Authored by architect and urbanist Kazi Kahleed Ashraf, with contributions by architects committed to a better prospect for Dhaka, Designing Dhaka promises to be a landmark publication. With original and provocative ideas assembled from Bangladesh and other parts of the world, the book may be a recipe for an organized transformation of a complex city. In the author’s own words “Various architectural institution are adopting Dhaka as a laboratory for urban thinking. This is critical: Dhaka is not just a premonition for catastrophes but an urban theorem in the context of climate change, rapid development, imbalanced ecology, and hydrological landscape. Even though exercise conducted at those institutions are hypothetical and speculative, they combine a broader history of the design of cities with extensive analyses of the particularities of Dhaka city… it is important that such ideas and propositions infiltrate the collective imagination so that they may become fodders for public pressure and civic activism, and even perhaps policymaking. It is with that intention of affecting the public discourse that we present this track, Designing Dhaka
A long-standing architect and academic, Dato' Ruslan Khalid's memoir is an inspirational read, particularly for ‘late starters' as he himself was. He tells of his struggles, betrayals, lost loves and ultimately, success. He freely shares with us his very personal experiences and lets us in on never-before-told events and stories. The quest for Architectural Excellence is an engaging and fascinating account of one man's struggles and triumphs, of his journey that has made him a world-renowned and respected architect.• Frank and engaging memoir of a world-renowned Malaysian architect• Insights into the little-known profession of architecture
The idea for this publication, "Old but New — New but Old" evolved out of a workshop of the same title in 2007, which marked the culmination of the coursework of some students of the Department of Architecture at the North South University. Publications on conservation and preservation of rich architectural and cultural heritage dating back over a few millennia are few and far between in Bangladesh. Awareness on the imperative of conserving architectural heritage is poor in both official and public domain. The concept of conservation of heritage building, area or community, is at the best, elementary and at the worst, non-existent. With weak and misunderstood institutional or legal basis for conservation, it is hardly a concern of any public policy domain in Bangladesh. Much architectural heritage in the country has already been lost to [re]development. The intense commercial pressure continues unabated claiming new victims. Every passing day sees the renewed destruction of buildings of rich and often unique architectural character. The few disparate public attempts at conservation were at the instance of a few enlightened high officials. Even in realms of academia, the interest in conservation is fairly recent; few schools of architecture have courses or access to course materials that directly bear on conservation. There can be no better niche for this publication than this!
The papers included in this publication set out the background and importance of conservation in the broader context of the developing countries. The publication gives a historical overview of the growth and development of urban centers in Dhaka and its vicinity and highlights the heritage buildings that abound the old part of the city and beyond. It discusses conservation in its many facet and dimensions: the cultural and the social dimensions; the evolving legal basis; urbanism and governance; and the absence of policy and institutions.
This publication will be useful in raising the level of understanding, appreciation, and awareness for architectural heritage conservation among professionals, policymakers and perhaps even the general public. It would also be of interest in educational institutions interested in theory and practice of conservation, while conservation of architectural heritage would have a tangible influence on the overall development and composition of the city.
UNESCO Dhaka has supported the publication of this manuscript in line with the global mandate of the organization to help member states in the preservation and development of their cultural heritage. The points of views expressed are entirely of the authors and do not necessarily represent UNESCO officially.
অবনীন্দ্রনাথ গভর্ণমেণ্ট আর্ট স্কুলের চাকরি ছেড়েছেন, ঝগড়া করেই ছেড়ে দিয়েছেন, প্রায় বছর ছয়েক হল। বাড়িতে বসে দিব্যি ঝাড়া-হাত-পা হয়ে মনের আনন্দে ছবি আঁকছেন, পড়াশুনা করছেন, বেশ আছেন—তিনি কি স্বইচ্ছায় চাকরির ফাঁদে আবার পা গলান ? তাই আশুতােষের প্রতিনিধিরূপে যাঁরাই অবনীন্দ্রনাথের কাছে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের চাকরির প্রস্তাব নিয়ে এসেছিলেন তাঁদের সকলকেই তিনি হাঁকিয়ে দিয়েছেন, শ্রীদিনেশচন্দ্র সেনকে সুদ্ধ। এইবার স্বয়ং আশুতােষের পালা ।
