A Supreme Court lawyer has served a legal notice seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the renovation of the Zia Memorial Museum in Chattogram, including the appointment of an inexperienced contractor and alleged damage to the historic structure.
Lawyer Khademul Islam sent the notice by registered post on Sunday to the secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the director general of the Bangladesh National Museum.
The notice seeks an investigation into the alleged damage to the heritage structure, the issuance of the renovation work order and possible financial irregularities involving those responsible.
It calls for a committee of architectural and civil engineering experts to be formed within 15 days of receiving the notice to assess the damage and investigate the allegations.
The notice says a writ petition will be filed with the High Court if the authorities fail to take appropriate steps within the stipulated period.
Copies were also sent to the secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, the director general of the Department of Archaeology, the chairman of the Bangladesh National Museum’s Board of Trustees, and the president and executive director of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation.
According to the notice, the museum is housed in the old Chattogram Circuit House, where then-president Ziaur Rahman was killed on 30 May 1981.
The building was inaugurated as the Zia Memorial Museum on 6 September 1993, by then-prime minister Khaleda Zia.
The museum, an affiliate of the Bangladesh National Museum, houses exhibits on the Liberation War and the life and work of Ziaur Rahman.
The notice says the museum has remained closed since 3 December 2025, for renovation because of structural weaknesses.
It alleges that an inexperienced contractor was appointed for the work and that the renovation has been progressing slowly.
It also alleges that heritage features of the building were damaged and its original structure altered without following relevant rules and guidelines.
The notice further alleges that expert opinions were ignored and that there were financial irregularities and corruption in the renovation process.
A private television channel recently reported on some of the allegations, it said.
The notice says Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), Chattogram, had been consulted about rebuilding the historic structure.
However, their recommendations were allegedly ignored, and the work order was issued to M/S Ismat Enterprise on February 3 this year.
According to the notice, parts of the museum’s original structure were demolished on the same day the work order was issued, allegedly damaging its heritage features.
It also raises questions over the alleged rush in issuing the contract, structural alterations made in the name of renovation, the prolonged closure of the museum and possible financial irregularities in the process.
