Bangladesh to remove graves near parliament complex on getting main design of Louis Kahn

All the graves next to the parliament building will be relocated after getting the main design made by architect Louis I Kahn from the United States, the housing and public works minister says.

Parliament Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Oct 2016, 04:08 PM
Updated : 6 Oct 2016, 04:18 PM

Mosharraf Hossain made the comment when he answered to reserved seat MP Salina Begum's question in Parliament on Thursday.

BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's grave is in the parliament complex. The party has warned against any move to shift the grave, which was made at the Chandrima Udyan by breaching the building's original plan.

A graveyard was also built at the west-southern boundary of the complex.  

The graves at the yard include those of Khan A Sabur and Shah Azizur Rahman who opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan.

Late president Abdus Sattar, former prime minister Ataur Rahman Khan, former minister Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia, late writer-journalist Abul Mansur Ahmed and Pakistan National Assembly speaker Tamizuddin Khan were also buried in the graveyard.

The current Awami League government has said it will remove all establishments that were built by breaching the main plan of the parliament building.

The government has moved to bring the main design by Kahn from the archive of the University of Pennsylvania.

Minister Mosharraf said the authorities in the US had informed the government that they were sending the design back.

"Necessary steps will be taken after a review once the plan arrives," he added.

The government has recently stripped Zia of the Independence Award, drawing condemnation from the BNP.