The Rose Garden Palace is a 19th-century mansion situated in K.M. Das Lane in Tikatully of old Dhaka. It was built by a landlord (zamindar) Hrishikesh Das. This palace became the birthplace of the Awami League in 1949 when East Bengali liberal and social democrats converged on Dhaka to form an alternative political force against the Muslim League in Pakistan. Recently the government of the people's republic has bought the mansion.

History

The Rose Garden Palace was built by a Hindu zamindar Hrishikesh Das in the late 19th century. Around that time jalsas (parties) held at Baldha Garden were an important part of the social life of the city's wealthier Hindu residents. The story goes that Hrishikesh, a zamindar of lower caste background, being insulted on this account by someone at one of the jalsas at Baldha Garden, decided to create his own garden to outshine that of Baldha. Here he staged jalsas of his own. The centerpiece of the garden is an elegant pavilion. However, this was not created as a residence, but rather a setting for entertainment such as musical performances (although subsequent owners did use it as a house). This extravagant lifestyle caused Hrikesh to go bankrupt and he was forced to sell the property.

The palace was bought by Khan Bahadur Kazi Abdur Rashid from Hrikesh in 1936 and renamed the building Rashid Manzil. His eldest son Kazi Mohammed Bashir (Humayun) who carried his name and fame until this generation. The building had been renovated by its previous owners while keeping the original character fully maintained.

The Government bought the building for ৳331.7 crore in a purchase announced on 9 August 2018. The government has since announced plans to turn the location into a museum

How To Go

Anyone can visit Rose Garden Palace by road with taxi/three/wheeler/ bus from anywhere in Dhaka.

Source: Wikipedia