The Fort stands on the northern bank of the dried up Ichamati River at Idrakpur in Munshiganj district and about 24km south-east of Dhaka. It was probably built in 1660 by Mir Jumla, the Mughal Subahdar of Bengal as an outpost to guard the water route to Dhaka against the plundering raids of the Portuguese and Mogh pirates.
It consists of two parts — the western and the eastern– separated by a screen wall. The western part covers an open area measuring 97m x 51.80m internally and is surrounded by a curtain wall with bastions at the corners. The eastern part, measuring internally 77m x 44 m contains a huge round drum, approached from the west through a flight of steps across the screen wall. The circular drum is solidly bricked up up to the level of the rampart and above this runs the battlements, profusely pierced with loopholes for musketry. The bricked up circular platform has 32.50m diametre and it rises to a height of 24m. The platform was used as a watch-tower and a mount for heavy canons. Until recently it was used as the residence of the Deputy Commissioner after superimposing on it a bungalow patterned tali house upon it. The Western part of the Fort appears to have sunken below the surrounding floor ( actually the accumulation of silt over centuries had covered its base) but still the southern enclosure will survives up to the height of 3.40m. The thickness of the wall measures 85cm. The circular south-east corner bastion , measuring 5.50 diametre still survives to a height of 4.60m and is pierced with holes for musketry. Likewise the 6.10m wide north-east corner bastion is profusely pierced with loopholes for musketry. A series of merlons run on top of the wall.
Inside the Fort besides an ancient tank there are some modern structures including a jail, the residence of the jailer and his office. The northern wall has a 2.1m wide gateway in the middle. The northern facade of the gateway, decorated with plaster panels, accommodates an arched opening within a rectangular frame. The eastern part of the fort appears to have been extended later in the form of trapezium.
It is a protected monument of the Dept. of Archaeology which is able to maintain its rampart only. For proper conservation of this grand Mughal monument the Department is trying hard for a long time to release the Fort of all modern encroachments inside.
Source: Md Abu Musa edited. Archaeological Survey Report , Munshiganj District.Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh. April, 2000.
