The National Martyrs' Memorial (Bengali: জাতীয় স্মৃতিসৌধ, romanized: Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho) is a national monument in Bangladesh. It was built to honour and remember those who died during the Bangladesh Liberation War (as well as the genocide) in 1971, which resulted in Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. The monument is located in Savar, about 35 km northwest of the capital city, Dhaka.[1] It was designed by Syed Mainul Hossain and built by Concord Group.[2][3]
| National Martyrs' Memorial | |
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জাতীয় স্মৃতিসৌধ
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| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Public monument |
| Location | Savar, Bangladesh |
| Coordinates | 23°54′40.4″N 90°15′17.4″E / 23.911222°N 90.254833°E / 23.911222; 90.254833 |
| Construction started | 1978 |
| Completed | 1982 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 150 feet (46 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Syed Mainul Hossain |
| Main contractor | Concord Group |
Plans for the monument were initiated in 1976. Following the selection of Savar as the main site (about 35 km north-west of the capital city, Dhaka), a nationwide design competition was held in June 1978. Following evaluation of the 57 submissions, Syed Mainul Hossain's design was chosen.
The architecture consists of seven pairs of triangular-shaped walls or prisms, the outermost pair being the shortest in height while also being the widest in span; the inner pairs gradually change their aspect ratio and the innermost pair thus forms the peak point of the architecture.[4] Each of these seven pairs of walls represents a significant chapter in the history of Bangladesh, namely the 1952 Bengali language movement, the 1954 provincial election victory of the United Front, the 1956 Constitution Movement, the 1962 East Pakistan Education movement, the 1966 six point movement, the 1969 mass uprising, and the climactic event of the 1971 Liberation War (through which Bangladesh became a separate independent sovereign state).[3]
Media related to Jatiyo Smriti Soudho at Wikimedia Commons