Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed her dissatisfaction over the dilly-dallying of the public works department in maintaining the Luis I Kahn’s design of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban saying “the situation is such that the patient would die before the arrival of the doctor”.
Sheikh Hasina expressed her frustration at the 25th meeting of the Jatiya Sangsad Commission as the public works department could not place the proposal of a project for the maintenance of the majestic building at the ECNEC for approval.
She also did show her reservation about installing split air conditioners in violation of the original design of Luis I Kahn’s master plan he approved in 1974.
Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad also backed the prime minister’s proposal to preserve the original design of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, a national heritage.
“I have been saying about it (restoring some basic repairs) from the 9th parliament. Why did the public works department fail to place the proposal (of the project) to the ECNEC? Situation is such that the patient would die before the arrival of the doctor,” Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, who chaired the meeting, quoted the prime minister as saying.
The public works department envisaged an Umbrella Project costing Tk103 crore aimed at replacing the central air conditioning system that was installed 33 years ago, fitting marble stones and other minor repair works.
Hasina also said there were many spilt air conditioners in different rooms of the Jatiya Sangsad.
“This does not match with the original master plan,” said the prime minister, who suggested that the Luis I Kahn’s design should be displayed digitally in different parts of the national assembly.
She also said Luis I Kahn’s idea was to allow natural light and air in the Jatiya Sangsad building snubbing the use of long curtains that stood in the way of natural air flow.
Shirin Sharmin told the meeting that one of the two chillers was out of order and the second one was 50% damaged. So, she said, two new chillers should be installed immediately.
“After installation of the chillers, we will examine whether the split ACs would need to be removed,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.
The commission meeting approved the parliament’s annual budget of Tk209 crore 61 lakh.
Shirin Sharmin said she would form a technical committee, tasking it to come up with the report on inconsistencies with the building’s master plan.
“Then will we decide about it,” she said.
