The revenue earnings of 2020-'21 fiscal year under the department of Archeology and Museum, Cumilla, fall drastically due to closure of the museums and the archeological sites surrounding the Lalmai-Moinamoti hills on the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic.
According to sources, Lalmai- Moinamoti hill areas are enriched with archeological sites of the country. The Palace of Queen Moinamoti is situated at the farthest northern corner of this 13 mile long and two and a half miles broad hilly region and in the farthest southern part of Lalmati hill, the Temple of Ghandi Mura is situated. By excavating this huge region, at least 13 archeological sites have been discovered.
The sites are Courtbari Teal Forest Buddha Vihara, Rupban Mura, Itakhola Mura, Hatigor Mura, Laticoat Mura, Andan Vihara, Bhoj Vihara, Chandi Mura, Koutila Mura, Char Patra Mura, Palace of Bhoj King and the Palace of Queen Moinamoti.
Thousands of valuable archeological exhibit items have been recovered by excavating the sites. These exhibits include-tilling of land by the farmer, artistic gold, silver and bronze plates, artistic burnt-soil plaques, bronze handles, metallic cooking pots, iron nails, metallic statue, earthenwares, gold nugget, broze and. stone statues, decorated bricks and animal body parts.
The Moinamoti Museum was built beside the Teakforest Vihara in 1965. Thousands of visitors from various parts of the country and around the world used to visit the sites daily. The government used to earn a large amount of revenue realised as fees from the visitors.
Some of the archeological sites discovered in Cumilla being situated inside Moinamoti cantonment were not open to the common visitors. The government was earning millions of Taka every year from the fees realised from the visitors by selling entry tickets to Moinamoti Museum, Shalbonbouddha Vihara, Itakhol and Rupban Mura. But, from mid March-2020, the income dropped fully due to closure of the sites for the lockdown caused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to sources, in 2019-'20 fiscal year more than 490,000 visitors, researchers visited the archeological sites and the exhibits of Lalmai-Mainamoti hills. The government earned Tk. 9,834,000 as revenue by selling entry tickets from those visitors the same year.
Due to lock-down and closure of movement of vehicles, the revenue income drops to a half in 2020-'21 fiscal year.
Hasibul Sumi, Custodian of Cumilla Courtbari Museum informed, in 2020-'21, the the total number of visitors at Court Bari Shalbon Buddha Vihara, Moinamoti Museum, Itakhola and Rupban Mura reduced to less than 250,00o and the revenue earning from selling entry tickets to the visitors was Tk 5,430,000 which is nearly a half of the previous year.
