Page 151 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

148 ART AND CRAFTS

principles- democracy, nationalism, socialism and secularism of the first government
formed after the Independence.
Important among the monuments outside Dhaka district is the Mujibnagar
Smritishoudha (Mujibnagar Memorial). It has 23 pillars which represent the prolonged
sacrifice and struggle to achieve independence (fig. 2.52). Architect Tanvir Karim
created the primary design in accordance with the national tradition and the struggle for
existence. The monument resembles the rising sun. The 23 standing pillars, each 20 inch
thick are centered around the main base on a round column with a radius of 160 ft. The
height of the walls in the shape of right angled triangles is 9 to 42 ft. Combined together
these represent rays from a rising sun. The 23 pillars symbolize the movement for
independence over a period of 23 years from 1948 to 1971. In the memorial the place
where the first Prime Minister took oath has been demarcated as a rectangular area with
ceramic bricks. 119
Another remarkable monument outside Dhaka is the Smriti Amlan installed on the
island of Birshrestha Shaheed Captain Jahangir Road in the Vadra intersection of
Rajshahi town in North Bengal. The monument is 80 ft. high from the ground. The main
column is built box shaped at the base. There are three such columns side by side. They
go straight upward successively. There are 10 holes in each with a total of 30 holes. A
sphere is at the top of the column. To indicate the progress of the self-determination
movement, 24 steps are marked on it. It represents the 24 years of movement from 1947
to 1971. The height of the steps from the base upward progress geometrically. The sun
of independence is placed at a height of 71 ft. from the ground. Thirty holes on the
column signify the 30 lac scars from wounds created in the heart of the motherland in
the struggle for independence. Each hole bears the memory of one lac martyrs. 120
Nineteen students of Comilla Victoria College were martyred in the War of Liberation.
In their memory a monument entitled Shadhinata (Independence) designed by the
architect couple Dr. Nizamuddin Ahmed and Zebun N. Ahmed was built at the college.
The monument is 18 ft. in height from the ground. It was constructed by placing 71 four
cornered blocks made of stone and cement placed in variation in 6 steps. The 71 blocks
symbolize the War of Liberation of 1971. The six steps refer to the six points based on
which the movement for the Independence of Bangladesh achieved completeness. A
block in the first step stands for Pahela Baishakh (the Bengali New Year) which is a
symbol of Bengali culture; two slightly sunken blocks in the second step represent the
two earlier movements which are lost to memory. In the third step, there are 7 blocks
which symbolizes the historic 7th March. A total of 21 blocks on the 4th step uphold the
memory of the Language Movement. The 26 blocks on the 5th step represent the
proclamation of independence on the 26th of March and on the 6th step the 16th blocks
symbolize the Victory Day on 16 December. 121
Though the whole monument is in white, the names of 27 martyrs are written in black
ink on a memorial plaque at the top of the main base.
Translated by M. Saifullah, Bangladesh Television, Dhaka