Bangladesh University of Professionals

Submitted by: Samiha Tasnim Promi

Roll: 2022151045
Section: A
Department of Finance and Banking, Batch-5
Bangladesh University of Professionals

Submitted to:
Dr. Mohammad Mozahidul Islam
Professor
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Finance and Banking
Bangladesh University of Professionals
 Architecture and Knowing
Bangladesh

Architecture of Bangladesh refers to the architectural attributes of Bangladesh. The architecture

of Bangladesh has a long history and is rooted in Bangladesh's culture, religion and history. It has
evolved over centuries and assimilated influences from social, religious and exotic communities.
The architecture of Bangladesh bears a remarkable impact on the lifestyle, tradition and cultural
life of Bangladeshi people. Bangladesh has many architectural relics and monuments dating back
thousands of years.

Bangladesh is a melting pot of races. She, therefore, has a mixed culture. Her deep-rooted
heritage is amply reflected in her architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting. Like
a colorful montage, the cultural tradition of the country is a happy blending of many variants,
unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical.

PALA BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE:

The earliest architectural heritages are seen from the Pala era. The Pala Empire was an early
Indian empire of Bengali Buddhist dynasty ruling from Bengal (which included present
day Bangladesh) from the 8th to the 12th centuries. The Palas created a distinctive form of
Bengali architecture and art known as the "Pala School of Sculptural Art." The gigantic
structures of Vikramashila Vihar, Odantpuri Vihar, and Jagaddal Vihar were masterpieces of the
Palas. These mammoth structures were destroyed by the forces of the infamous Bakhtiar Khilji.
The Somapura Mahavihara, a creation of Dharmapala, at Paharpur, Bangladesh, is the largest
Buddhist Vihara in the Indian subcontinent, and has been described as a "pleasure to the eyes of
the world." UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 1985. The Pala architectural style was
followed throughout south-eastern Asia and China, Japan, and Tibet. Bengal rightfully earned
the name "Mistress of the East".
Somapura Mahavihara

Somapura Mahavihara located in Paharpur, Badalgachi upazila in Naogaon district is among the
best-known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and one of the most important heritages
in the country. UNESCO designated it one of the World Heritage Site in 1985.

The quadrangular structure consists of 177 cells and a traditional Buddhist stupa in the center.
The rooms were used by the monks for accommodation and meditation. In addition to large
number of stupas and shrines of various shapes and sizes, terracotta plaques, stone sculptures,
inscriptions, coins, ceramics etc. have been discovered. It covers 27 acres. It was an important
intellectual center for Dharmic Traditions such as Buddhists, Jains, Hindus and alike. The
outside walls with ornamental terracotta plaques still display the influence of these three
religions.

The purpose of the central structure at the midst of the courtyard remains unsolved since its
discovery. Hence, most of the debates generated hitherto on the architecture of Sompura
Mahavihara are centered on the identification its missing superstructure. The reason may be
manifold, but the most important one is the non-availability of substantial amount of first-hand
resource including a comprehensive architectural documentation at the disposal of the
researchers. There are different arguments regarding the terminating top of the central structure
of Somapura Mahavihara.
INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE:
Indo Islamic architecture can also be called the Mughal architecture or the Muslim style of
architecture. The buildings have domes and indentures. The empire provided a protected
framework or structure for the flourishing of artistic pursuit and the rulers supplied mammoth
wealth in these arenas. The buildings have a central dome and a row of huge entrance. Main
entrance is large than any other entrances. There was an extensive use of mosaic. Overall it can
be said that the Mughal structure shows the power of the emperor and their army.

The Sultanate of Bengal was an era of the Central Asian origin Muslim Nawab dynasty that ruled
independently of the Mughal Empire from 1342 to 1576. Most of the Muslim architecture of the
period is found in the historic Gaur region, today's Rajshahi division and Malda district in West
Bengal. The architecture of the period is noted for the development of a uniquely local style
influenced by Bengali architectural traditions. Sultanate architecture is exemplified in structures
such as the Shat Gombuj Masjid, the Shona Masjid and the Lalbagh Fort.

Lalbagh Fort

Lalbagh fort is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex that stands the before the
Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka. For long the fort was considered to be a
combination of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-I-Aam), with
two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall. Recent excavations carried
out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh have revealed the existence of other
structures.

The southern fortification wall has a huge bastion in the southwestern corner. On the north of the
south fortification wall were the utility buildings, stable, administration block, and its western
part accommodated a beautiful roof-garden with arrangements for fountains and a water
reservoir. The residential part was located on the east of the west fortification wall, mainly to the
southwest of the mosque.

The fortification wall on the south had five bastions at regular intervals two stories in height, and
the western wall had two bastions; the biggest one is near the main southern gate. The bastions
had a tunnel.
The central area of the fort is occupied by three buildings – the Diwan-I-Aam and
the hammam on its east, the Mosque on the west and the Tomb of Pari Bibi in between the two –
in one line, but not at an equal distance. A water channel with fountains at regular intervals
connects the three buildings from east to west and north to south.

Choto Sona Mosque

Choto Shona Mosque is located in Chapai Nawabganj district of Bangladesh. The mosque is

situated about 3 kilometers south of the Kotwali Gate and 0.5 kilometres to the south-east of
the Mughal Tahakhana complex in the Firozpur Quarter.

The mosque was built during the reign of the Sultan of Bengal Alauddin Husain Shah, between
1493 and 1519. The fifteen domes of the mosque were once gilded, giving the mosque the name
of Choto Shona Masjid. The mosque is one of the best-preserved sultana monuments under
protection by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Governments of Bangladesh. The
gilding that gave the building its name does not exist anymore. The mosque premise, which
covers an area of 42 m from east to west by 43.5 m from north to south, was originally
surrounded by an outer wall (now restored) with a gateway in the middle of the east side.
Built of brick and stone, the mosque forms a rectangle having outside dimensions of 82 ft from
north to south and 52 ft from east to west. All the four walls are veneered externally and to some
extent also internally with granite stone blocks. These stones have disappeared from the southern
side of the west wall because of conservation works after the destruction by the earthquake of
1897. The four exterior angles of the building are strengthened with polygonal towers, of which
nine facets are visible. The cornices are curvilinear and have stone gutters to drain off the rain
water from the roof. There are five arched doorways in the eastern facade and three each on the
north and south walls. Corresponding to the five archways in the east wall there are five semi-
circular mihrabs inside the west wall.

At the northwest corner of the mosque there is a royal gallery forming an upper floor, which is
still standing in a dilapidated condition. It was approached from the northwest corner of the
mosque through a stepped platform connected with a doorway. The gallery has a mihrab in front.

Stone carving, brick-setting, terracotta, gilding, and glazed tiles were used in decorating the
building, and of them the former played the dominant role. The subject matters of the stone
carving were chosen according to the demand of the spaces, e.g., the borders of the panels with
creepers and their interior with various forms of stylized hanging patterns adapted from the
chain-and-bell of the Buddha and Jaina period. The spandrels of arches and the spaces above the
frames are always dotted with rosettes, an attractive form of designs, but are all carved
differently. The interior of the domes and vaults are decorated with terracotta, those of the vaults
being copies of the bamboo frames of local huts. All the frontal archways and those of
the mihrabs are cusped.

TERRACOTTA TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE:

Much of the terracotta temple architecture in Bangladesh dates to the late Islamic period and
early British period during which wealthy Hindu zamindars commissioned these structures.
These temples had specific architectural styles like: ek-chala (single-story or has a second story
built into a sloping roof), Do-chala (have a curved roof with two sloping sides), Char-chala (have
a curved roof composed of four triangular segments), At-chala (base structure is similar to the
four-sided char-chala temple style, but with a small replica of the base temple on top), Deul
(were generally smaller and included features influenced by Islamic architecture), Ek-ratna (base
structure is similar to the four-sided char-chala temple style, but the roof is quite different, flat
with a tower in the centre}, Pancharatna (has five pavilions or towers on the roof; four stand at
the corners of the main level, and one above) etc. Examples of such temples are The Pancharatna
Gobinda Temple at Puthia Temple Complex, Rajshahi, The Kantajew Temple, Dinajpur,
Sonarang Twin Temples in Munshiganj.

Kantajew Temple

Kantajew Temple at Kantanagar, is a late-medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The

Kantajew Temple is one of the most magnificent religious edifices belonging to the 18th century.
The temple belongs to the popular Hindu Kanta or Krishna and this is most popular with the
Radha-Krishna cult (assemble of memorable love) in Bengal. This beautiful temple is dedicated
to Krishna and his wife Rukmini Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in 1704
CE and ended in the reign of his son Raja Ramnath in 1722 CE. It boasts one of the greatest
examples on terracotta architecture in Bangladesh and once had nine spires, but all were
destroyed in an earthquake that took place in 1897.

The temple was built in a navaratna (nine-spired) style before the destruction caused by the
earthquake of 1897. The characteristic features of the erections are the four centered and wide
multi-cusped arches, the plastered surface of the walls having immense rectangular and square
panelings, prominence of the central archway and the central mihrab by making the slightly
larger and setting in a projected fronton in the outside directions, the use of ornamental turrets on
the either side of the fronton, the semi-octagonal mihrab apertures, the archway opening under
half-domes, the Persian muquarnas work in stucco inside the half-domes over the entrance arches
and mihrab niches, the bulbous outline of the domes with constructed necks, domes on octagonal
drums with lotus and kalasa finials as the crowning elements, the round pendentives to make up
the phase of transition for the domes and the multi-faced corner towers rising high above the
horizontal merloned parapets.

Puthia Temple Complex

The Puthia Temple Complex consists of a cluster of notable old Hindu temples in Puthia

Upazila, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Located 23 km to the east of Rajshahi city, it has the
largest number of historic temples in Bangladesh. The temples were built by
Hindu Zamindars Rajas of the Puthia Raj family who were noted philanthropists of Rajshahi.
The temples have been built in terracotta in a variety of styles combining the typical Jor-
bangla architecture with other influences. The Rajbari or Palace of the Raja of Puthia and the Dol
Mancha are part of the complex. The temples are laid out around a lake with a sprawling lawn.
BRITISH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE:
In the British period common bungalow style architecture was prevalent. The origin of
the bungalow has its roots in the historical Province of Bengal. The term baṅgalo, meaning
"Bengali" and used elliptically for a "house in the Bengal style". Such houses were traditionally
small, only one storey and detached, and had a wide veranda were adapted by the British, who
used them as houses for colonial administrators in summer retreats in the Himalayas and in
compounds outside Indian cities. he Bungalow style houses are still very popular in the rural
Bengal. In the rural areas of Bangladesh, it is often called Bangla Ghar (Bengali Style House).
The main construction material used in modern time is corrugated steel sheets. Previously they
had been constructed from wood, bamboo and a kind of straw called Khar. Khar was used in the
roof of the Bungalow house and kept the house cold during hot summer days. Another roofing
material for Bungalow houses has been red clay tiles.

Again, at the same time in the British colonial age predominantly representative buildings of the
Indo-European style developed, from a mixture of mainly Indian, European and Central Asian
(Islamic) components. Amongst the more prominent works are Ahsan
Manzil in Dhaka and Tajhat Palace in Rangpur City.

Ahsan Manjil

Ahsan Manjil was the official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka.[1] The building
is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Construction was started in 1859 and was completed in 1872. It was constructed in the Indo-
Saracenic Revival architecture. It has been designated as a national museum.

Ahsan Manzil is one of the most significant architectural monuments of Bangladesh. The
building has a broad front-facing the Buriganga River. On the river side, an open spacious
stairway leads right up to the second portal and on their stands the grand triple- arched portals.
There was once a fountain in the garden in front of the stairs which does not exist today. All
along the north and the south side of the building run spacious verandahs with an open terrace
projected in the middle.
The palace Ahsan Manzil is divided into two parts: the eastern side and the western side. The
eastern building with the dome is called the Rangmahal and the western side with the living
rooms is called Andarmahal. The high octagonal dome is placed on the central round room.
There is a large drawing room, card room, library, state room and two other guest rooms are
located on the east side of the palace. The ballroom, the Hindustani room and few residential
rooms are situated on the western side. A beautiful vaulted artificial ceiling, made of wood,
decorates the drawing room and the Jalsaghar. A splendid dining hall and few smaller rooms are
placed on the west part. The floors of the dining and Darbar Halls are decorated with white,
green and yellow colored ceramic tiles. The famous store room, where the valuables of the
Nawabs used to be stored, was in the middle of the five rooms located in the western half of the
ground floor. Along with those rooms a Darbar Hall or assembly hall and a chest room is also
placed there.

There are attractive wooden stairs in the room that is attached to the north of the domed room.
The balusters were ornamented with vine leaves made of iron along the railing of the stairs. The
wooden ceiling of the room, decorated with geometric designs, is very elegant. The verandas and
rooms are covered with marble. The doorways are placed within semicircular arches. The inner
doors had multi-colored glasses. Wooden beams supported the roof of these rooms. The
architecture and the decoration is one of a kind in whole Bangladesh.

The construction of the famous dome of the Ahsan Manzil, which is at the center of the palace,
took a lot tedious planning. The square room on the ground floor was built with a round shape
and brickworks were done around the corners. To give the room an octagonal shape, squinches
were given around the roof corners. The eight corners of the octagon were slanted gradually to
make the dome look like the bud of a lotus. The peak of this dome is 27.13 m above the ground.
Ahsan Manzil was severely damaged during the tornado that occurred on 7 April 1888. The
western block of Andarmahal was completely demolished and later it was entirely rebuilt. The
present-day dome, which is situated on the top, was built during the time of reconstruction. This
place was also damaged during the earthquake of 1897 but Nawab Khawaja Ahsanullah repaired
the whole place again.

Natore Rajbari

Natore Rajbari was a prominent royal palace in Natore, Bangladesh. It was the residence and seat
of the Rajshahi Raj family of zamindars. The famous queen Rani Bhabani lived here and after
the death of her husband, expanded both the estate and the palace.

The first palace or Rajbari at Natore was built by Raja Ramjivan. The palace was surrounded by
two sets of moats which are still extant. After the division of the estate a separate palace was
built for the junior branch of the dynasty. Many of the original buildings were destroyed by the
earthquake of 1897 and subsequently rebuilt or replaced.
Ramjivan's Dewan Doyaram was granted landed estates and the title of Ray Raiyan by Nawab
Murshid Quli Khan in recognition of his service in apprehending a recalcitrant zamindar named
Sitaram Roy. In due course Doyaram established his own dynasty the Dighapatia Raj with its
own palace Dighapatia Palace..

Raja Ramjivan was succeeded by his adopted son Ramkanta. After Raja Ramkanta's early death
the Natore estate was ably managed by his widow, known as Rani Bhabani, who became famous
for her good works.

In 1797, following the death of Rani Bhabani's adopted son Raja Ramkrishna, the Natore estate
was divided between his two sons Bishwanath and Sibnath and thenceforth both a Senior and a
Junior royal house remained in existence until the abolition of all zamindar estates in 1950.

Curzon Hall
The Curzon Hall is a British Raj-era building and home of the Faculty of Sciences at
the University of Dhaka. The building was originally intended to be a town hall and is named
after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India who laid its foundation stone in 1904. Upon the
establishment of Dacca University in 1921, it became the base of the university's science faculty.

One of the best examples of Dhaka's architecture, it is a happy blend of European and Mughal
elements, particularly noticeable in the projecting facade in the north which has both horse-shoe
and cusped arches.

MODERN BANGLADESHI ARCHITECTURE:

In modern context, Bangladeshi architecture has become more diversified comprising reflections
of contemporary architectural attributes, aesthetic and technologically advanced aspects. Since
the inception of Bangladesh, economic advancement has boosted the architecture from its
traditional forms to contemporary context. With the growing urbanization and modernization, the
architectural form is turning into modernity covering a wide range of its heritage and tradition.
The architecture of Bangladesh can provide insight into the history and lives of the Bangladeshi
people. Buildings like the National Parliament Building, the Bangabandhu Novo Theater, the
Jatiyo Smriti Shoudho are the outstanding sights that depict Bangladeshi culture along with
having excellent architectural advancements.

Bangabandhu Novo Theatre

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre is a planetarium on Bijoy Sharani Avenue
of Tejgaon area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo
Theatre opened to public on 25 September 2004. It was previously named Bhashani Novo
Theatre. It was made autonomous by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre Bill
2010. The space center was commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Communication
Technology of the Government of Bangladesh.

Built on 5.46 acres of land, its spaces range in size from its 21-meter dome, seating 275 people;
to three-meter inflatable and portable domes where people sit on the floor. The planetarium was
designed by architect Ali Imam. The Planetarium dome simulates Earth and its cool blue sky.
This dome-shaped theater was built with the latest equipment, enabling visitors to soar into space
as well as experience the thrills of an interplanetary journey in a three-dimensional environment.
The curved ceiling represents the sky and shows moving images of planets and stars through
projection onto a large-screen dome at an angle of 120 degrees.

Visitors need not look up in the dome to watch the show. Instead, they feel they are watching
space live, with everything around them, presented by 150 projectors. The Planetarium added a
new capsule simulator and smart-step floor and 3D video. In 2013 the planetarium added a
Nuclear Industrial Information Centre.
National Parliament Building

Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban or National Parliament Building is the house of the Parliament of

Bangladesh, located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Designed
while the country was still part of a Pakistan by architect Louis Kahn, the complex is one of the
largest legislative complexes in the world, comprising 200 acres.

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

Louis Kahn designed the entire Jatiya Sangsad complex, which includes lawns, lake and
residences for the Members of the Parliament (MPs). The architect's key design philosophy was
to represent Bengali culture and heritage, while at the same time optimizing the use of space. The
exterior of the building is striking in its simplicity, with huge walls deeply recessed by porticoes
and large openings of regular geometric shapes. The main building, which is at the center of the
complex, is divided into three parts – the Main Plaza, South Plaza and Presidential Plaza. An
artificial lake surrounds three sides of the main building of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, extending to
the Members of Parliament hostel complex. This skillful use of water to portray the riverine
beauty of Bengal adds to the aesthetic value of the site.
These architectural establishments depict the richness in the history and culture of Bangladesh.
From the ancient 750 C.E. until today these structures tell about the way of lifestyles that have
been prevalent in Bengal. So, the architecture of Bangladesh is an important aspect of our
country and history.