পরী বিবির একদিন’/A day of Pori Bibi

As of today, historians and researchers cannot confirm the identity of Pori Bibi. Some say Pori Bibi aka Iran Dukht is the daughter of Nawab Shaista Khan (served as Mughal governor of Bengal from 1664-1668) who was married to Aurangazeb’s son Muhammad Azam Shah. On her death in 1684, Khan abandoned the construction of Lalbagh Fort; the 17th century Mughal Fort and buried his beloved daughter in the tomb inside the fort. Some historian refers her as the lost Ahom princess Ramani Gabharu whom Mughal general Mir Jumla brought with him from Guwahati. While Mir Jumla fell sick and died on the way to Dhaka, the princess was believed to have been put under the care of Shaista Khan.

People of Lalbagh still believe Pori Bibi’s unsatisfied soul walks around the lanes of old Dhaka. ‘পরী বিবির একিদন/A day of Pori Bibi’ is a fictional story where Pori Bibi was seen wandering around in the streets of Lalbagh, Old Dhaka, listening and arguing with the people regarding current political situation, food business, tourism, and illegal factories in the area. The intention was unknown but the story is about what she had observed and disavowed. After that day, nobody has seen her again. She is lost, forever lost.

A 3.8x 5.3″  pink book was made and showed in a one-day open studio exhibition titled “Lost Never Lost” on 21 June 2019. The show was curated by artists Shimul Saha  & Najmun Nahar Keya.