Conservation of history is also part of development

The recent discovery of 10 sculptures in four Sylhet temples, all dating back to the Middle Ages, is exciting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the sculptures' indication of the ancient practice of Shaivism in the region. The Kali temple—established around the year 1800 by Kalicharan Bhattacharjee—on Amzad Ali Sarak itself houses two of the most intriguing relics: the rare quintuple-faced (five-faced) Shivalinga, and the ancient four-handed goddess. Though archaeologists and academics have yet to determine the identity of the latter, there is little doubt as to the uniqueness of the former, with this latest discovery being only the second of its kind in Bangladesh.

Not only does this latest discovery signal a past presence of Shaivist worshippers in the region, but it also once again points to the fact that more resources must be dedicated to the discovery and study of such relics. As important as our journey to becoming a developing country is, we must also be equally enthusiastic—and alert—about preserving our history and keeping records of what we can, so that our future generations have more to learn about their roots, to identify their individuality with, in a world that is globalised.

Experts have already said how crucial the two aforementioned idols are for understanding the aesthetics and gender politics of the region and religion at the time. Though these relics have existed for many years and have been worshipped in these temples, they have been out of our archaeologists' and academics' line of study. There is no mention of them in any books or historical documents in the country either.

We believe that conservation and preservation of such historical finds are crucial in order for Bangladesh to retain its culturally-diverse history. As such, we would urge the government to not only encourage the study of the 10 relics that have just been found, but to also help researchers in any way possible to discover and study more of such artefacts. If these relics have existed for so long without anyone noticing, there must be other such valuable ones like them strewn across the country. It is crucial that we, as a nation, do not let any bit of our rich history be lost to decay or neglect. Preservation and study of these historical relics will also add to our development, as much as high-rises and flyovers do.