A team from the archaeology department has arrived in Moulvibazar, Bangladesh.
The five-member team is on a three-day visit. They are looking to unearth the remains of an ancient university dating back to the Chandra dynasty of the 10th century. The area is presently known as Kalimabad, Kulaura Upazila. The great city of Chandrapur now lies underneath the ground.
“We will excavate the site in the next dry season”, said the team in a statement.
Looking for the site
Finding the location engraved in the historic Bhatera copperplate was no easy task. The plate was found back in the days of the British Raj.
Furthermore, a delegation began inspecting the site in the Rajar Tila area of the Bhatera union, looking to find the site. Many ancient artefacts, presumably used around a thousand years ago, have been found. Dr Ataur Rahman, the Regional Director of the Department of Archaeology, is leading the team.
What does the department of archaeology have to say?
“The hill was preserved during British times and still stands as a historical monument. We have found evidence of historical relics used by ancient kings. However, these priceless artefacts are at risk of being compromised by hill cutting in the area,” he said in a statement.
“A preliminary field survey has been conducted at the sites in Chandrapur of Srihatta (present-day Sylhet division) on Sunday”, the Department of Archaeology further added.
Copperplates and their historic importance
Moreover, in ancient times, kings used to engrave royal proclamations, edicts and such, on copper plates. The Bhatera copperplate is one of two such historic artefacts discovered at Bhatera’s Rajar Tila in 1872. Historians consider these two to be from the 11th to 12th centuries.
Between 1912 and 1925, six other copper plates were discovered at Nidhanpur, thought to have been carved in the seventh century.
A sneak peek into Bangladesh’s Past
Additionally, ancient Bengal was a land of glorious history in terms of knowledge. Many ancient institutions, such as the Viharas, laid the foundation for universities today. Other Bengal heritage sites like Nalanda, Shalban, Somapura, Vikramshila, Jagaddala and many others are a testament to this fact.
The first legal record from the Chandra dynasty was found in Moulvibazar in 1958. It was later decoded and translated. It is quintessential that even during troubled times, Bangladesh takes adequate measures to protect its national heritage!
