History & Background
Mahasthangarh, in Shibganj upazila of Bogura district, preserves the remains of Pundranagara (Paundravardhanapura), the ancient capital of the Pundravardhana region and the earliest urban archaeological site yet discovered in Bangladesh. A limestone slab bearing six lines of Prakrit in Brahmi script, recording a land grant and discovered in 1931, dates the site to at least the 3rd century BCE, making it an important city under the Maurya Empire. The fortified citadel remained in continuous use as a vibrant administrative, religious, and cultural centre from the Maurya period through to the Sena dynasty in the 12th century CE, and its remains reflect a layered religious history spanning Hinduism, Buddhism, and later Islam. Systematic archaeological excavation began in 1928-29 under K. N. Dikshit of the Archaeological Survey of India, uncovering areas including Jahajghata, Munir Ghon, and Bairagir Bhita. Mahasthangarh was declared a protected monument in 1919 under the Archaeological Act of 1904, and UNESCO recognised it as a World Heritage Site in 1985.