Staff Correspondent

The Government of Bangladesh has formed a high-level inspection committee to assess the current status of valuable jewels—most notably the historic ‘Daria-i-Noor’ diamond—and other ornaments originally belonging to the Nawab family of Dhaka.

Historical records reveal that under a mortgage agreement (Indenture) dated 6 August 1908, between the Commissioner of Dhaka Division on behalf of the Government of Eastern Bengal and Assam and Nawab Sir Salimullah Bahadur C.S.I., several movable assets, including the Daria-i-Noor diamond, were taken into government custody.

Due to financial constraints, the Nawab family mortgaged these assets to secure a loan of 1.4 million rupees (₹14,00,000) at 3% annual interest, to be repaid within 30 years. However, the loan was never repaid, and the jewels were consequently taken over as Court of Wards property, currently managed by the Land Reforms Board and stored in a vault at Sonali Bank.

Although several committees have been formed over the decades, no official inspection of the vault or inventory of the jewels has ever been documented, raising concerns over the present condition and safety of the items.

To address this, the government has now constituted the following 11-member inspection committee:The committee members are :Cbinet Secretary – Chairperson, Principal Secretary to the Chief Advisor’s Office – Member, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs – Member, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Land – Member, Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs – Member, Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs – Member, Deputy Governor, Bangladesh Bank – Member, Director General, National Museum – Member, Managing Director, Sonali Bank – Member, a gem expert (to be nominated) – Member snd Chairman (Secretary), Land Reforms Board – Member-Secretary

The committee has been tasked with opening the vault, verifying the jewels, and preparing a detailed report on the findings. The report will be reviewed to obtain legal opinions and decide on appropriate preservation and security measures for the historically and culturally significant gems.

This initiative comes after 117 years since the Daria-i-Noor and other ornaments were sealed away—marking a significant moment in re-evaluating and possibly reclaiming a forgotten chapter of the region’s aristocratic heritage.