Laldighi
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Laldighi[1] is one of the traditional places of Chittagong city in Bangladesh. Its location on the last boundary of Jail Road in the city. Laldighi is spread over an area of 2.60 acres. Andarkilla is on one side of it. It is surrounded by district council buildings and local bank branches. It belongs to the 32nd ward of Chittagong City Corporation.
History[edit]
In 1761 the East India Company took control of Chittagong. At that time Entekali Kachari i.e. Land Tehsil Office (now Metropolitan Police Office) was painted red. People therefore called it "Lalkuthi". To the east of this red factory was the prison. It was also painted red and hence it came to be known as the "Lal Ghar". The building was guarded by two red-turbaned British guards. Many people think that this is why the buildings are called Lal Ghar and Lal Kuthi. There was a small pond next to the Lal Ghar and Lal Kuthi. At the beginning of the British rule in Chittagong, the pond was enlarged and turned into a lake. This lake is known as Laldighi because there were two red buildings next to it.
Laldighi ownership[edit]
There is a mosque on the north side of Laldighi with a 1939 inscription on its dome. It has the name of Taki Ismail Muhammad written on it. He was a Zamindar. His own house was in Chikdair village of Raozan upazila. He used to spend his leisure time on the banks of the then open Laldighi. He was the guardian of Laldighi. He later handed over ownership of the lake to Muslim High School.
Rickets Ghat Laldighi[edit]
On the west bank of Laldighi was the "Ricketts Ghat". The ghats were built by the zamindars of Chittagong in the memory of Sir Henry Ricketts, who served as the commissioner of Chittagong from 1941 to 1947. Mr. Harvey was the Collector of Chittagong from 1831-1839. He started the survey work with 32 deputy collectors and a few surveyors. In the survey, he counted 16 rhinos instead of 20 rhinos. That is why everyone was so dissatisfied with him that people attacked him at Anwara police station. He then ordered the soldiers to shoot. Upon receiving this news, the authorities sent Mr. Ricketts. During the survey of 1200 Maghis, he was respected by all for benefiting the people of Chittagong. After the death of Sessions Judge Toddle of Chittagong in the nineteenth century, his body was cremated north of Ricketts Ghat. The pillar erected in his memory was later demolished.
Laldighi Maidan[edit]
The entire area from the foot of the hill to the metropolitan police headquarters to the foot of the fairy hill to the west was formerly known as Municipal Maidan. The statue of Queen Victoria was erected on this ground in 18 AD. The statue was removed during the independence movement in the 1940s. After the north-south road was completed at the end of the nineteenth century, the municipal square was divided into two parts. The east side was transformed into a playground for the common people. When the Muslim High School was established, the ground became the playground of the Muslim High School. This field is now known as Laldighi field.
The legend of Laldighi[edit]
There is a legend in the mouth of the people of Chittagong about the incident of Lal Dighi. Once a day laborer's daughter went down to bathe in that tank. Suddenly he was chained and taken to an underwater country. In fact, it was the court of a king. The king was married to Lal Begum. One day the king wanted to see Lal Begum but it was reported that Lal Begum had escaped from her land with a slave. The king did not know this news then. So that daughter of the laborer has been brought to play Lal Begum with the king. In many cases, the king found out the real identity of the girl. At the direction of the angry king, everyone started looking for the real Lal Begum. It was then discovered that he was in the Portuguese fort, two hundred yards from the lake inside the fort. The king attacked the fort. The water of the tank turned red with many murders. The king was defeated in that battle. Everyone fled. Yet he remained on the bank of the Dighi in the hope of rescuing Lal Begum. A Charan poet wrote about this:"There is a fire in Laldighi / the water has dried up, / the fish have come ashore / started to chirp".
Ceremony[edit]
Abdul Jabbar first played volleyball on the banks of Laldighi on 19th Baishakh in 1910. Since then, Jabbar's ball game has been held on the banks of Laldighi on the 12th of Boishakh every year. At present there is a mosque on the west bank of Laldighi. There is a park surrounded by greenery here for the entertainment of the townspeople.
References[edit]
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