Mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
শেখ মুজিবুর রহমানের সমাধিসৌধ
The mausoleum is the resting place of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Map
General information
TypeMausoleum
Architectural styleModernist
LocationTungipara, Bangladesh
Coordinates22°54′23″N 89°53′47″E / 22.9063192°N 89.8963239°E / 22.9063192; 89.8963239
Construction started16 December 1998
Inaugurated10 January 2001
ClientGovernment of Bangladesh
Height14 metres (46 ft)
Technical details
Structural systemShell Structure
Grounds154,994.6 square metres (1,668,348 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Ehsan Khan
Ishtiaque Jahir
Iqbal Habib

The Mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bengali: বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমানের সমাধিসৌধ) is the mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder and the first president of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It is located in Tungipara of Gopalganj district, the birthplace of Mujib, and was designed by architects Ehsan Khan, Ishtiaque Jahir and Iqbal Habib.

After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in 1975, he was buried in his native Tungipara. For many years, the military junta restricted access to the gravesite. After the Awami League was elected in the 1996 general election, the Department of Archaeology officially commenced construction of the complex, which was opened in 2001.[1]

History

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After the liberation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the 2nd prime minister of the country after being released from Mianwali Jail in Pakistan and returning to his motherland. He then started living in his own residence with family instead of moving to the government residence. He lived in his own house till 15 August 1975.[2] On that day, some disgruntled army officers carried out the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. His wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, and Sheikh Russel were killed in the attack on their residence.[3][4]

The next day, the military junta buried all but Mujib's body in the Banani graveyard. It was decided to bury Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his birthplace, Tungipara, away from the country's capital. The Director General of Forces Intelligence assigned a major to hand over his body to his village relatives and supervise the burial. Major Haider Ali and 14 army personnel brought Mujib's dead body to Tungipara by helicopter. They found a distant relative of Mujib named Mosharraf Hussain whom they entrusted to bury Mujib. When a village imam was brought to perform the process, Ali asked him to bury the body without performing the funeral rites. Better than this, the imam said that if the dead person is a Shaheed, then he can be buried in this way. After listening to imam's answer, Major Ali asked to complete the funeral at low cost and quickly. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was buried next to his father after completing the burial.[5] Entry to his grave area was restricted for many years and no one was allowed to enter.[1]

Construction

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In 1994, architect Ehsan Khan, Ishtiaq Zahir and Iqbal Habib were commissioned to convert Bangabandhu's residence in Dhaka into a museum. After they completed the work in 1995, Sheikh Hasina asked them to build a mausoleum complex for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara. A year later, after Awami League came to power, the government selected them to implement the mausoleum complex project. They were given two years to complete the project. The prime minister gave them the basic idea of what will be built under the master plan. The construction started in 1998.[6] The foundation stone of the complex was laid on 17 March 1999 and inaugurated on 10 January 2001.[7] The complex has been designed in such a way that it fits into the village environment. Care was taken not to spoil the environment and nature of the area where the complex was built.[6]

Layout

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The mausoleum complex is situated on 38.30 acres land.[7]

Entrance gate of the mausoleum complex

Mausoleum

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The center of the complex has a tomb building. The tomb is located in front of the complex after passing the gardens on both sides. The tomb built of red ceramic and black and white marble, contains the graves of three people including Mujib and his parents. The grave is clad in white marble and surrounded by a dome. Light spills into the tomb through the latticed walls and the carved glass above.[7]

Library and museum

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The complex contains a library with 6,000 books and a museum. There is also an exhibition center featuring photographs of the Bangladesh War of Independence, as well as of Mujib from various periods and local-foreign historical newspapers. The coffin that carried Mujib is also preserved here. There are also a research center, open stage, public plaza, an administrative building, cafeteria, Bakultala Square, and a souvenir shop. Flower gardens and artificial hills line both sides of the wide road by the library.[7]

Ancestral residence and mosque

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The ancestral house of Mujib (left) and Sheikh family mosque (right)

There is Mujib's ancestral house beside the tomb and a Sheikh family mosque established in 1854.[8]

The old residence of the Sheikh family; the building was damaged during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971

Apart from this, there is historical places related to the life of Mujib such as a pond, family garden etc. There is an amusement park named after Sheikh Russel.[7]

List of burials

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Name Explanation Birth Death Notes
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Bangladeshi politician and founding father and 1st President of Bangladesh 1920 1975 Assassinated with his family during coup d'état.
Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Father of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1881 1975 Former Sheristadar at the Gopalganj civil court in British India.
Sayera Khatun Mother of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1886 1975 Housewife and the matriarch of Sheikh-Wazed political family.

Significance

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Annual ceremonies take place here on special occasions, such as on 26 March (Independence Day), 16 December (Victory Day), 17 March (Mujib's birthday) and 15 August (National Mourning Day). Dignitaries from foreign countries also visit the mausoleum during tours.[9]

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In 1984, Syed Fakhruddin Mahmud wrote a poem about the mausoleum titled Ekti Omor Somadhi (lit. 'An immortal tomb').[8]

An Immortal Tomb

"Stop wayfarer". A true Bengali, if you are

Stand for a moment, on this burial ground.

Here sleeps, Bengali's greatest leader

The liberator of this country, the jewel of Bengal's eyes.

Burned a hundred sorrows, who in exchange for life

Bengalis have been given a site, at the edge of the world..."

The poem is engraved on the stone at the entrance gate of the mausoleum complex.[7]

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  • Aerial view of the tomb
    Aerial view of the tomb
  • Mausoleum area
    Mausoleum area
  • A view of the mausoleum
    A view of the mausoleum
  • Main entrance of the tomb
    Main entrance of the tomb
  • Mausoleum garden
    Mausoleum garden

References

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  1. ^ a b Ahmed, Kamaluddin (15 August 2021). "Bangabandhu's Burial: An Unceremonious Journey". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  2. ^ Hasan, Mahbub (15 August 2020). ধানমন্ডি-৩২ এর সেই বাড়িটি যেভাবে হয়ে উঠলো ‘বঙ্গবন্ধু জাদুঘর’ [How that house in Dhanmondi-32 became 'Bangabandhu Museum']. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ "AL organises month-long programmes to mark National Mourning Day". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  4. ^ "68th birthday of Sheikh Kamal observed". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  5. ^ SA Karim (2005). "The End of the Mujib Regime". Sheikh Mujib: Triumph and Tragedy. Dhaka: The University Press Limited. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b Syed Tawsif Monowar (15 August 2022). "সাক্ষাৎকার: স্থপতি এহসান খান; চিরায়ত স্থাপত্যে চিরন্তন মুজিব" [Interview: Architect Ehsan Khan; Eternal Mujib in traditional architecture]. Ittefaq (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Sheikh Abdur Rahim (15 March 2022). "টুঙ্গিপাড়া একটি অমর সমাধি" [Tungipara: An immortal tomb]. Jugantor (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b Bala, Panna (15 August 2017). "ঘুরে আসুন বঙ্গবন্ধুর স্মৃতিধন্য টুঙ্গিপাড়া" [Visit Bangabandhu's memorial Tungipara]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Nation celebrates Bangabandhu's birthday". Bangla Tribune. 17 March 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
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