Student Name: Mohammad Obaidullah

Project Year: 2023

Project Guide Teacher: Ziaul Islam

                         S.M. Rumman Mashrur Chowdhury

Head of the Department Name: Dr. Nabanita Islam

University: University of Asia Pacific

The past shapes our present and future, an event in the past brings about a significant change in our lifestyle. What we have to carry, if it falls to the level of bad, it becomes a stain with us.

Bengal was full of green crops. The land where the farmers grew their golden crops to meet the biological needs of the people. Then the tide of the Indigo came here and gradually our peasant society was forced to fall into that darkness.

They started losing the rights of the farmers, which is the result of their labor. The price of that labor began to rise. The chapter of neglect of farmers began. But farmers are our golden deer. The blue of pain began to touch that golden deer.

The indigo miners wrote a gruesome chapter of oppression of our peasant nation, for whom the peasants were money-making machines.

The indigo farmers had their own Lathial army, if any farmer refused to cultivate indigo, the Lathials would bring the farmers to the Nilkuthi under the orders of the indigo farmers and in this Nilkuthi they would be tortured. Nilkuthi had jails, locked rooms, farmers were bound and covered with soil and indigo seeds were sprinkled on their heads and kept them tied in the kuthi premises etc. From this indigo box, their administrative works, indigo process varieties, indigo designs of torture, conspiracies etc. were composed. Nilkuthi was terrible for the farmers.

The Oppression of Indigo Planter

The past shapes our present and future, an event in the past brings about a significant change in our lifestyle. What we have to carry, if it falls to the level of bad, it becomes a stain with us.

Bengal was full of green crops. The land where the farmers grew their golden crops to meet the biological needs of the people. Then the tide of the Indigo came here and gradually our peasant society was forced to fall into that darkness.

They started losing the rights of the farmers, which is the result of their labor. The price of that labor began to rise. The chapter of neglect of farmers began. But farmers are our golden deer. The blue of pain began to touch that golden deer.

The indigo miners wrote a gruesome chapter of oppression of our peasant nation, for whom the peasants were money-making machines.

The indigo farmers had their own Lathial army, if any farmer refused to cultivate indigo, the Lathials would bring the farmers to the Nilkuthi under the orders of the indigo farmers and in this Nilkuthi they would be tortured. Nilkuthi had jails, locked rooms, farmers were bound and covered with soil and indigo seeds were sprinkled on their heads and kept them tied in the kuthi premises etc. From this indigo box, their administrative works, indigo process varieties, indigo designs of torture, conspiracies etc. were composed. Nilkuthi was terrible for the farmers.

Conceptual Statement

On June 23, 1757, the chapter of the colonial period in Bangladesh began with the Battle of Plassey. In this colonial period, the British came as the conquerors. They saw profit in the brutality of indigo cultivation in Bangladesh. Then in 1777 they started the modern indigo cultivation in this country. They can earn more profit through this Indigo farming. In the hope of this higher profit, they continue this indigo cultivation by mercilessly torturing the farmers. The peasants at one point rose up against it and got rid of it through the Blue Rebellion of 1857-1859. Basically, the British used the people of this Bangladesh as slaves and they were the ones who determined the rules, laws, judicial system, standards, etc. The people of this country were obliged to follow the policies or laws determined by them. At some point, they were expelled from the country but the norms, laws, judicial system, quality assessment etc. set by them remained as the standard to follow. This next chapter is referred to as the Post-colonial Period.

Basically, I want to take the user through a journey. Where he will learn about the colonial period in the first step, he will know about the Indigo plantation chapter, and how the British left the seeds of their thoughts among the people of this country after leaving this country which known as post-colonialism. I implement a Post-colonial Study Institute as the last element of this journey and where people can share knowledge with each other how we follow there norm even after colonial period. People Will achieve the completeness of the journey by this.

About Site

Bhatpara Nilkuthi is located in Meherpur which is part of Kushtia. Every city has a history, and that city grows with its historical heritage. Different layers of history exist within this growth. All these histories are created by human beings, who in various ways conquer power and rule there.

This is how the British came to rule here in Bangla. They establish their power, business, law etc. here in various ways. Indigo farming was one of their most profitable businesses. To spread this indigo cultivation, they set up indigo plantations to spread in different cities of this Bangla and it spread terribly in undivided Bengal. The first indigo cultivation began in Chuadanga, present-day Bangladesh, as this region was then close to present-day India. Gradually this indigo cultivation spread to different regions of Bengal. Since the British were more profitable in this indigo cultivation, they tortured the farmers of Bengal and forced them to cultivate indigo. Then history, tradition, culture developed in different ways in this city of Kushtia. At some point, they were expelled from Bengal, but as a witness of their barbarism, these structures remain.

Nilkuthi structures exist as a witness of the Indigo chapter in various regions of present-day Bangladesh. Many of the Nilkuti have been completely wiped out due to lack of maintenance. Efforts are being made to preserve Bhatpara Nilkuti under the supervision of the D.C administration. This Nilkuthi is a reminder of the dark chapter of British barbarism at that time.

Three significant architectures are still there. To preserve the history & heritage, three signifact structure are marked for preserve 1. Nilkuthi 2. Indigo process structure 3. Administration. These three structures are linked through a walking trail. This project is a portrayal of the long-forgotten & brutal history of Indigo Planting in Bangla. Through preservation, A contemporary transformation and engagement of human inherent architectural quality. By ensuring a strong execution of design to integrate with present and future generation for gaining knowledge of past history.

Nilkuthi Masterplan Description

A black mark of Bengal's past history still exists on the banks of the Kajla river, Kushtia. What is unguarded, the history that people do not remember. Now people's movement here is just for entertainment, they don't remember our history of oppression of peasants. But here the British have written a chapter of oppression and exploitation on the farmers.

The main aim of Master Plan was to show its historical significance intact with a historical journey.

The masterplan will begin as a travelogue where a user will engage with the whole story through a journey.

So user can explore this journey into Five (05) story:

     1.  Colonial Period Gallery

     2.  Indigo Cultivation, Oppression on Peasant, Revolt

     3.  Nilkuthi Yard

   4. Relaxation for Realization by the historical Kajla River

  5. Post-Colonial Thoughts Institute and Thought sharing green plaza

After getting down from the car, first the user registers his entry and starts his journey, then he goes to the gallery of British Colonial Period, there, how the British established their kingdom, how they ruled, how they unfairly exploited the farmers to get more profit, how the wealth of our country smuggling to their country etc.

Then the user will enter the Nilkuthi gallery, where he will know and see about the indigo cultivation from its inception, how our farmers used to lose everything through this indigo cultivation.

Then he will find himself in the Nilkuthi establishment left behind by this black chapter, and he will find himself unfazed by the brutality of this black chapter.

Then the user will come to the riverside and think with these realizations how we got through this struggle and how we are still immersed in these barbarities that they left behind.

The last step finds itself at the Institute of Post-Colonial Thoughts. There user can gain more knowledge in the library. Lecture series on post-colonial period can be arrange in this institute by using those classrooms. And sharing knowledge in open thought sharing green plaza. So that they can enlightened them how post-colonial period are affecting us still.