Panam Nagar - the lost city
Nearly 450 years ago, in the 15th century, the Baro Bhuiyan leader Isa Khan established the first capital of Bengal in Sonargaon. Twenty square kilometre area of Sonargaon consisted of the city at that time. The Bengal Muslin was the best business commodity then. Mainly the city was built for the high ranked royal employees and the Muslin businessmen. The royal punishment and service of Sonargaon were directed from the Panam Nagar. Some have called this the port city because foreign cloth was imported through Meghna River (East) and Shitolokkha River (West) and Muslin was exported via waterway. Entering Panam Nagar, the first thing that comes to one’s sight are the buildings. Some are two-storied, some are one. Some 52 of the buildings that still stand in the Panam Nagar are mentionable. There are 31 buildings in the north side of Panam Street and 21 in the south of it.
Each building has a different style. The uniqueness can be seen in the fine architecture. Along with Mughal and Greek architecture, the colour and design of the buildings display techniques by the local artists. Some places show works of colonial times. Iron brackets had been used in almost all the houses. The floors of the houses have red, white, black mosaic work. Iron grill on the windows and ventilators had been used. The cast iron work that had been done in the houses can be compared to those works done with cast iron in Europe. The houses are situated at a certain distance apart from each other in this skilfully planned city. A well was in each house for safe water. There were five ponds in the city and two ponds by the sides of the city; also there was water drainage system in the city.
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