
About Book:
The magic of 10% economic growth suggests that the real income of an average citizen can double every decade into the foreseeable future. The primary obstacle to long run sustained growth in Bangladesh is land allocation. This monograph builds on the thoughts of many earlier Bangladeshi’s and proposes a concrete way of solving the current impasse. The proposal is called Compact Townships and seeks to build small, yet economic and ecologically sound, urban islands in rural Bangladesh.
Muzharul Islam is the single most dominant influence on modern architecture in Bangladesh. Fifty eight years since he started his practice the influence continues. Other than the odd article here and there and references to his projects in others, there has been no major publication of his works. Muzharul Islam gave the first public lecture on his work at BRAC University in May, 2002 at the age of 78, when he had almost stopped designing. It was soon after his lecture that a book on his work was conceived. This was not an easy task since nowhere was his work documented.
The area around the present small township of Bagerhat, known in the Middle Ages as the Mosque-city of Khalifatabad, seems to have been an unfriendly tract in the remote past to attract urban habitation. In view of its location near the sea coast of the Bay of Bengal, densely wooded with low mangrove forest and its attending hazards, it has always been a relatively negative tract in the population map as long as the sea and the forest were close.
The British period was not only one during which the British alone were responsible for constructions but also one during which magnificent palaces were built by local ruling class, in it style unique to Bengal. Although most of the grand monuments of the British period are located in and around Calcutta - the Job Charnock's factory-city established in 1692, - which eventually-occupied a premier position as the British capital of India between 1773 and 1912, the building remains of the period in Bangladesh are no less significant, if only less grandiose in scale.
Located picturesquely in a peaceful island village of Kantanagar in Dinajpur District of Bangladesh, this splendid brick temple has gained eminence as an outstanding 18th century monument in the sub-continent for its fabulous terracotta adornment. Apart from its architectural excellence, it exhibits an exuberance of a mature terracotta art at its best in Bengal.
The book was first published in 1992. It is still the only authoritative and comprehensive review of Bangladesh archaeology in the context of the archaeology of the subcontinent. The present print bears an update on the more recent development in the field. In the context of South Asian Archaeology as a whole, the archaeology of Bangladesh in viewed with general indifference.
A vast majority of concrete design and construction today uses Grade 420 (420 MPa 60 ksi) steel, wit increasing use of Grade 500 (500 MPa, 72.5 ksi). Market forces and construction efficiencies promote the use of higher yield strength longitudinal reinforcement (for example, Grade 500). This reinforcement performs suitably if the elongation and stress requirements match those mentioned in different codes. Presently, Grade 500 (500MPa, 72.5 ksi) steel is available for concrete construction in Bangladesh.