Brojo Niketon in Kalakopa, Nawabganj: A Two-Century-Old House With Many Versions of Its Zamindari Past
In Kalakopa of Nawabganj upazila in Dhaka district stands the nearly 200-year-old Kokilpeyari zamindar house, also known as 'Brojo Niketon'. The old architecture and ornate building attract visitors.
It is said that Kokilpeyari zamindar Brojen Roy, also known as Sudarshan Roy, built this house about two centuries ago. The house was built on more than four acres of land in a garden setting.
The history of this house is not fully clear. Different sources give different accounts of its identity. Some think these are not zamindar houses, but residences of wealthy people of the time.
According to other accounts, local wealthy people bought the houses from a descendant of a declining zamindar family. So the houses' connection with zamindari history cannot be dismissed entirely.
According to a locally held belief, Kokilpeyari zamindar Brojen Roy had five sons. He kept his main zamindar house for his youngest son and built four more houses for the other four sons.
The houses are also known locally as 'Telibari'. According to the prevailing account, the name came into use after ownership of the houses later passed to an oil trader. However, reliable historical documents are not available for all of these accounts.
There are more old structures around the Kokilpeyari zamindar house. Nearby places known locally include a Buddhist temple, Sriloknath Saha's house, Telibari, Ukilbari and Dasbari. Visitors can therefore see several historical structures close to one another.
Kalakopa in Nawabganj can be reached by road from Dhaka, via the Nayabazar Buriganga bridge or via the third Buriganga bridge towards the Dohar-Nawabganj area. Asking local people for the 'Jajbari' or Kokilpeyari zamindar house makes it easier to find the destination.
