DHAKA, March 24, 2021 (BSS) – United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl
Miller and State Minister for Cultural Affairs K M Khalid, MP, today
inaugurated the U.S.-funded Lalbagh Fort cultural preservation and
architectural documentation project in Old Dhaka, said a US embassy press
release.
In honor of Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee of Independence the United States
is partnering with the Ministry of Culture to fund the restoration of the
Mughal-era Hammam Khana at Lalbagh Fort.
The one-year initiative, funded through the U.S. government’s prestigious
Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), supports restoring the
Mughal-era Hammam Khana, one of three primary structures at the Lalbagh Fort
complex dating from the 17th century.
Upon completion in 2022, both levels of the Hammam Khana will reopen to the
public. Ambassador Miller and State Minister Khalid launched a ceremonial
photographic drone to formally initiate work on the project and toured the
grounds.
The “Restoring, Retrofitting, and 3D Architectural Documentation of
Historical Mughal-era Hammam Khana at Lalbagh Fort” initiative will be led by
the Ministry of Culture’s Department of Archaeology, using historically
authentic materials to restore architectural features and an advanced
retrofitting system to improve safety and structural stability.
As part of the project, a Heritage Impact Assessment will include
traditional and modern drone-based three-dimensional architectural
documentation methods.
The release said, Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, known as
AFCP, is among the U.S. government’s most significant cultural initiatives
abroad.
AFCP projects may support post-disaster and post-conflict recovery, create
economic opportunities and build mutual understanding. AFCP projects
typically involve expert local partners and promote the use of traditional
materials and methods. Since its establishment in 2001, the United States has
supported over 1,000 AFCP preservation projects in 130 countries, the release
said.