Dhaka: The government has been asked to form a probe body involving the country’s eminent archaeologists to investigate how a lift was installed at Ahsan Manzil changing the original design of the historical palace and violating archaeological rules.

In an open letter on Wednesday, three eminent citizens said they were informed that the authorities concerned recently installed an electric lift in a separate structure built in front of Ahsan Manzil, which is a violation of the archaeological rules.

The letter, sent to Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor by head of the Architecture Department at State University Architect Sajjadur Rashid, director of NGO Forum for Organizing of Working with the Disabled Nafiz Rahman and disaster management consultant Rezaul Karim, says the National Museum authorities, who are in charge of maintaining Ahsan Manzil, installed the lift without the prior approval of the Archaeological Department.

They said there is no precedent of installation of a lift at a historical and archaeological structure anywhere in the world.

Ahsan Manzil was the official residential palace and seat of the Dhaka Nawab Family. This magnificent building is situated on the bank of Buriganga River in Dhaka. The construction of this palace was started in 1859 and was completed in 1872.

In 1952, the Dhaka Nawab Estate was acquired under the East Bengal Estate Acquisition Act after it became impossible for the successors of the Nawabs to maintain the palace due to financial constraints.

Recognising the historical and architectural importance of the Ahsan Manzil, the government took an initiative to renovate it. In 1985, Ahsan Manzil and its surroundings were acquired. After the completion of the renovation work in 1992 under the supervision of the Directorate of Public Works and Architecture, it was brought under the control of Bangladesh National Museum (September 1992). A museum has been established there.