BIBI MARIAM: A saviour of the city ignored

The bandits came through Buriganga. They were swift and ruthless, stealing goods and cargo from boats in open water and docked along waterfront piers.

This menace was taking a heavy toll on the city.

It was around 1660 and Dhaka, the capital of Bengal -- a Mughal province -- had started to expand rapidly during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb.

But with prosperity came perils. There had been continuous raids by Magh (Arakanese) bandits.

The emperor knew the issue had to be dealt with and he also knew the perfect person for that.

So he entrusted Mir Jumla II with the task. Time and again, Jumla had proven his worth with his expeditions, warfare skills and counter-insurgency campaigns.

Jumla, the then governor of Bengal (1660-1663), surveyed Dhaka to build some fortresses and gates to protect its residents. He realised protecting the city’s inland was important, but at the same time the riverside had to be defended as well.

The governor commissioned two massive cannons to be added to his armoury. It is, however, not known exactly when these cannons were commissioned.

According to Charles D’Oyly, the collector (early 1800s) of Dhaka and a renowned painter, the cannons were built in the city in the 17th century. Local technicians -- under guidance of Mughal engineers -- built it, as it was unlikely to move such heavy cannons on waterway from the empire’s capital over a thousand miles away.

Once completed, Jumla named them “Kale Jamjam/Kale Khan” and “Bibi Mariam”.

He also ordered to place the cannons on two sides of the Buriganga -- one in Swarighat in front of Bara Katra and the other on a shoal near Jinjira.

It has been said that Jumla also took them with him at the time of his conquest of Assam.

But with the passing of time, the necessity to use the cannons also waned.

After the fall of Mughal empire and the nawabs of Bengal, during British occupation in the 18th century, Kale Jamjam was devoured by the river.

Bibi Mariam, however, survived and can still be seen inside Osmani Udyan, opposite Nagar Bhaban, resting on a concrete saddle support.

But the journey to its latest abode was nothing less than remarkable.

This cannon, also known as “Dhakar Kaman” or “Sadarghat-er Kaman”, was first salvaged by a British collector from falling into the river and was placed at Chawkbazar in early 1800s.

According to renowned historian Syed Muhammed Taifoor, the cannon measures 11 feet in length. Its bore at the breech is 1.7 feet and at the muzzle is 6 inches.

The mouth at the muzzle was sealed up during the British period, as children used to crawl inside and it often became quite difficult to bring them out, Taifoor mentioned in his book “Glimpses of Old Dhaka”.

People used to gather in the area to look at it, often with awe. Legend has it, many also put garlands on the cannon as a sign of reverence.

Around 1917, under the initiative of Dhaka Museum (now Bangladesh National Museum), it was shifted and placed on a platform at Sadarghat river bank. After Partition, it was moved to Gulistan. As the place became too crowded, it was taken to its present site in the 1980s, mentioned eminent historian Prof Muntassir Mamoon.

While visiting the spot this week, this correspondent found Bibi Mariam right next to the main gate of Osmani Udyan. There is, however, no insignia or information regarding its history or importance in saving this city, where it remains neglected.

According to Dhaka South City Corporation, Osmani Udyan is under renovation as part of its project to spruce up parks and playgrounds of the city.

Contacted, Saiful Islam Joy, executive engineer of DSCC (zone-1), said along with the park, they are also planning to preserve the cannon.

“We will keep it in the park and maintain it properly so that people can know about its history,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.