VILLA FOR MAHBUB TALUKDAR

CLINT AND BACKGROUND:

Bangla literature was one of the subjects in architecture at BUET. In architecture we have to study English literature, history, geography, philosophy, psychology, accounting, planning, math, statics, dynamics, structure, and even music, with many other subjects.

One day in our class a middle-height, soft-spoken person entered and introduced himself as Mahbub Talukdar, a professor from Chittagong University and part-time teacher for Bangla literature. I have a great fascination with Bangla literature and wanted to study that subject, but it somehow didn't materialize.

Mahbub Talukdar was also a former writer; his knowledge of Bangla and world literature was good. In class sometimes he discussed beyond our course about world literature, especially Bangla literature. From class I was more interested in reading novels than the school book. We exchanged our views; he wanted to know how I know the name of that novel. I told him my father is addicted to books and has a huge collection of books. He desired to visit our house and meet my father. Within a very short period he became our family friend. We also visited his house very near to Komlapur Railway Station. He used to stay with his father and mother.

The 1971 Liberation War started; after liberation, I completed my BArch in 1972 and joined Bangladesh Consultant LTD, a private consulting company. Probably in the late 70s, Mahbub Talukdar contacted me from Bangabhaban; probably his position was joint secretary. Previously he was PS to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Then he used to stay in Bangabhaban.

DREAMS AND IDEAS:

He got land in Baridhara in block K and was excited to build something new—so many ideas to build something new, something special. Create a building with flavors of local culture and heritage. Convince him to make a burnt mud house here because it goes with the ancient trend and culture. The Santal in Dinajpur and Rangpur build mud houses with paintings of different colors and textures on the mud houses.