S A Shofiee, Sylhet:
In the face of severe criticism, the ‘July Memorial’ has been removed from the clock tower premises of Ali Amjad.
On Monday (September 8) afternoon, the memorial under construction in the clock tower premises was not seen. Some people in the area said that it had already been removed.
Earlier, on September 2, in a meeting between the Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam and some prominent citizens of Sylhet, it was decided to remove this structure from the clock tower.
Construction work on the ‘Street Memory Stamp’ memorial plaque commemorating the martyrs of July has begun inside the 151-year-old traditional Ali Amjad’s clock tower in Sylhet. There has been criticism over the construction of the memorial plaque by hiding part of the traditional structure.
Recently, a memorandum was submitted to the Sylhet District Commissioner by the Agitated Citizens’ Movement, Environment and Heritage Preservation Trust, demanding a halt to the construction of this structure.
One of the few traditional structures that the people of Sylhet feel proud of is the Ali Amjad clock built in 1874. Along with several other structures, it has become known as the ‘symbol of Sylhet’. A memorial plaque is being built within the perimeter of this clock tower. Critics claim that this is obscuring the actual architectural style of the clock tower.
It has been learned that the government has taken the initiative to build a memorial plaque called ‘Street Memory Stamp’ in the same design, either at the site or next to the site, in memory of those who were martyred during the student uprising. The work of building such a memorial plaque in memory of four martyrs in Sylhet city began last July and is expected to be completed in August. The construction work is being implemented by the Sylhet City Corporation.
Sylhet City Corporation sources said that a committee has been formed to finalize the location of the memorial plaque. In particular, the investigating officer of the case showed the place where the martyrs were martyred. Accordingly, initiatives were taken to build memorial plaques at the scene and near the scene. Md. Pabel Ahmed Kamrul and Pankaj Kumar Kar were martyred in front of Ali Amjad’s watch. Therefore, according to the decision of the committee, memorial plaques are being built there in memory of the two martyrs.
Outside, in front of Court Point Madhuban Market, memorial plaques are being built next to the scene in memory of martyred journalist Abu Taher Md. Turab and martyred student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Rudra Sen. The cost of building each plaque is estimated at 1 lakh 8 thousand 375 taka.
The zero point of the city is between the banks of the Surma River and Sarada Hall in Sylhet city. Ali Amjad’s watch is located exactly 100 meters away. It has been standing at the entrance to the northern part of the city after crossing the Kin Bridge since 1874. That year, the then great Lord Northbrook visited Sylhet. To pay homage to him, Nawab Ali Ahmed Khan, the zamindar of Prithimpasha, Kulaura, Moulvibazar, built the clock. He named it after his son Ali Amjad Khan.
