Nagar Bhaban Explained

Nagar Bhaban
Native Name:নগর ভবন
Native Name Lang:bn
Status:Functioning
Map Type:Bangladesh Dhaka
Building Type:City Hall
Owner:Dhaka South City Corporation (2011-present)
Dhaka City Corporation (1995-2011)
Location Town:Dhaka
Location Country:Bangladesh
Floor Area:483000sqm
Architect:A. Imamuddin
Lailun Nahar Ekram

Nagar Bhaban (Bengali: নগর ভবন) is a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh that houses the headquarters of Dhaka South City Corporation. The building previously housed the offices of the Dhaka City Corporation prior to the bifurcation of Dhaka as a result of the Local Government (City Corporation) Amendment Act 2011. The building is situated near the University of Dhaka campus and adjacent to the Bangladesh Police headquarters.[1]

Architecture

The building was designed by A. Imamuddin and Lailun Nahar Ekram, and was completed in 1995. It is a 15-storey city hall building containing offices, a bank, meeting rooms, a museum, dining facilities, a prayer hall, the mayor's office, and public terraces. The building has huge columns and arched gateways in the entrance and at the back. There are two clocks at the top of the building on the north and south face. The building has a finished concrete texture, which gives the building a timeless appearance and a lower maintenance cost. The garden in front helps one to have a better view of the building.

The building is symmetrical in plan. Architects Qazi Azizul Mowla and A.T.M. Masood Reza wrote:

Nagar Bhaban is the result of a philosophy of assimilation and reflects a contemporary trend of rustic regionalism. In this building, elements from the colonial past have been freely employed. The facade articulation, proportioning system, symmetricity, monumentality etc. in this building represent a modernized version of colonial architecture - a symbol of imperial power.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nagar Bhaban (Dhaka South City Corporation) . 2023-03-17 . www.ecblbd.com . https://archive.today/20230317005930/http://www.ecblbd.com/ecbl/wp-portfolio/nagar-bhaban-dhaka-south-city-corporation/ . 2023-03-17 . live.
  2. Mowla . Qazi Azizul . Qazi Azizul Mowla . Reza . A.T.M. Masood . Stylistic Evolution of Architecture in Bangladesh: From a Colony to a Free Country . Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Humanities . June 2000 . 45 . 1 . 45–46 . 1015-6836.