Ancient Khizirpur Fort (Hajiganj Fort)

The Ancient Khizirpur Fort, now called Hajiganj Fort, is a hexagonal water fort on the east bank of the Shitalakshya river near Narayanganj, south of Dhaka.

A 2023 architectural documentation paper in IJRIAS presents the fort as one of the oldest water forts in Bengal. It places the fort on the opposite bank from Sonakanda Fort ¹. The fort has no inscription that dates its construction, so its Mughal attribution rests on its style and on comparison with nearby forts ².

The authors favour Subadar Mir Jumla as its builder, and note that another account credits Isha Khan ³. The paper itself says the evidence is not conclusive, so the attribution is the authors' view and not a settled finding ⁴.

The plan is hexagonal, with one arched gateway facing north, a tower at each of the six corners and a central courtyard that is now a playing field ⁵⁶. The walls are thick and their parapets are decorated, and the large towers held cannon platforms facing the river ⁷.

An observation tower of ordinary brick stands inside the fort. The authors think it is a later addition, and the Department of Archaeology's 1975 publication calls it a huge circular drum ⁸.

The paper describes neglect, use of the grounds as a playing field and pasture, and building around the site ⁹. A joint eviction drive by the city corporation and the Department of Archaeology cleared encroachments, but the narrow road at the entrance still threatens the site's setting ¹⁰. The authors' proposals for restoring the setting, managing tourism and coordinating agencies are their own recommendations ¹¹.