MARBEL D CARARA JAME MASJID

GAZIPUR AREA.

CLIENT: LUTFOR RAHMAN.

DESIGN ARCHITECT   :Mesba Ul Kabir.

DESIGN ARCHITECT   :Muzammel Houqe.

AREA OF LAND       :KATHA

AREA OF BUILDING   :SFT

PROJECT YEAR       :2011-2016

COMPLEATED        :2018

MAN FROM OLD DHAKA:

In the year 2009 I was introduced to Lutfor Rahman, whohailed from Old Dhaka.

A middle age man of average Bengali complexion and anunshaved face, he was talking to our learned Imam Zakaria. He was one of the ownersof a renowned marble factory (Marbel Di-Carrara), and had come to visit the BaitulAman Masjid about supplying marble slabs for the ground floor of the masjid.

Baitul Aman Masjid is masjid of uncommon beauty, with tallmarble and normal 1^st class brick arches. Overlooking to the scenicDhanmondi lake, at the road no 7, the masjid creates quiet an impression.

I was introduced to this person from old Dhaka as the architectof masjid, He was talking very interestingly with a mixed accent of Bangla andlocal Urdu, which is common for the people of Old Dhaka. He was talking withgreat humor, with innocent smile, even his eyes were laughing. He is a verygood businessmen with a weakness towards masjids.

He didn’t allow any bargaining on the price of the floor andwall marbles, but he wanted to donate the marble for the mihrab area, which wasa good amount of area. He asked me to choose which ever marble I needed, and hewould donate it. If it was not available in his stock or factory, he wouldimport it. I was quite impressed, he is not like a common person, veryinteresting person.

Later he introduced his other two partners, one is chairman ofSummit Group, Aziz khan other is very interesting person Shafiullah bhai, awell build man of dark complex, giving expression of very rough tough personbut his mind was like child. He is businessman without any enemy.

Lutfor Rahman was in charge of Marble Di Carrera, He had agreat curiosity about what’s happening around and specially history and cultureof old Dhaka and its people, though his academic results were poor but he makesit up with his interest and intelligence.

CONCEPT OF MASJID:

For selection of marble and later for making the desiredmarble block, which casually weighs 3 to 6 tons, Imam Zakaria, Lutfor Rahmanand I visited his factory frequently’ located at Gazipur, beside the Mymensinghhighway. We became very close. After performing Umrah with me, he desired tobuild a masjid in front of his factory. The site was on the west side of thefactory, across the road. He had to transfer the marbles around themediterranean belt to get marble from the best quality marble quarry. So, he hadto travel mainly to Italy and Turkey. He was influenced by their culture andarchitecture, so his dremt to build a masjid in Turkish style.

DESIGN PHASE:

First conceptual design was a one storied masjid, with oneblue dome, surrounded by three half domes and a high pointed minaret. Then,upon discussion and exchanging my thought, I gave him an alternative design,which included a wones section. I argued that, women have become advanced andthey are participating in labor work and other job market, especially ingarment industries. In academic education, girls are more serious than boys. Inevery section their participation is increasing. The mollahs discouraged womenfolk to participate in the mosque in any occasion in our country, but therewill come a time in near future, when their participation in mosques willincrease. So, there should be space for their prayer in the masjid. It struckhim very much. So, we decided, ground flood will be exclusively for women’sprayer, and the men’s prayer hall will be above ground floor. The main stair isdirect from road to 1^st floor, and the ablution space is below the staircasefor men. Now, the one-story masjid has become a three-story masjid.

CONSTRUCTION PHASE:

After the initial plan layout on proposed land, due toirregular size of plot, I negotiated with the owners of west side adjacent plotfor accommodation of the proposed masjid by giving and taking policy, thus constructiondelays.

Again, with some progress of construction, project delayedbecause of widening of main road, as it effected the main stair. Design has toadjusted to accommodate the stair. During the construction, Luthor Rahman wentto Singapore for a kidney transplant. Operation was not successful, and he passedaway. his two sons Shamol and Shisir took on the responsibility and completedthe masjid with great interest.

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