History & Background
Construction began in 1678 under Prince Muhammad Azam, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, but was left unfinished after the death of Pari Bibi, daughter of Subahdar Shaista Khan, whom many believed the fort was cursed for. The complex contains her mausoleum, the Diwan-i-Aam (audience hall) and hammam of Shaista Khan, and the three-domed Lalbagh Fort Mosque. Excavations have revealed an underground network and a moat that once connected to the river, hinting at the fort's original scale as a riverside citadel guarding Mughal Dhaka.