The Panchagarh Rocks Museum, in Panchagarh Government Mohila College, is the first rocks museum in Bangladesh, set up at the initiative of Nazmul Haque, Principal of the College, in 1997. Nazmul Haque, principal of Panchagarh Government Mohila College, discovered the rocks and founded an educational institution based museum on March 1, 1997. The Deputy Commissioner, Panchagarh, A.F.M. Saiful Islam formally inaugurated the museum on October 25, 1997.
The rocks museum was set up here due to the congenial geo-graphical atmosphere at the food of the Himalayan Mountains and the Zoological characteristics of this area different from the other parts of Bangladesh. The Stones of the “Tertiary periods” extending from 1.6 million to 60 million years have been found in the districts of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in India adjacent to Panchagarh district. The stone made tools and other materials of the “Neolithic age are discovered in the areas of “Badamtam”, “Dongrabosti”, “Kalimpong”, “Puddong”, ” Sindidong” in Darjeeling, A huge number of specified Rocks was also found in Panchagarh district.
The museum is divided into two parts, external and internal. In the external gallery has a huge number of rocks; and in the internal gallery, there are small stones of different ages. The samples of old architecture of this region are reflected in the traits or ethnical characteristics of this region.
Collection of Rocks: Petrified Wood and Fossilized Rocks, Granite, Quartzite Shell, Lime Stone, Sist, Hard Rock, Basalt, Silica, Nice, Clay-Rock etc. have been preserved in the museum for public display. These are sized by 3-4 inches to 10 feet there 60 pieces of rocks.
There are about 50 pieces of archaeological Rocks preserved in the museum. Most of these Rocks are transferred from another place. Symbolic human figures, engraved on some rocks, different incomprehensible letters and words along with ‘Chinese’ are also found. ‘Biahmmi’, ‘Kharsty’ language are inscribed. Some geometrical diagrams and bows and arrows are engraved. Some slabs are made of Rocks. These works prove the existence of the aborigines and the tradition of human habitation in the region.
Besides “Puja” (prayer) offerings on pieces of rocks, stone made plant and bowel, stairs, low stone seats, flat rocks for crushing ets. used of rocks for various purpose prove that “neolithic” civilization fully flourished in this region.
The stone slabs with artistic engravings collected from Vitargarh are similar to the engraved stones of Paharpur Bodha Bihar. It is assumed that at least some small “Bodha Bihar” existed in that area in ancient time.
The other collections, are mostly countable. Two Archaeological boats (made with only one truck of tree and about 500 to 1000 years ago and Multicolored sand and earth, petrified ‘shall wood’ and net, ancient pictured bamboo fearing, various antics, ancient writings.
Shamsuzzaman Khan, Director General of National Museum and Hanti Glasi, Professor, Indiana University of USA visited the Rocks Museum on May 14, 2000.
