Syed Moinul Hossain, architect of the National Memorial at Savar, was laid to rest at the Mirpur Intellectuals’ Graveyard in the capital yesterday.
His daughters, close relatives and former relatives were present at the burial service of Moinul, who had led a mysteriously solitary life before his death. Moinul was buried around 2:40pm after a namaz-e-janaza at Dhaka University’s central mosque.
Earlier in the day, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote kept his body at the Central Shaheed Minar at 11:30pm for people to pay their last respect to the architect. People from all walks of life – renowned citizens, scholars, cultural activists, family members – paid tribute to Moinul.
After paying his tribute, Culture Minister Asaduzzaman Noor said: “Honoring him [Moinul] has been insufficient because he had secluded himself from society...It was difficult to reach him.”
Actor Pijush Bandyopadhyay said paying respect at the altar of the National Memorial would be also a tribute to Moinul.
Artist Mustafa Monowar said: “Applying all my aesthetic knowledge, I am sure that there can be no better memorial than ours – the one Syed Moinul Hossain designed.”
The famed architect died at 2:35pm on Monday at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, where he had been admitted the day before.
Born on March 17, 1952 in Dampara village, Munshiganj, Moinul was the eldest among three children of Syed Mujibul Hossain and Syeda Rashida Haque. His father was a professor of history at Rajendra College in Faridpur. Poet Golam Mostafa, Syed Emdad Ali were his grandfathers.
Moinul graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) in architecture in 1976.
In 1978, his design won a competition for the National Martyrs’ Memorial’s design, beating 56 other design proposals.
Moinul designed around 38 large establishments between 1976 and 1998.
In 1987, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh, for his outstanding contribution to the country.
According to architect and poet Rabiul Hussain, after passing out from the university, Moinul had started working with architecture firm Shahidullah and Associates Limited.
“When he submitted works for the competition, we were colleagues. He shared with me many things about how he was planning to implement the work. Moinul had a deep commitment to the collective, which was completely reflected in the design and work of the National Memorial,” Rabiul said.
“He had a calm and quiet kind of a personality, but the emotion surrounding the historic event had stirred him deeply which could be sensed,” Rabiul said.
Badrul Haider, a lifelong friend of Moinul, said their fathers had also been friends and he and Moinul had been roommates at a Buet hall.
“After seeing his design, I decided to drop the idea of submitting my work,” he said.
Badrul said Moinul was introvert but would always think of big things. “For instance, he would ask about the effects of foreign aid on the post-Liberation War economy.”
Friendship with Badrul lasted even during Moinul’s phase of self-enforced mysterious solitude. “Moinul was sad after his divorce. So he secluded himself.”
Art critic Moinuddin Khaled said the design of the National Memorial was a significant work and “Architects of Moinul’s quality do not come very often. The media should have highlighted him more along with all his his contributions.”
Teacher and architect Ashik Bhaskor said: “If you look at the National Memorial, you would discover seven structures emerging out of a tremendous pressure but maintaining an incredible harmony. He wanted to keep these seven structures that symbolise seven important steps and movements in the history of Bangladesh’s struggle for liberation, at the centre of everything.
“He was deeply saddened and frustrated after some incidents. He was threatened for his work. He was not even invited to the opening of the memorial in 1982. These may have led towards the seclusion.”
