Surendra Nath Banerji ordered the hall to be built in 1893 to commemorate British MP, Charles Bradlaugh. The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) have partnered to repair the interior and exterior portions of Bradlaugh Hall, as well as other structures.
The hall, which is located on Rattigan Road in Lahore, was constructed in honor of Charles Bradlaugh, a British member of parliament. The auditorium was converted into a technical school and renamed the National Technical Institute after India’s partition.
During British control in India, it was erected under the direction of former Indian National Congress president Surendra Nath Banerji in 1893.
“The Bradlaugh Hall, situated on the Rattigan Road in Lahore, stood as an icon of revolution in entire British India for over a century,” Tania Qureshi, historian, and WCLA In Charge Marketing, said of Bradlaugh Hall’s history and significance. It was founded thanks to the Indian National Congress’s fundraising efforts.” “In 1893, the Indian National Congress convened its annual session in Bradlaugh Hall,” she said. All of India’s notable independence warriors, including Bhagat Singh, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Lala Rajpat Rai, and Jawaharlal Nehru, attended meetings here regularly and stayed affiliated with this historic structure.”
“The fundamental purpose of the MoU is to repair this ancient structure as well as enhance tourism activities at Walled City and its nearby regions,” stated Dr. Amir Ahmad, the Board Chairman of ETPB, who also convened the meeting between WCLA and ETPB. The ETPB will transfer possession of the hall to the WCLA, which will subsequently commence restoration work on the Bradlaugh hall, as per the MoU.
According to Dr. Amir Ahmad, the reconstruction surgery might take up to two years. The WCLA will return possession to the ETPB once the rehabilitation is complete. The WCLA’s Director-General, Kamran Lashari, described it as a historical masterpiece in need of immediate care and repair.
