'Declare Sangsad Bhaban a nat'l heritage site'

Addressing a seminar on 'The World Heritage: Problems and Issues,' held at the BETS centre in the city yesterday, they termed the Sangsad Bhaban a valuable addition to world architecture.

The keynote paper was presented by Dr Abu Sayeed Mustak.

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Wolfgang Vollman, UNESCO representative in Bangladesh, spoke at the seminar presided over by architect Mobasher Hasan.

It is most unfortunate that the government is destroying the beauty of the site by raising some new structures out of the master plan of Louis I Kahn, they said.

Dr Mustak blamed the government for grabbing the open space of the Sangsad Bhavan.

Terming the recently constructed buildings and the on-going new construction project a threat to the Sangsad Bhaban, he said, "Already there has been a lot of additions to and deviations from the original master plan of Louis I Kahn.'

Wolfgang Vollman said lack of proper maintenance was destroying beautiful buildings and structures in Bangladesh.

He also said that for elevating the Sangsad Bhaban as a 'World Heritage Site,' the government should take steps in this regard immediately. He also called upon the media and the civil society to come forward to put pressure on the government.

He sought the government's financial support for preservation of the 338 national sites listed by the archeological department as 'ancient monuments.'