DHAKA, Sept 16, 2018 (BSS) – The government has purchased the historic ‘Rose Garden’, an archeological site, from where the country’s biggest political party, Bangladesh Awami League, started its journey in 1949.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the registered deed of the property from the current owner and her children at a simple function held at Ganabhaban here this afternoon.
Situated on KM Das Lane in Tikatuly of Old Dhaka, the Rose Garden was built in 1931 by Hrishikesh Das, a rich businessman.
The government has procured the Rose Garden built on 22 acres of land from the owner as per the ‘Public Procurement Law’ at a cost of Taka 331.70 crore and decided to turn it into a museum considering its historical values.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on August 8 approved a proposal for purchasing the Rose Garden, which is now preserved as an archaeological site.
The approval was given at the CCGP meeting of the current fiscal year held at cabinet division with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.
“The government is purchasing the house from the owner as per the Public Procurement Law,” Mustafizur Rahman, additional secretary of Cabinet Division, told journalists after the meeting.
As per decision of the government, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has fixed the value of the Rose Garden at Taka 331.70 crore in consultation with its current owner.
Against this backdrop, the prime minister today received the registered deed of the historic establishment.
During the time, she also handed over a cheque and a registered deed of selling of a one storey building along with 20-katha land at Gulshan of the city to the Rose Garden’s owner in exchange of the historical building.
The prime minister later handed over Rose Garden to Cultural Affairs Ministry at a token price of Tk 1001 to turn it into a museum.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor received the deed of the house from the premier.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the historic Rose Garden would be turned into a museum to project the history of Old Dhaka.
Sheikh Hasina said the Rose Garden has a historical value as the country’s biggest political party Awami League started its journey from there on June 23 in 1949.
Under the leadership of the party, she said, Bangladesh achieved its independence in 1971.
Putting emphasis on properly preserving the historical building, the premier said such an establishment should not be ruined.
Sheikh Hasina said her government had earlier set up a museum at Nagar Bhaban but now the museum would be shifted to the Rose Garden building.
She asked authorities concerned to renovate the building keeping its original structure unchanged.
Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Secretary Md Shahidullah Khandakar, Cultural Affairs Secretary Nasiruddin Ahmed and senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office were present on the occasion.