The country's first site-museum and archaeological park is being developed at Nateshwar village in Rampal upazila of Munshiganj, around the ongoing excavation of a 1,000-year-old Buddhist settlement. Since excavation work began in 2010, the project has uncovered pyramid-shaped stupas, broad walkways, halls, and the foundations of a Buddhist monastic complex.
The on-site museum
The planned museum will display artefacts recovered directly from the site: terracotta, stone and metal sculptures, pottery fragments, brick architectural elements, and biological remains of plants and animals. Visitors will be able to view the active excavation areas and step into the museum to see how individual finds fit into the larger story of the settlement.
Bangladesh–China joint research
The excavation is jointly conducted by the Agrasar Bikrampur Foundation, Jahangirnagar University, and China's Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The Chinese government has separately built a memorial in honour of Atish Dipankar at Vajrayogini village.
Future plans
Researchers involved in the project believe that with adequate funding and proper conservation measures, the site could eventually be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Pilgrim tourism from China, Tibet, Nepal, and Thailand is expected to grow once the museum and park are operational. The project envisions integrated education and research facilities, plus space to showcase local crafts.
