A hilsa fish sculpture, “Jolangi”, was inaugurated on the bank of the Padma River at Rajbari Sadar upazila on Monday evening.
The project which is situated at Moulvighat in the Sonakandar area of Mizanpur Union, was funded by the district council.
Deputy Commissioner Sultana Akter inaugurated the sculpture as the chief guest at the ceremony held around dusk. The sculpture was built under her supervision at a cost of Tk7.5 lakh.
Speaking at the event, the district commissioner said the administration is committed to improving the quality of life for Rajbari residents.
“There are limited recreational and tourism facilities for the public in Rajbari. With the support of the district council, we have inaugurated this aesthetic sculpture ‘Jolangi’ at Maulvighat. Earlier, we installed ‘I Love Rajbari’ at Godar Bazar Padma Bridge, and ‘Jol Kabbo’ as another tourism attraction,” she said.
She added that benches, wash blocks, and circular shelters have also been set up along the riverbank for visitors.
Sultana Akter highlighted the potential of river-based tourism in Rajbari. “Nearby districts like Kushtia or areas along the Jamuna have developed tourism around rivers extensively. During my one-year stay in the UK for studies, I observed how rivers are central to tourism development there. While our initiatives are small-scale, we believe they will encourage the public, and river tourism in Rajbari will soon flourish,” she said.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by several officials, including Md Mahmudul Haque, deputy director of the local government; Md Humayun Kabir, chief executive officer of the district council; Md Tarif-ul-Hasan, additional deputy commissioner (General); and Shankar Chandra Baidya, additional deputy commissioner (Education and ICT).
Other attendees included Nirupama Roy, sadar upazila nirbahi officer; Payra Chowdhury, sadar upazila assistant commissioner (Land); NDC Md Hafizur Rahman; and Assistant Commissioners Md Abu Bakar Siddique, Md Ashikuzzaman, and Md Mizanur Rahman, alongside local dignitaries.
Following the unveiling of the sculpture, prayers and blessings were offered by Sadar Upazila Model Mosque’s Chief Imam, Hafiz Maulana Md Siyam Hossain.
