The grey concrete “Dhopkol” structures standing silently on Rajshahi city’s main roads or at the corners of old alleys are not just lifeless pillars; they are the city’s emotions, its heritage, and the familiar refuge that once quenched the thirst of thousands. But today, due to neglect, that glorious history is struggling and dying. The hands that once lifted pure water to ease a traveller’s fatigue have now turned into receptacles of waste and dustbins.
This revolutionary water supply system, created in 1937 through the far-sighted thinking of Rai Bahadur Kunjabihari Orawn, is today dilapidated, moss-covered, and on the path to extinction. Layers of accumulated filth on the pillars, old posters hanging behind broken coverings, and the stench of overflowing garbage make Rajshahi’s history weep silently. Instead of pure water, dirty water and disease-causing germs collect around them: a pitiful picture of a stark reality.
The Dhopkol was once a symbol of public welfare, a place where anyone, regardless of status, could drink clean water. For generations, it served as a landmark, a meeting point, and a quiet companion to the city’s daily life. Today, it stands as a monument to neglect, its purpose forgotten, its legacy fading.
A city’s identity is preserved by respecting its heritage. But it seems the city’s eyes have now closed to its own history, pushing its own roots toward destruction. Letting these archaeological relics disappear means losing the soul of Rajshahi.
Will the administration wait until this history is erased, or will the city’s people wake up to save these waterless, neglected memorials? The answer may determine whether Rajshahi remembers its past or forgets it entirely.
