Muzharul Islam facts for kids

Muzharul Islam (born December 25, 1923 – died July 15, 2012) was a famous Bangladeshi architect, city planner, teacher, and activist. He is known as the "Grand Master" of modern architecture in South Asia. He was a pioneer of modern architecture in Bangladesh and is often called the "father of Bengali modernism." His unique style greatly influenced buildings in Bangladesh during the 1960s and 1970s. He even invited major architects from the United States to work in Dhaka.

Muzharul Islam helped shape how architecture was practiced in Bangladesh. He did this through his own many projects and by inviting other famous architects. These included Louis Kahn, Richard Neutra, Stanley Tigerman, Paul Rudolph, Robert Boughey, and Konstantinos Doxiadis.

Early Life and Education

Muzharul Islam was born on December 25, 1923, in Murshidabad. He traveled to the United States in 1950. There, he earned his first degree in architecture from the University of Oregon.

In 1956, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to study tropical architecture at the AA School of Architecture in London. Later, in 1961, he finished his advanced studies at Yale University. His teacher at Yale was Paul Rudolph. While at Yale, he met Louis Kahn and was classmates with Stanley Tigerman.

Muzharul Islam started his career in 1955. He designed two buildings in the Shahbag area of Dhaka. These were the Dhaka University Library and the College of Arts and Crafts. From 1958 to 1964, he worked as an architect for the government of East Pakistan.

Designing Important Buildings

Site Plan for Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, a major government area.

One of his most important projects came about in 1959. At that time, the government decided that Dhaka would become the "second capital" of Pakistan. They planned to build a large capital complex in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.

Muzharul Islam was asked to design the Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban (National Assembly Building of Bangladesh). However, he decided to invite his former teacher, Louis Kahn, to take on this big project. Islam worked very closely with Kahn from 1965 until Kahn's death in 1973.

Besides Kahn, Islam also brought Paul Rudolph and Stanley Tigerman to work in Bangladesh. These three architects became known as the "American Trio." Islam's grand architectural style was very influential in Bangladesh from the 1950s onwards.

His major works include designing the master plans for Jahangirnagar University and Chittagong University. He also designed the Central Public Library, the Charukala Institute, and the Azimpur Estate. He planned the Rangamati township and several Polytechnic Institutes. Muzharul Islam also created the overall plan for Dhaka City. He even designed the logo for the government of Bangladesh.

Awards and Recognition

Muzharul Islam received many important awards for his work:

• In 1993, he was given the Gold Medal by the Institute of Architects, Bangladesh.
• He became an Honorable Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1999.
• He was an honorable member of the main jury for the first Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Geneva in 1980.
• He was also a judge for several national and international design competitions. These included the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and contests for the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. He also judged designs for the headquarters of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.
• In 1999, he received the Independence Day Award. This is the highest state award in Bangladesh.

A documentary film about Muzharul Islam was released in 2000. It was called Tini (The Architect) and was directed by Enamul Karim Nirjhar.

Notable Projects

Year	Project	Image	Location	Notes
1953–54	College of Arts and Crafts		Shahbag, Dhaka
	Dhaka University Library		University of Dhaka
	Bangladesh National Archives and Library		Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka
1962	Housing for Class IV Employees		Azimpur Estate, Dhaka
1963–64	Railway Rehabilitation Zone		Khilgaon, Dhaka	This was a plan for the project.
	Rangamati Town		Rangamati, CHT	This was a plan for the town.
1963–65	BCSIR Laboratory Buildings		Dhanmondi, Dhaka
1964	National Institute of Public Administration Building		Shahbag, Dhaka
1965–71	Headquarters Building, Agricultural Development Corporation		Motijheel, Dhaka	A 14-story building.
	5 Polytechnic Institutes		Rangpur, Bogra, Pabna, Sylhet and Barisal	He worked with Architect Stanley Tigerman on these.
	EFU Building (Jiban Bima Bhaban) Project		Motijheel, Dhaka	A 27-story building.
	Road Research Laboratories		Dhaka, Bangladesh
1968–71	Chittagong University master plan and designs		Chittagong University, Chittagong	He designed hostels, academic buildings, and staff quarters.
	Housing for Ruppur Atomic Energy Complex		Savar, Dhaka
	Jahangirnagar University Master Plan and designs		Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka	He designed hostels and staff quarters.
1980–84	Jaipurhat Limestone and Cement Project		Jaipurhat, Bangladesh	This included a master plan, housing, a clinic, hospital, market, and mosque.
	National Library		Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka
1987	Office Building for the World Bank		Dhaka, Bangladesh
1995	Garden City Project		Dhaka, Bangladesh	A 20-story building.

Death

Muzharul Islam passed away on July 15, 2012, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was 88 years old.

Images for kids

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  Muzharul Islam.

See also

In Spanish: Muzharul Islam para niños