A seminar titled 'Towards Digitizing Past for Future: Heritage Protection and Management in Bangladesh' has been held at Jahangirnagar University.
The organisers declared to make Accurate Digital Twins of the archaeological sites using the technology of Rapid Emergency Documentation for preserving and reviving the various sites.
The seminar was inaugurated at 11:00 AM in the Zahir Raihan Auditorium seminar room on Tuesday (13 December).
In the chief guest's speech, the former Secretary of Education and the Curator of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum, Nazrul Islam Khan, said, "Where the journey of history ends, there the journey of archaeology begins. We have lost much of the past worldwide. We have seen many traces of Sumerian civilisation disappear in the Gulf War. We don't want our historical buildings to be lost."
"Bangladesh has a very resourceful history. People came to our region long before Europe. Europe, where humans arrived 40,000 years ago, ours was inhabited by humans 60,000 years ago. Historians have to come out of the tendency to prioritise the West," he added.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the university, Dr Mozammel Hoque, chaired the seminar. In his speech, he addressed, "There are many difficulties in preserving the historical structures in our country. Most of the sites in our country are built in the Hindu and Buddhist periods. This place was once sacred to them. But today, tourists went to the spots without any devotion."
"If such places are vested to them again as a place of prayer, then pilgrims from all around the world may travel there. Though our neighbouring countries earn a lot from tourism in archaeological sites, we can't," he remarked.
At the end of the seminar, Mr Hoque declared a new method to preserve archaeological sites called 'Rapid Emergency Documentation,' a joint initiative of the Department of Archaeology and CyArk.
CyArk (cyber archive) is a United States-based non-profit organisation that digitally records, archives and shares the world's most significant cultural heritage and ensures that these places continue to inspire wonder and curiosity for the future.
Director of program and management of CyArk, Kacey Hadick, said, "The dedication of the students of Bangladesh impressed me. Our company is working towards creating images through 3D technology. By using 3D images, archaeological sites can be displayed intensively. The preservation will be more long term this way."
The organisers said this project focuses on preserving critical heritage sites through digital documentation. Around 20 emerging students worked on the project. They were provided with world-class equipment and materials in training.
They can build a complete 3D model of Somapur Mahavihara in Paharpur, Badalgachhi, Naogaon And Shat Ghambuj Mosque (Khan Jahan Ali Mosque) in Bagerhat.
The earthquake in Nepal caused extensive damage to archaeological monuments and sites. Due to climate change globally, Bangladesh is in a vulnerable state, as well as our heritage buildings and sites, which reflect our ancient history and resourceful culture.
In that case, if we want to preserve and revive these archaeological monuments in such situations, we definitely need documents. What we have done is to make Accurate Digital Twins using the technology of Rapid Emergency Documentation. Using this technology, it is possible to create an exact digital copy of any infrastructure, which can later be used for preservation.
Director General of the Archaeology Department of Bangladesh Government, Chandan Kumar Dey, Archaeologist of the Curtin University of Australia, Dr Hafizur Rahman, Sheikh Serajul Hakim, Professor of Architecture, Khulna University, Professor Dr Jayant Singh Roy gave their speech at the seminar. Hundreds of students and faculties were present at the seminar.
