UNFOLD STORY OF P K SEN BHABAN WORK WITH
URONTO RESIDENTIAL ART EXCHANGE PROGRAM

About the venue: Chittagong: Chittagong Is a major coastal seaport city and financial center in southeastern Bangladesh The city has a population of more than 2.5 million while the metropolitan area has a population of over 6.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country. It is the capital of an eponymous district and division. The city is located on the banks of the Karnaphuli River between the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Bay of Bengal. The origin of Chittagong is uncertain. One explanation credits the first Arab traders for the combination of the Arabic words shatt(delta) and Ganga (Ganges).The Burmese tradition is that an Arakanese king, attacking in the 9th century, gave the city the name Tsit-ta-gung (to make war is improper). The natural harbor of Chittagong has been a gateway to the historic region of Bengal for centuries. It was a prominent trading Centre and hosted the first European colonial enclaves in Bengal, which were operated by the Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries. The district was ruled by the Sultanate of Bengal, the Kingdom of Mrauk U and the Mughal Empire until the 18th century, at which point it was ceded to the British East India Company. The port was the terminus of the Grand Trunk Road and the Assam Bengal Railway. During the Burma Campaign in World War II, the city was also a key base for Allied Forces. Becoming a part of East Pakistan in 1947, the city was the site of Bangladesh’s Declaration of Independence in 1971. Modern Chittagong is a major hub of trade and industry. The Port of Chittagong is the largest international seaport on the Bay of Bengal. The city is home to many of Bangladesh’s oldest and largest companies, as well as the Chittagong Stock Exchange, the Chittagong Tea Auction and the eastern division of the Bangladesh Railway. The Chittagong Naval Area is the largest base of the Bangladesh Navy. Chittagong is reputed as a relatively clean city, but still confronts substantial logistical and socioeconomic problems. Sadarghat is a thana under Chittagong district in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh.

P K Sen Bhaban

The working venue of this season is the P K Sen Bhaban in Sadarghat thana of Chittagong. The building was constructed approximately in 1920, it took around three years to complete the building.

PK Sen Bhaban is one of the traditional and the ancient buildings in Chittagong. It was one of the biggest Bhabans in Chittagong during the British era. Zemindar Prasanna Kumar Sen, a kind-hearted man in Raozan, built the traditional building on the bank of the river Karnaphuli. P K Sen was a Rice and oil Trader in Noa Para, had his own mills in Chittagong.

He also established many tolls and school in the area during that period. He owned a huge land area starting from the sadarghat thana port corner till the Hotel Raj which is nearby to the building. After getting bankrupt during 1946 P K Sen had to sell the entire land ownership.

During that period many trader tried to buy the building and Shushil Ghosh finally got the chance to own this building. As Per Present Family Members, the building is standing in 9katha and the entire area of the building boundary is around 17 katha(yet there are debates on the exact measure or area). The building is mainly four storied but with the Minar on top, adds more three stories of height to the building. The building is deigned in a hexagon shapes which is very unique and very much interesting. There are many big beautiful ventilators with geometric shapes. Wide windows are main characteristics of the building.

It has more than 40 rooms and two separate stair system for getting in and out of the building. It had color glasses and very impressive decorative works but in present time its standing on the last legs. Shushil Ghosh died in 2000 and after his death his family members are taking care of the space. The building is a witness of many memories, like the war time, tortures of army battalions, Histories related to Surya Sen (22 March 1894 – 12 January 1934) and many more good and bad memories are folded in the old bricks of the building. 

Theme of this project:

In this project the participants are invited to portray the ruined diverse beauty of the house, the lost history, the truth even why not myth as well through their distinctive media. The building for this episode is a very interesting structure and we are looking forward to bring out all the silent memories and beauties of the building in this episode. Participants are expected to explore the site in their way and bring out an esthetical expression of their findings and realization. The expression of the participants must express anything about the house or anything related to the house and its history. Any discipline of artist or creative individual is invited as long as they can connect to the site with their practice. Participants are highly encouraged to bring out the best, working with natural founding material or available materials around.

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