Top 10 Astonishing Facts about National Parliament House, Bangladesh

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh. By Nahid Sultan & Saiful Aopu-Wikipedia

Top 10 Astonishing  Facts about National Parliament House, Bangladesh

National Parliament House,  is the house of the Parliament of Bangladesh, it is also referred to as Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. It is  located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. It was designed while the country was still part of Pakistan by architect Louis Kahn, the complex is one of the largest legislative complexes in the world, covering 200 acres (810,000 m2).

Before its completion, the first and second Parliaments used the Old Sangsad Bhaban, which currently serves as the Prime Minister’s Office. The construction was started in 1961 when Bangladesh was East Pakistan, led by Ayub Khan from the West Pakistan capital of Islamabad. It was designed by Louis Kahn.

This article details the Top 10 Astonishing facts about National Parliament house that you should consider knowing. These facts include the following;

1.It was featured in the 2003 Film ‘My Architect’

The building was featured prominently in the 2003 film My Architect,  It is detailing the career and familial legacy of its architect, Louis Kahn. Robert McCarter, author of Louis I. Kahn, It is described the National Parliament of Bangladesh as one of the twentieth century’s most significant buildings.

2. It was designed by Louis Kahn

The National Parliament house was designed by Louis Kahn. The government sought assistance from South Asian activist and architect Muzharul Islam who recommended bringing in the world’s top architects for the project. He initially attempted to bring Alvar Aalto and Le Corbusier, who were both unavailable at the time. Islam then enlisted Kahn, his former teacher at Yale.

3. The building construction was completed after  Bangladesh Liberation War

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh. By Nahid Sultan & Saiful Aopu-Wikipedia

Construction was halted during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and was completed on 28 January 1982. Louis Kahn died when the project was approximately three-quarters completed and it continued under David Wisdom, who worked for Louis Kahn.

The Bangladesh Liberation war was referred to as the Bangladesh War of Independence. It was a revolution and armed conflict that  sparked due to the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in erstwhile East Pakistan which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh. 

4.Its among the largest government complexes in the world

The National Parliament house of Bangladesh has been listed as one of the largest government complexes in the world that conducts parliamentary functions of Bangladesh. Unlike other modernist constructions, the national assembly building reflects the Bengali Vernacular architecture. Historically, it was conceived by the government of Pakistan in 1959, until Louis Kahn was commissioned to design it in 1962.

5. The building received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture

In 1989, the parliament building received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture  is an architectural prize  that was established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community development and improvement, restoration, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment.

6. The main plaza is the parliament Chamber

Parliament chamber in main plaza, By Rossi101 at English Wikipedia

The most important part of the Main Plaza is the Parliament Chamber, it can house up to 354 members during sessions. There are also two podia and two galleries for VIP visitors. The chamber has a maximum height of 117 ft (36 m) with a parabolic shell roof. The roof was designed with a clearance of a single story to let in daylight. Daylight, reflecting from the surrounding walls and octagonal drum, filters into the Parliament Chamber.

7. It faces the Manik Mia Avenue

The South Plaza faces the Manik Mia Avenue. The Widest Road in Dhaka City, Located in front of National Parliament House of Bangladesh. It gradually rises to a 20′ height and serves as a beautiful exterior as well as the main entrance; it is used by members during sessions to the Parliament Building. It contains: controlling gates; a driveway; a main mechanical plant room; offices of maintenance engineers; equipment stores; and an open plaza with steps and ramps leading directly to the main building.

8. The Presidential Plaza

It functions as an intimate plaza for the MPs and other dignitaries. It contains marble steps, a gallery and an open pavement. The Presidential Plaza lies to the North and faces Lake Road. 

9. Its a tourist attraction

View of National Parliament of Bangladesh, By Pinu Rahman –Wikipedia

Although entrance to the Bhaban, the Main Building, is limited to authorized members of Parliament and staff, the National Parliament house  is a  complex building that is always open to visitors. North of the complex, across the Lake Road, is Crescent Lake and Chandrima Uddan. The two complexes together form a major attraction for tourists in Dhaka, especially during national holidays. The complexes are popular among joggers and skaters of Dhaka as well, since the complex is a popular walking route which can be seen every morning and evening. The Complex can be accessed using any of the four roads surrounding it, however, the Manik Mia Avenue and Lake Road are the easiest approaches.

10. The Bhaban Building has nine individual blocks

Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh. By Nahid Sultan & Saiful Aopu-Wikipedia

The Bhaban which is the main building of the National Parliament House  consists of nine individual blocks: the eight peripheral blocks rise to a height of 110′ while the central octagonal block rises to a height of 155′. All nine blocks include different groups of functional spaces and have different levels, inter-linked horizontally and vertically by corridors, lifts, stairs, light courts, and circular areas. The entire structure is designed to blend into one single, non-differentiable unit, that appears from the exterior to be a single story.

The main committee rooms are located at level two in one of the peripheral blocks. All parliamentary functionaries, including Ministers and chairpersons of some Standing Committees, have offices in the Bhaban. The Parliament Secretariat also occupies offices in the same building.