Pioneering study of architectural and landscape heritage in Bangladesh
Built largely in the 18th and 19th centuries, Bengal’s zamindar residential complexes were elaborate architectural works that combined European neoclassical influences with Mughal and Bengali elements. Although the zamindars—feudal lords and landholders—are often criticized for their control of land and involvement in colonial networks, many were also important patrons of the arts. Some contributed also to community welfare by establishing schools, clinics, and religious buildings, and by supporting other social projects.
With support from the AKTC Education Programme, the Bengal Institute for Landscapes, Architecture and Settlements in Dhaka recently completed a research and documentation project on two of the largest zamindar estates in northern Bangladesh: Puthia and Natore. The study is especially important because these historically significant properties have never before been fully documented or investigated. Nearly 50 buildings and structures of varying scale and complexity have been measured, documented, and recorded. The project also recorded and represented the arrangement of buildings as clusters and complexes, as well as their settings within an elaborate landscape system of moats, lakes, and orchards. Researchers and students from both the Bengal Institute and the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology took part in the study, which highlights the historical value of the zamindarbaris as significant architectural and landscape formations and will thereby support future conservation and restoration efforts.
A Study of Architectural and Landscape Heritage: The Puthia and Natore Zamindari Estates, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Dhaka: Bengal Institute for Architecture Landscapes and Settlements, 2026.
Bengal Institute for Architecture Landscapes and Settlements