Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur

General threats:

a) Lack of capacity in conservation techniques;

b) Lack of management mechanism;

c) Lack of monitoring system;

d) Lack of human and financial resources.

Specific threats:

e) Negative impact of telephone tower built by the State Party within the property buffer zone on heritage and landscape value; Property boundaries and buffer zone boundaries not clearly defined;

f) Inadequate statement of Outstanding Universal Value;

g) Absence of specific and practical management plan for Paharpur;

h) Drainage and internal moisture contents problem.

Total amount provided to the property: USD 390,000 received from UNDP, UNESCO, Japan Funds-in-Trust and NORAD for the Safeguarding Campaign Project.

On 21 December 2006, the Department of Archaeology of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs submitted a report to respond to the decisions taken by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th session (Durban, 2005). The State Party report notes the following:

1. In November 2005, four site attendants were hired to strengthen security, and the deployment of five additional guards is now being organised.
2. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs conducted an “environmental impact assessment of the telephone tower on the heritage and landscape values of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur” in June 2005. Their report noted that the 43 meter high telephone tower located at a distance of 613 meters from the northeast corner of the monastery was aesthetically disturbing as it was much higher than the central temple of the monastery. They proposed that it should be shifted at least 500 meters further away. Following this recommendation, the tower was removed and replaced by two lower towers outside of the buffer zone and not visible from the site.
3. The State Party will carry out a study of the property’s drainage problems for eventual consideration and review by the World Heritage Centre. This activity was delayed due to political unrest and changes within the Ministry.An international seminar on drainage problems is currently being planned to be held later this year.
l>

However, the report provided by the State Party does not respond to the request made by the 29th session (Durban, 2005) to redefine the limits of the core and buffer zones of the property “on the basis of a stronger Statement of Outstanding Universal Value”. This was the most critical of the Committee’s requests to the State Party, given its importance for defining and sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the site, and ICOMOS is very concerned that the State Party report makes no reference to this point.

In addition, there is no specific site management plan, although this is urgently required in order to ensure the management and preservation of the property. The UNESCO Dhaka Office has suggested that assistance should be provided to the national authorities and therefore the State Party is encouraged to request International Assistance.