Description:
Idrakpur Fort is located at Munshiganj which is a part of Dhaka division. It is a river fort which was probably built by the Mughal subadar Mir Jumla approximately in 1660 A.D. The reason behind its construction was to protect Dhaka and Narayanganj from the Magh and Portuguese pirates. The subadar had eagerness to establish the control of Mughal Empire in Munsiganj as well. The fort was originally built on the bank of the junction of the river Meghna and Ichhamati as the Portuguese and Magh pirates used this point to enter Dhaka and to loot some cities like Sonargaon, Bikrampur(historic name of Munshiganj). According to the strategy of its construction, whenever the pirates made an approach to move forward Dhaka, the Mughal soldiers would be ordered to start firing mortars from the fort and the pirates had to retreat or die on the rivers.
This brick built fort is divided into two parts- the quadrangular eastern part and the polygonal western part. The main entrance gate of the fort is on the North side. The fort has an open area surrounded by a thick wall with bastions at the angles which is 86.87-meter from north to south in length and 59.60-meter in width by measuring. The pirates were targeted from the wall and then mortars wire fired. The fort has an elevate rounded drum of of 32.5-meter in diameter and 9.14-meter high in its eastern part which consists of three layers. The fort has a staircase leading to a secret room at the foot of the drum for emergency exit to safe destination.
