Boro Kuthi ( bn, বড়কুঠি ) is a historic building in

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi District ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

built by Dutch traders in eighteenth century. The building was also used as the first administrative center for

Rajshahi University The University of Rajshahi, also known as Rajshahi University or RU ( bn, রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়), is a public co-educational research university in Bangladesh situated near the northern Bangladeshi cit ...

. The building is now under the Ministry of Cultural affairs to preserve as a cultural heritage, and planned to turn as a museum.

History

Located on the band of

Padma The Padma ( bn, পদ্মা ''Pôdma'') is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is sit ...

river, it is belied to be built by Dutch traders during first of eighteen century. During that period several other building such at

Motihar kuthi Motihar Kuthi Motihar Kuthi is a colonial building situated at Rajshahi, within the Rajshahi University campus and close to its main gate. It is now used as the office BNCC of the university. In general appearance it is similar to the kuthis of ...

were constructed in the area for silk and indigo trading. When Dutch traders left

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

after the fall of Nawab

Siraj ud-Daulah Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah ( fa, ; 1733 – 2 July 1757), commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of the East India Company over Beng ...

in 1757, they handed over the building to

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

. The company later sold the building to Robert Watson and Company in 1833. After the British left in 1947, the building was used as government's supply center. In 1953, the building was handed over to newly started

to use as its administrative building. The building was handed over again to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to preserve as a heritage site of the city.

Building description

Boro Kuthi is located on the bank of the river

, south of

Rajshahi College Rajshahi College ( bn, রাজশাহী কলেজ ''Rajshahi Kôlej'') is the third oldest institution of higher education in Bangladesh. Established in 1873 in Rajshahi city, it is the third oldest college in Bangladesh after Dhaka Col ...

. It is a two-storey, 24 meters length, 17.4 meters wide building with twelve rooms of different size. There is a hall room which is 9.6 meters in length and 6.3 meters wide at the center first floor, with two balcony on north and south side. Though the building was used for silk and indigo trading, it is believed the Portuguese used the building as a fort during emergency time. Three canons which were recovered from the site are now be Rajshahi Police line.

References

{{Portal, Bangladesh Rajshahi Buildings and structures in Rajshahi Division