Heritage site management of Mahasthangarh, the ancient city of Bangladesh; reappraisal problems, prospects, and propositions

Cultural heritage and archaeology ushers a door to the remote past that prolong our level of understanding of past human culture, social, and technological enhancement. Archeological sites or heritages safeguarding and appropriate management are inevitable to enable professionals, academics, archaeologists in particular, and the public at large in general to understand and illustrate it on behalf of and for the convenience of present and future generations. Recognition of the role of Heritage Management (HM) could make a countless contribution in improving the present critical situation of many cultural heritage worldwide. In Bangladesh, where national and internationally well-known heritage sites attract both academic and tourism interests, tangible and intangible heritages are suffering from different issues. The Mahasthangarh is one of the renowned earliest urban heritage sites so far discovered in the northwestern part of Bangladesh, that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 1999. The site contains together with different ancient dynasties cultural sequence, medieval Muslim remnants, and colonial remains that help to understand chronological history along with cultural development of past human activities of Bengal civilization. Recently, heritage site Mahasthan faces several types of threats and challenges of severe destruction resulting from various causes such as vandalism, treasure hunter, ignorance, looting, various conservation issues, illegal land use, expansion of farmland, tourism, and development pressure. A local site custodian of the Department of Archaeology (DoA) of the Bangladesh government is conducting site maintenance and management policies. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive Heritage Site Management (HSM) plan and policy or guidelines to conduct the management process systematically. The local community has become an essential part of the site because the site is located in a rural area where most of the community is an agrarian society around the heritage sites. Most of the archaeological landscape in Mahasthan even in the citadel area is owned by the local communities and they are continuously demolishing the potential sites. The research will demonstrate the possibilities of using Heritage Management as a tool for safeguarding and managing the tangible and intangible heritage by using the Mahasthangarh as a case study. The research has provided an overview of the current conditions of heritage sites, along with the present heritage management scenarios both tangible and intangible of the Mahasthangarh area. We hope this research will foster critical discussion, develop and enhance the capacity of the Department of Archaeology (DoA), inspire further research, and advance sustainable cultural heritage management at the national and international level. Keyword: Archaeology; Heritage; Site Management; Protection; Stakeholders; Tourism; Mahasthangarh; Bangladesh