Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban

This is a very large building.

It is in a place called Dhaka. It is where leaders meet.

A man named Louis Kahn designed it. He used shapes like circles and squares. He also used a lake.

The water makes the building look pretty. It looks like the rivers in the land. This was part of the plan.

Many people visit this place. It is a famous spot for many. It is a special place for the land.

The Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban is the Parliament house of Bangladesh. It sits in a place called Dhaka.

A man named Louis Kahn designed the building. He wanted to show the culture of the land. He used large shapes like circles and squares. He also put a lake around three sides of the building. This water shows the beauty of the rivers in the area.

Building this was not easy. Work began in 1964. But a war started in 1971. This stopped the work for a long time. After Bangladesh became independent, leaders decided to finish it. They kept the same plan. The building was finally done in 1982.

Inside the main part, there is a large room. This room is for the members of Parliament. It can hold up to 354 people. The roof lets in natural light from the sky.

Many people visit this site today. It is a famous place for tourists. People also go there to walk or jog near the water.

The Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban is the Parliament house of Bangladesh. It is located in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city of Dhaka.

This massive complex is one of the largest legislative sites in the world. It serves as the place where leaders meet to make laws for the country. The building is a very important symbol for the people of Bangladesh. It is known for its unique look and its special place in history.

The design of the building is very clever and beautiful. An architect named Louis Kahn designed the whole complex. He wanted the building to show the culture and heritage of the Bengali people.

He used large geometric shapes like circles and squares on the outside. An artificial lake surrounds three sides of the main building. This use of water is meant to show the riverine beauty of the land. The building also uses light in a very special way.

Creating this building took many years and faced many hard jobs. The project started in 1964 after Louis Kahn submitted his plans.

However, the liberation war of Bangladesh began in 1971. This war caused the construction to stop for a while. After Bangladesh became independent, leaders decided to finish the building using the original design. Louis Kahn died before it was finished, so David Wisdom helped complete it. The project was finally completed on 28 January 1982.

The building is made of several different parts that work together. There are nine individual blocks in the main structure. The central block is the tallest, rising to a height of 155 feet.

The most important room is the Parliament Chamber in the Main Plaza. This chamber can hold up to 354 members during their sessions. The roof is shaped like a shell to let in natural daylight. This helps the room stay bright without using too many electric lights.

Today, the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban is a major site for many people. Even though only certain people can enter the main building, the complex is open to visitors.

Many tourists visit the area to see the amazing architecture. Local people also use the paths around the lake for walking or jogging. It is a very famous landmark in Dhaka. The building remains a significant piece of modern architecture for the whole world.

The Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban is the national Parliament house of Bangladesh. It is located in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar within the city of Dhaka.

This massive complex is one of the largest legislative sites in the entire world. It serves as the central location where lawmakers meet to govern the nation. The building is a major architectural landmark and a powerful symbol for the Bangladeshi people.

The history of the complex began under different political circumstances. In 1959, Ayub Khan took power in Pakistan through a military coup. He wanted to address political and economic differences between East and West Pakistan. He declared Dhaka as the country's second capital. He decided to build a modern legislative complex there to satisfy the people of East Pakistan. The government asked architect Muzharul Islam for help with this massive project. Islam recommended hiring world-class architects for the task. He eventually contacted Louis Kahn, who had been his teacher at Yale University.

Louis Kahn submitted his first design for the building in 1960. The government approved these plans and acquired the land in 1961. Construction officially began in 1964. However, the project faced a major interruption during the 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh. During this conflict, the building's construction stopped completely. The constituent assembly of Bangladesh had to govern from the Prime Minister's Office instead. After independence, the third Mujib ministry decided to finish the building using Kahn's original design. Kahn passed away before the project was finished. His colleague, David Wisdom, continued the work. The complex was finally completed on 28 January 1982.

The architecture of the Bhaban is highly specialized and symbolic. Kahn designed the complex to represent Bengali culture and heritage. He also wanted to optimize the use of space.

An artificial lake surrounds three sides of the main building. This water feature is intended to show the riverine beauty of the Bengal region. The exterior features large walls with deep recesses called porticoes. These walls contain large openings in regular geometric shapes. The main building is divided into three distinct sections: the Main Plaza, the South Plaza, and the Presidential Plaza.

The main structure consists of nine individual blocks. Eight of these peripheral blocks rise to a height of 110 feet. The central octagonal block is much taller, reaching 155 feet. These blocks are linked by corridors, stairs, lifts, and light courts. The most important space is the Parliament Chamber located in the Main Plaza.

This chamber can hold up to 354 members during sessions. It features a parabolic shell roof designed to let in natural daylight. This light reflects off the walls and an octagonal drum to illuminate the room. A large metallic chandelier hangs from the roof to provide artificial light without blocking the sun.

Over the years, ten different parliaments have used this building. It has served many different terms, ranging from only 12 days to nearly five years. The building has also seen periods of intense change and damage. In August 2024, a mass uprising occurred in the country. Protesters entered the building, causing significant damage and looting.

Looters took forty firearms from security, though students later returned them. Many parts of the infrastructure, such as air conditioners, lifts, and gates, were damaged. The MP Hostel also suffered damage to 192 rooms. The cost to repair these losses is estimated to be very high.

Today, the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban remains a vital part of Dhaka's landscape. While the main building is restricted to authorized staff and members, the surrounding complex is open to the public.

The area near Crescent Lake and Chandrima Uddan is a popular spot for tourists. It is also a common route for local citizens to jog or skate. The building's design was so significant that it received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989. It is studied globally as a masterpiece of twentieth-century modernist architecture.