Ghoraghat Upazila of Dinajpur is a witness of the capital city of the Mughal Empire. The present Ghoraghat is a small upazila, but the history of the Mughal Empire of ancient Bengal and later the British rule has been created here.
However, the proverbial 50 markets and 53 Gali's Ghoraghat town have been lost due to the evolution of time and lack of maintenance. Ghoraghat Durga (fort) stands dilapidated to bear witness to that history. These archeological monuments are in crisis of existence today. Hundreds of acres of land in the historic city have been infringed upon.
According to history, Ghoraghat was established as a border post during the independent Sultanate period in 1400, but it was one of the administrative divisions of Bengal under the Mughal government system. It maintained its status even during the Nawabi period. During the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1582, the entire Suba-e-Bangla was divided into 19 Sarkars for administrative convenience. One of which was 'Sarkar Ghoraghat'. During that period, 'Ghoraghat Fort' was built on the banks of the Karatoya River in Ghoraghat.
Even during the British rule, there were numerous battles between Company soldiers at Ghoraghat. Ghoraghat district was abolished in 1787. From Ghoraghat, all the administrative activities of the district moved to the present district of Dinajpur. Later, the locals also left Ghoraghat and went to Dinajpur. Since then, the Ghoraghat Fort structure has been lost day by day and history is getting erased.
Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Shakil Ahmed said, I have given instructions to UNO to submit a report about Ghoraghat Fort and all related ancient structures. We will take all kinds of measures on behalf of the district administration to protect these historical buildings.
ZH
