Over ‘350-year-old’ Dhaka Gate opens to visitors

Historic Dhaka Gate, also known as Mir Jumla Gate or Ramna Gate, was opened to the public on Wednesday.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh re-inaugurated the gate by unveiling the cover of the main stone.

Lime, betel nut, khoir, molasses, and Maddhapara granite stone chips are the materials used in the reconstruction of the Dhaka Gate

The Dhaka Gate is located at the intersection of the Curzon Hall of Dhaka University, the Suhrawardy Uddyan and the Science Library.

The DSCC mayor said, "Today I am very delighted to be able to revive this historical construction again. It is one of our promises to revive the heritage of Dhaka. With the opening of this Dhaka Gate, we started to visualise the implementation of our promise. The new thing we added here in the Dhaka Gate is the canon of Mir Jumla as he used it to conquer Assam."

"We have taken many more projects like this, and are working to revive and reconstruct other heritage sites like Raj Kuthi, Ruplal House, Boro Katara, old Buriganga river. We are hoping to start Nouka Baich again in the Adi Buriganga River as excavation is about to end," he added.

He asked the respective authorities to take care of the Dhaka Gate properly.

"It is our moral responsibility to preserve our heritage. If anyone tries to cause harm to this heritage by pasting posters on the walls of the Dhaka Gate, he will be punished," he said.

Bahauddin Nasim, an MP from Dhaka 8 constituency, joined the inauguration programme.

The Canon of Mir Jumla‍‍`s Tank ( Bibi Mariyam) has been brought and positioned near the left wing of the reconstructed gate as it is one of the most prominent weapons used by Mir Jumla.

The reconstruction of the gate costs 82, 40, 155 Taka.

Last year, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) took the initiative to restore the historic structure to its original grandeur.

This iconic structure, once regarded as the gateway to Dhaka, can be found on the route from Bangla Academy to Doel Chattar in the Dhaka University area.

Dhaka Gate stands as one of the oldest examples of Mughal architecture in the capital, and it holds a significant place in the city‍‍`s past.

During the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Dhaka experienced significant growth, prompting Subahdar (governor) Mir Jumla to construct the gate as the northern entrance, marking the city‍‍`s border.

Dhaka Gate served as an entry point to the city from the bank of the Buriganga river. It played a crucial role in guarding the city from potential attacks by pirates.

Over the centuries, Dhaka Gate endured severe damage, and it was rebuilt in 1825 by Magistrate Charles Dawes.