Mir Jumla II, a Subahdar or governor of Bengal under the Mughal Empire, ordered the construction of Sonakanda Fort between 1660 and 1663 AD. Historical records indicate this specific window of time when the fort began to rise from the riverbank, though the exact date remains a mystery to archaeologists.
Sonakanda Fort is located on the eastern bank of the Shitalakshya River in Narayanganj, Bangladesh. The Shitalakshya River flows silently past the crumbling walls of the fort, which serves as a riverine redoubt designed to protect the capital city of Dhaka and the trade hub of Narayanganj.
Local legend states that the name of Sonakanda Fort derives from Princess Swarnamoyee, whose name means gold and whose crying in Bengali is kanda. The princess was the daughter of Kedar Roy, ruler of Bikrampur, and she cried for several days in her tent at the fort after being refused entry by her father due to caste concerns.
The raised outwork on the western face of Sonakanda Fort stands 6.09 metres in height and is surrounded by two circular structures measuring 15.70 metres and 19.35 metres in diameter respectively. The corner bastions on the western wing are 6.85 metres in width, which is wider than the 4.26 metres width of the eastern side bastions.
The World Monuments Fund included Sonakanda Fort on its 2008 Watch List to recognize its historical significance and the urgent need for preservation. This designation highlights the fort as one of three river forts built by Mir Jumla II, alongside Hajiganj Fort and Idrakpur Fort, to form a defensive line against pirates.