Architecture of Authority: A Historical and Structural Study of the Binod Bihari Sadhu Zamindar Complex in Southwestern Bangladesh

Abstract

Binod Bihari Sadhu Zamindar Complex, Kapulmuni Union, Paikgacha Upazila, Bangladesh, is an interesting historical site that represents the dual story of colonial Bengal. This was an example of hierarchical power and true community stewardship. This study examines the history, architecture and symbolic power of the Zamindari, particularly in terms of its power and philanthropy. The research adopts a qualitative, multidisciplinary perspective, employing direct field observations, sketches and photographic documentation to explore the complex’s spatial structure and materiality. Sixteen local elders and two historians were interviewed using purposive sampling, with the physical evidence triangulated with this oral history. A reliable historical timeline has also been established by theme and architecture, complementing the secondary archival data. The results show a unique fusion of traditional Bengali, colonial and Indo-Islamic architectural features in the complex. In terms of space, it was its imposing columns and arched facades, designed as deliberate statements of authority, which visually represented the local Hindu zamindari class’s association with the British colonial government. On the other hand, the main house, Binod Bhaban, became the center of Ray Saheb Binod Bhari’s lifelong philanthropic endeavors. The physical nature of welfare actions—such as schools, hospitals, cooperative societies, and large-scale famine interventions—significantly reconfigured the Complex’s symbolic role. It illustrates that this complex once again served as an instrument of elite colonial domination and that it became an enduring legacy of public service, remembered today as a monument to Binod Bihari’s deep humanitarian vision.