The last guardian of Dhaka's Armenian heritage

Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection in Dhaka (Courtesy: Armenian Church of Bangladesh)

The two-storied white-colored church sparkles and stands quietly in the midst of a flurry of high-rise residential buildings in Armenian Street of Armanitola in the old part of Dhaka.

Dozens of tombs in the adjacent graveyard recall the Armenians who lived and died in Bangladesh's capital.

Built in 1781, the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection is not just a historic landmark but also bears testimony to Dhaka's once-thriving Armenian community, which was credited with shaping the economic and social life of the city in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Set up in 1868, Holy Cross Catholic Church, not far from the Armenian church, has a sizable Christian community.

Armenian Street and the Armanitola area are testament to a bygone era. However, much of the glorious legacy of Armenians in Dhaka including the church could have been lost without Michael Joseph Martin, the last resident Armenian of Dhaka.

Martin was the warden of the church for more than three decades. His singlehanded efforts were instrumental in reviving the church from a shambles, literally.

Martin's three daughters — Eleanor, Christine and Cheryl — settled in Canada years ago, but he stayed in Bangladesh with his wife, Veronica, to take care of the church.

Veronica passed away in 2003 and was buried in the church's graveyard, but Martin stayed put until his declining health forced him to move to Canada in 2014.

Before leaving, he passed on the wardenship to Armen Arslanian, an Armenian businessman based in Los Angeles in the US.

Martin died in Canada peacefully on April 10 at the age of 89. His demise brought an end to an era of Armenians in Dhaka that is now part of history.

Arslanian paid tribute to Martin for being instrumental in maintaining the survival of the Armenian church and history in Dhaka.

"Without his many personal sacrifices and complete devotion to the church, the premises and the history of the Armenians in Dhaka would not have survived today," said Arslanian, 60, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"He and his family spearheaded what can only be described as a monumental effort to preserve our beautiful church, and it is something that will never be forgotten."

Like many Armenian immigrants across the world, Arslanian's parents fled to Argentina in the 1920s to escape the horrors of Armenian genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire.

He travels to Bangladesh several times a year to look after the church.

 

Martin's legacy

Michael Joseph Martin

Michael Martin's legacy is unforgettable, said Liz Chater, a UK-based Armenian family historian specializing in Armenian genealogy in India and Southeast Asia.

"Mr. Martin took over the wardenship during a very difficult time during the mid-1980s when the existence of the historical Armenian church was in danger. Taking advantage of the state of disarray and abandonment the church was submerged in, some unscrupulous groups and crooked individuals were trying to take control of the church assets," she told UCA News.

"He heroically and resiliently stood up to defend our church against all foes. He's the only reason why today we have proudly standing the Armenian Apostolic Church of Holy Resurrection."

A few years back, Chater and Arslanian were among those embarking on an unprecedented effort to bring to life the Armenian heritage in Bangladesh through the Bangladesh Armenian Heritage Project, which aims to "build the stories, starting from the ground up" of the Armenian communities of Bangladesh and India.

"It is our duty to uphold and defend Mr. Martin's legacy. We owe this to Mr. Martin as well as to future generations," Chater said.

Born to Armenian parents in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma, in 1930, Martin left for Kolkata, India, with his family during World War II.

He studied at Armenian institutes in Kolkata and started his career at his father's business firm, Martin and Sons. He also worked for a jute trading company and later started his own businesses including water transport, jute and electrical goods.

In the mid-1980s, Martin was frustrated to know that a local individual called Siddik, who was assigned to take care of the Armenian church, was conspiring with some locals and foreigners to take over the church and its properties.

Martin moved to Dhaka and found the church in a sorry state — the structure crumbling, the graveyard full of garbage and church properties illegally occupied.

He defied all the odds, including intimidation, abusive behavior and court cases, to restore the church and the graveyard with his own funds and started a marketplace, Armenian Plaza, on church property to create a steady line of income for the church.

He lived in the red-brick Parsonage House beside the church, maintained the centuries-old register of births, deaths and marriages and took care of the ancient tombstones. He also started a monthly free food and medical program for the poor and needy people in the locality.

Martin's relentless efforts triggered significant media coverage and kept the Armenian diaspora informed about the community's heritage in Bangladesh.

''Whatever happens, I'm determined not to let this church go to rack and ruin,'' Martin told the BBC in 2003.

Michael Martin was a "lonesome but valiant warrior" protecting the Armenian church and heritage, and his extraordinary life and dedication are an example for all, said Holy Cross Father James Shyamol Gomes, parish priest of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Luxmibazar in Old Dhaka.

"I have met Martin several times and visited the church, so I can say he was an exemplary Christian man. He was alone and not even a pastor, but he has done remarkable things to help revive the church and heritage of the Armenian community. His life teaches us we must love and protect our history and heritage," Father Gomes told UCA News.

Armenians in South Asia and Bengal

 

Starting in the 17th century, Armenians migrated to various parts of Southeast and South Asia, mainly for business. In then Bengal province of India, Armenians dominated the jute, salt and leather businesses.

Armenians are credited with introducing the ticca-garry (horse carriage), a major mode of transport in the city, and with making Dhaka a trade hub through trading fine textiles, raw silk and jute. They also popularized tea drinking in Bengal.

Armenians also learned the local language and worked as intermediaries between Europeans and locals, while wealthy Armenians were engaged in philanthropy, social and cultural services.

Pogose School in Dhaka, set up in 1848 by Armenian merchant and landowner Nicholas Pogose, was the first private school in the country and still one of the most prestigious schools in the city.

Pogose also served as one of the first commissioners of Dhaka Municipality (now City Corporation) from 1874 to 1875.

For various reasons including the migration of younger generations and the deaths of the elderly, Dhaka's Armenian community ceased to exist, but there are Armenians in several parts of India including Kolkata as well as in Hong Kong, Yangon, Malaysia and Singapore, Chater said.

"There is a lot more awareness of our heritage around the globe these days. The digital age, with online news reports and many platforms of social media, along with a growing interest generally have all helped to raise the profile of our beautiful church in Dhaka and our heritage and history," Chater added.

END

First published April 28, 2020

Original Article: The last guardian of Dhaka’s Armenian heritage

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