Studios and Motion Pictures. It became the shooting set for the film "Harano Din". Upon release of the film, the place became a hub for visitors coming from different parts of the country to enjoy its scenic grandeur.

Considering the aesthetic beauty of the mansion and its architecture, it was declared a protected archeological site on December 21, 1989.