BAGERHAT, Nov 01, 2019 (BSS) – Many things have been said about the ancient
Khan Jahan Ali Road of Bagerhat for many years, from adventurous tales of
exotic place to stories of Sufis and saints.
One may need any further reminding that any ancient road or building or
archeological site has a mystical charm that reveals the true nature of the
concerned region that is steeped in tradition and culture.
Far from the gleaning towers, beautiful roads, trendy caf‚’s and buildings,
which dot the mega city Dhaka, Bagerhat, a working class area, exists on its
edge where tiny houses sit on. The ancient Khan Jahan Ali Road, bearing
testimony to heritage, culture and history of several hundred years, will
never get boring.
The 600-year-old road embodies the primeval structure that burst with
ageless allure and fascination.
If the ancient road could speak, it would tell endless tales of people’s
living, their livelihood, social fabric and economic status as well.
Testament to a culture and tradition of the whole region, this 600-year-old
road was set up in an area surrounded by dense mangrove forest-the
Sundarbans- with maze of rivers and the Bay of Bengal.
The legendary Muslim preacher and warrior Khan Jahan Ali turned the old
Khalifatabad into a livable region by constructing a number of mosques,
roads, bridges and ponds.
Every year quiet a good number of tourists flock to the area in order to
find themselves simply to wander around something for an answer to life.
One can see a sense of community, contentment and peace if he or she walks
through the ancient road that was built over 600 years ago. Any traveler will
be thrilled to ponder over that how many people had walked on the road in the
past. And, now he or she is stepping up on the footprints of the people who
are no more.
It is the ancient road constructed by Muslim Sufi saint and the then local
ruler in Bagerhat Khan Jahan Ali. For any lover of ancient structures or
archeological sites it would be hard to fathom how most part of the historic
road is disappeared today and only one killometre of the road still remains
as witness of time.
It is thought that the road would have been built at any time of the
fifteen century. Many people think that the road might have been built as a
road-cum-city-protection-embankment.
According to historians, the length and wide of the road from Khan Jahan’s
residence to Knathaltala are about one kilometre and 4.87 metres
respectively. It is commonly known as ‘Kanjalir Road’.
The ‘Kanjalir Road’ was mentioned in Bengal District Gazetteer and books-
Keshobpurer Bidyanandokathi in Joshore, Joshorer Barobazar and Khalifatabad
Hote Chattogram Porjanto Khanjalir Road.
About the direction of the Khalifatabad Hote Chattogram Porjanto Khanjalir
Road, historian Satish Chandra Mitra said the road entered Barishal district
crossing Baleshbar starting from the eastern direction of the Shatgambuj and
crossing Bagerhat town through Karapara-Basabati village-Bhairabkul-near
Baleshbar-Boitpur-Kachuya-Chingrikhali village.
But the existence of the road from Barishal to Chandpur was not known after
the 16th century. The road might have lost its existence in a severe
earthquake like many localities through disappearing into the river changing
direction of the Parmatma Kirtanacha Padma.
Ulugh Khan Jahan proved his skills, foresight and construction efficiency
in constructing the road. The historians think that the road of the middle-
age Khalifatabad city was constructed with bricks to increase beauty of the
city and ensure civic amenities.
There is no information of existence of any road in the country which was
built 600 years ago except the Khan Jahan Ali Road. The government declared
the road as an archaeological site and an ancient road in 2011.
Bagerhat Museum Custodian Golam Ferdous said people do not know about the
ancient road, which was built by Khan Jahan Ali about 100 years before the
Grand Trunk Road was constructed.
About the history of the brick-made road, he said the ancient Khan Jahan
Ali Road ended reaching the Shrine of Bayazid Bostami in Chattogram via
Bagerhat and Barishal.
The archeologist said, “We should make the Khan Jahan Ali Road branding to
attract tourists since people still know a little about this archeological
site”.
Afroza Khan Mita, the regional director of Archeological Department Khulna,
said the department has already preserved one kilometre of the ancient road
restricting vehicular movement, but its maintenance is a crying need.
The visit to the site leaves an amazing lesson for anyone on human
interaction, family and community. Money can buy a lot of things, but it
can’t buy happiness.