The evidence says about Armenian community in the region during 17th to 18th century and their existence. Armenian Church
was build in 1781 on Armenian Street in Armanitola. The site was an
American graveyard before before the church built. Agaminus Catachik, an
Armenian, gave away the land to build the church. Michel Cerkess,
Okotavata Setoor Sevorg, Aga Amnius, and Merkers Poges helped build the
church.
Mother Teresa stayed in this church during a visit to Dhaka.
In the old graveyard, among the 350
people buried there, a statue stands at the grave of Catachik Avatik
Thomas, portraying his wife. The statue was bought from Kolkata and the
grave is inscribed with the words "Best of Husband." Following the
domination of their homeland by Persian powers of the time, Armenians
were sent by their new rulers to the Bengal region for both political
and economic reasons. Although the Armenian presence in South Asia is
now insignificant, their presence in Dhaka dates back to the 17th
century. Armenians came to Dhaka for business, and have been
acknowledged for displaying a passion for trade comparable to that of
the Bengalis of the time. In Dhaka, Armenian merchants traded in jute
and leather, and profitability in these businesses convinced some to
move permanently to Bangladesh. The area where they lived became known
as Armanitola.
In 1781 the now famous Armenian Church
was built on Armenian Street in Armanitola, then a thriving business
district. The site was an Armenian graveyard before the church was
built, and the tombstones that have survived serve as a chronicle of
Armenian life in the area. Agaminus Catachik, an Armenian, gave away the
land to build the church. Michel Cerkess, Okotavata Setoor Sevorg, Aga
Amnius, and Merkers Poges helped build the church.
In the fifty years following the
church's construction, a clock tower was erected on its western side.
Allegedly, the clock could be heard four miles away, and people
synchronized their watches with the sound of the tower's bell. The clock
stopped in 1880, and an earthquake destroyed the tower in 1897. The
Armenian played a prominent part in the jute trade in Dhaka and are
reputed to be the pioneers of that trade in the second half of the 19th
century. Today, the last Armenian that takes cares of the church is
Mikhail Hopcef Martirossian (Micheal Joseph Martin). He was also one of
the Armenian who was in the jute trade.
How to go:
This place is known as American Apostolic Church of the Holy Resurrection, located at Armanitola, Old Town Dhaka. Take local transports to visit this holy place.Courtesy: OFF ROAD BANGLADESH
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