US special envoy visits Lalbagh Fort

US Special Envoy for Best Future Generations Charles J. Harder, accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission Megan Bouldin, visited the historic Lalbagh Fort in Old Dhaka on Sunday. The visit was hosted by Bangladesh's Department of Archaeology, reports US Embassy in Dhaka.

During the tour, the Special Envoy inspected the Mughal-era Hammam Khana (royal bathhouse), a key structure of the 17th-century fort that was recently restored with support from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).

The restoration project, which began in March 2021 and concluded in 2023, received $185,933 in funding from the AFCP. The two-year initiative focused on restoring, retrofitting, and creating 3D architectural documentation of the Hammam Khana, one of three primary structures at the Lalbagh Fort complex dating back to the 17th century.

The project was a collaborative effort between the Department of Archaeology under Bangladesh's Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the US Embassy in Dhaka. Conservation architects and experts worked to remove inappropriate additions from previous renovations, including concrete plaster and colonial-era modifications, to reveal the original Mughal architecture.

Prior to the restoration, much of the Hammam Khana's original beauty had been concealed by layers of plaster and concrete from earlier renovation attempts. The project successfully reopened the second floor of the bathhouse to the public, which had been sealed for an extended period.

The US Embassy stated that the visit demonstrates Washington's commitment to protecting cultural heritage for future generations. In the past two decades, the United States has supported 11 AFCP projects in Bangladesh, with total contributions exceeding $576,000 to preserve and restore the country's cultural patrimony.

Harder arrived in Dhaka on April 18 for a three-day visit focused on strengthening US-Bangladesh strategic cooperation in education and child welfare sectors.