MARBEL D CARARA JAME MASJID

MAN FROM OLD DHAKA:

In the year 2009, I met a man from old Dhaka, one of the owners of a marble factory, who came to visit the masjid to sell his marble slab for the ground floor of Baitul Aman Masjid. a masjid façade arch with normal 1^stclass brick adjacent to lake at the road no 7, Dhanmondi. Middle age withaverage Bengali color skin with unshaved face talking to our learned Imam Zakaria, whose son was a professor of Dhaka University, he used to drive his only carand performed two salat as Imam and never taken any remittance for performinghis duty. Being an architect for that masjid I was introduced to that personfrom old Dhaka. He was talking very interestingly with accent mixing our Banglalanguage with local Urdu language comfortable for old Dhaka people. Sometimeswe mention them Dhakaiya, He is talking with great humor with innocent smileeven his eyes were laughing. He is a very good businessmen with good weaknessto masjid. bargaining points no compromise for the floor marble price, take itor leave it but he was ready to contribute marble in the mihrab area, goodamount of area he has to contribute telling me that whatever marble I asan architect he will supply the marble, if it is not available in his stock orfactory, he will arrange it by importing. I was quite impressed, he is not likea common person, very interesting person. He is Lutfur Rahman one of the Ownersof Marble Di Carrara. Later he introduced his other two partners, one ischairman od summit group Aziz khan other is very interesting person Shafiullahbhai well build with dark complex giving expression of very rough tough personbut his mind was like child. He is businessman without any enemy. Lutfor Rahmanwas in charge of Marble Di Carrera, He had a great curiosity about what’shappening around and specially history and culture of old Dhaka and its people,though his academic results were poor but he makes it up with his interest and intelligence.

CONCEPT OF MASJID:

For selecting of marble and tiles for marketing the desiredmarble block. Casually weight 3 to 6 tons. Frequently imam Zakaria, LutforRahman and me visited his factory at Gazipur beside the Mymensingh highway andwe became very close. after performing Umrah with me he desired to build amasjid Infront of his factory. The site was west side of the factory across theroad. He has to travel marble around the mediterranean belt because goodquality marble quarry. So, he has to travel mainly Italy and turkey. He wasinfluenced by their culture and architecture so his dream to build a masjid inTurkish style.

DESIGN PHASE:

First conceptual design on story masjid with one blue domesurrounded by three half dome and high pointed minaret and gave him alternativedesign on discussion and exchanging my thought that women folk nowadays becameadvance, they are participating in labor worker job market especially ingarment industries. In academic education girls are more serious than boys. Inevery section their participation will increase. Mollah’s discourage women folkto participate in the mosque in any occasion in our country but time will comein near future their participation in mosque will increase so there should bespace for their prayer in the masjid. it struck him very much. So, we decidedground flood will only women’s prayer and men’s prayer will be above groundfloor with ground stair direct from road and ablution space below staircase formen. now one-story masjid became three story masjid.

CONSTRUCTION PHASE:

After layout plan on proposed land due to irregular size ofplot negotiated with the owners of west side adjacent plot for accommodation ofthe proposed masjid by giving and taking policy, construction delays.

Again, with some progress of construction project delayedbecause of widen of main road it effected the main stair .design has to adjustto accommodate the stair. During the construction Luthor Rahman went toSingapore for kidney transplant. Operation was not successful he expired. histwo son Shamol and Shisir took on the responsibility and completed the masjidwith great interest.

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