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The Mathurapur Deul, a centuries-old archaeological monument in Faridpur, Bangladesh, is slowly succumbing to ruin as neglect and structural damage take their toll. This distinctive 12-sided tower, believed to date back to the 17th century, is a rare example of medieval temple architecture in the region.

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People from home and abroad come here every day, but due to a lack of maintenance the deul is deteriorating. The person responsible for its upkeep has not come even once in the past three months.

Significant portions of the nearly 400-year-old structure have already collapsed. The roots of a large banyan tree, growing nearly 11 meters above the ground on the monument's northern side, have penetrated deep into the walls, exacerbating existing cracks and raising serious concerns about further deterioration. Rainwater seepage through damaged walls has also weakened the structure.

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rainwater had seeped through cracks in the wall, weakening the bricks. One day a visitor pulled on a loose brick while taking photos, causing several bricks to crumble. A few days later, a larger portion collapsed at night.

Local residents have expressed dismay over the lack of upkeep. Osman Mia, a local resident, stated that visitors come from both home and abroad, but the deul is deteriorating due to a lack of maintenance. He noted that the person responsible for its upkeep has not visited the site in three months. Another resident, Md Tanzil Hossain Mia, recounted an incident where a visitor's action of pulling a loose brick led to further crumbling, followed by a larger collapse at night.

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part of the northern wall collapsed about two weeks ago. After visiting the site, he sent video footage and reports to higher authorities.

Shariful Islam, site director of the Department of Archaeology, confirmed that a section of the northern wall collapsed approximately two weeks ago. He has sent reports and video footage to higher authorities and received instructions to preserve the fallen bricks. An expert team is expected to assess the damage. Islam also mentioned that the banyan tree was present before his tenure and that his proposal to remove it was met with a request from the Dhaka office for further information.

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it had already been growing on the structure before he took charge in August 2024. “I proposed removing it, but the Dhaka office asked m