According to archaeologists, many archaeological structures like the western portion of Lalbagh Fort, tomb of Ghiasuddin Azam Shah, Shat Gambuj mosque, Galakata Mosque and Bashu Bihar in Mahasthangarh have been reconstructed without any proper guideline and following the original design of the structure.

Shah Sufi Mustafizur Rahman, professor of archaeology at Jahangirnagar University, said, "The authorities have built a dome at the Shat Gambuj mosque which destroyed its original design. Moreover, they used substandard materials in its renovation programme."

The laws that the Department of Archaeology follows do not allow any sort of renovation or reconstruction work in case of ancient monuments or archeological structures.

The Archaeological Works Code 1938 says: Three kinds of procedures are permitted by the law -- works to new monuments, repairs to ancient monuments, and exploration. The second includes works of special repairs and annual maintenance of ancient monuments and gardens. But there is no provision of reconstruction.

The Archaeological Act 1968 says: It is a punishable crime to destroy, break, damage, alter, injure or mutilate or scribble write or engrave any inscription or sigh on any antiquity which has been declared as the archeological structures by the government.

The Conservation Manuel 1922 says: Archaeological Public Works or other officers charged with the execution of conservation work should never forget that the repair of any remnant of ancient architecture, however humble, is a work to be entered upon with totally different feelings from a new work or from the repairs of a modern building. Although there are many ancient buildings whose state of disrepair suggests at first sight a renewal, it should never be forgotten that their historical value is gone when their authenticity is destroyed and that our first duty is not to renew them but to preserve them.

According to the Management Guideline to World Heritage Sites 1993, restoration is a highly specialised operation based on a critical, historical process of evaluation, and must not be based on conjecture.

In the western structure of the Lalbagh Fort, a couple of cement-built pillars have been constructed to give the structure a base on which it can stand. An official of the Department of Archaeology on condition of anonymity said the pillars do not match with the entire structure or any Mughal architecture, neither the materials used in the pillars are similar to that used in typical Mughal structures.

In the book Mughal Dhaka and Lalbagh Fort by the former director of Archeology Department, Dr. Najimuddin Ahmed, the author wrote, "Lalbagh Fort is an over enthusiastic restoration."

When contacted, Fazlul Haque, who heads the engineering section of the department, said: "What we have done in the archeological structures is restoration and conservation, neither reconstructions nor renovation."

"The pillars have been put for a temporary period to protect the structure from destruction. They can be removed any time and replaced by proper and appropriate pillars," he added.

But the source said the pillars were built in 1980s. "So, it's a matter of question what they mean by 'temporary' period."

Mustafizur Rahman said: "There is hardly any coordination between the engineering and archeological sections of the department. The engineering section controls the budget and the archeological section has no control over the engineering section."

Md Shafiqul Alam, director of the department, said: "We have done all the works under the Archeological Works Code, National Conservation Act and conservation manuals."

However, he didn't give any further information on this issue, although this reporter repeatedly tried to communicate with him.