Riyad
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Zia’s grave being removed
Sharifuzzaman |
Zia's mazar complex
Bangladesh national parliament house
The government has taken a decision in principle to remove the grave of former president and founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area in the capital.
The housing and public works ministry has proposed removal of the graves of seven other distinguished personalities from JS complex area arguing that the graves were not in the original design of American architect Louis I Kahn who designed Bangladesh’s national parliament.
Other than the eight graves, there are also seven establishments in the JS complex area which were not in the I Kahn’s design. Of them, Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) and the residences of speaker and deputy speaker are prominent.
Earlier, a petrol pump which was set up during the regime of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami on the opposite side of Asad Gate was demolished. The BNP-Jamaat government had allocated the land to a brother of BNP standing committee member and former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas.
According to the original design, it was supposed to have the Bangladesh Secretariat at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, but the BNP government built the Bangladesh China Friendship International Conference Centre on a piece of 10 acres of land there which was later renamed as BICC by the present Awami League government.
Although the government is planning to shift the secretariat to Agargaon, it is waiting to do so until it gets the original design which is now preserved in Pennsylvania University.
When contacted, the housing and public works minister, Mosharraf Hossain, said the graves are supposed to be either in Banani, or Azimpur, or Mirpur graveyards, why will the grave be in the JS complex?
“Besides, Louis I Kahn has kept no space for any grave in his design,” he added.
In response to a question, the minister said he thinks that all structures beyond the Kahn’s design should be removed from the JS complex area.
Asked whether the government will then remove the residences of speaker and deputy speaker and the BICC, the minister said the government would take a decision in this regard only after getting the original design of I Kahn.
The BNP leaders, however, said the government’s move to evict the graves is only aimed at removing Zia’s grave from the area.
Talking to the Prothom Alo, BNP standing committee member and former chief of army staff Mahbubur Rahman said raising a question as to why Zia’s grave was built there after such a long time is irrelevant and unrealistic.
“Removing Zia’s grave will be a heinous act and it will sow anew the seed of vengeance, conflict and hatred.”
According to sources in the parliament secretariat, the government has allotted as much as $40 million to collect the original design of Louis Kahn.
Ziaur Rahman was primarily buried at Rangunia in Chittagong on 30 May 1981 where he was killed, but on the very next day his body was retrieved from the grave and flown to Dhaka and buried at Chandrima Udyan after a mammoth namaz-e-janaza in the parliament square.
The seven other people who were buried in the parliament complex in the time period from after 1975 to 1982 are former president Abdus Sattar, former prime ministers Shah Azizur Rahman and Ataur Rahman Khan, former minister Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia, Muslim League leader Khan A Sabur, litterateur and journalist Abul Mansur Ahmad and Tomij Uddin.
Zia’s grave being removed
Sharifuzzaman |
Zia's mazar complex
Bangladesh national parliament house
The government has taken a decision in principle to remove the grave of former president and founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area in the capital.
The housing and public works ministry has proposed removal of the graves of seven other distinguished personalities from JS complex area arguing that the graves were not in the original design of American architect Louis I Kahn who designed Bangladesh’s national parliament.
Other than the eight graves, there are also seven establishments in the JS complex area which were not in the I Kahn’s design. Of them, Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) and the residences of speaker and deputy speaker are prominent.
Earlier, a petrol pump which was set up during the regime of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami on the opposite side of Asad Gate was demolished. The BNP-Jamaat government had allocated the land to a brother of BNP standing committee member and former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas.
According to the original design, it was supposed to have the Bangladesh Secretariat at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, but the BNP government built the Bangladesh China Friendship International Conference Centre on a piece of 10 acres of land there which was later renamed as BICC by the present Awami League government.
Although the government is planning to shift the secretariat to Agargaon, it is waiting to do so until it gets the original design which is now preserved in Pennsylvania University.
When contacted, the housing and public works minister, Mosharraf Hossain, said the graves are supposed to be either in Banani, or Azimpur, or Mirpur graveyards, why will the grave be in the JS complex?
“Besides, Louis I Kahn has kept no space for any grave in his design,” he added.
In response to a question, the minister said he thinks that all structures beyond the Kahn’s design should be removed from the JS complex area.
Asked whether the government will then remove the residences of speaker and deputy speaker and the BICC, the minister said the government would take a decision in this regard only after getting the original design of I Kahn.
The BNP leaders, however, said the government’s move to evict the graves is only aimed at removing Zia’s grave from the area.
Talking to the Prothom Alo, BNP standing committee member and former chief of army staff Mahbubur Rahman said raising a question as to why Zia’s grave was built there after such a long time is irrelevant and unrealistic.
“Removing Zia’s grave will be a heinous act and it will sow anew the seed of vengeance, conflict and hatred.”
According to sources in the parliament secretariat, the government has allotted as much as $40 million to collect the original design of Louis Kahn.
Ziaur Rahman was primarily buried at Rangunia in Chittagong on 30 May 1981 where he was killed, but on the very next day his body was retrieved from the grave and flown to Dhaka and buried at Chandrima Udyan after a mammoth namaz-e-janaza in the parliament square.
The seven other people who were buried in the parliament complex in the time period from after 1975 to 1982 are former president Abdus Sattar, former prime ministers Shah Azizur Rahman and Ataur Rahman Khan, former minister Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia, Muslim League leader Khan A Sabur, litterateur and journalist Abul Mansur Ahmad and Tomij Uddin.
Zia’s grave being removed
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