Honouring Mazharul Islam: The Architect Who Shaped Bangladesh

The history of modern architecture in Bangladesh cannot be written without celebrating the vision of Mazharul Islam. As the country marks the anniversary of his passing, architectural communities are reflecting on a legacy that transformed the nation from a traditional deltaic region into a centre of tropical modernist design. He was not merely an architect of international repute; he was a master planner and a cultural pioneer who established the institutional foundation of the profession in his homeland.

Born on 25 July 1923 in the Murshidabad district of undivided Bengal, Islam grew up in an intellectual household. His father, Omdatul Islam, was a mathematics professor at Krishnagar College. Islam completed his early education in Krishnagar and Rajshahi, eventually graduating with a degree in physics from Rajshahi College. He then turned his attention to engineering, completing his studies at Shibpur Engineering College in 1946.

Following the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, Islam began his career as an assistant engineer for the government of East Bengal. However, he soon realised that engineering alone could not capture his creative vision. He chose architecture as his true calling and travelled to the United States in 1950 to study the discipline at the University of Oregon.

Upon his return, Islam designed the Institute of Fine Arts and the Central Library at the University of Dhaka. Completed within just six months of intense labor, these structures became landmarks of Bengali modernism. They stood out for their revolutionary integration of natural light, ventilation, and local materials, perfectly suited to the tropical climate.

Keen to expand his expertise, Islam moved to London in 1956 on a British Council scholarship to study tropical architecture at the prestigious AA School of Architecture. He later secured a master’s degree from Yale University in 1960, studying under the legendary architect Paul Rudolph.

Returning home in late 1961, Islam found the rigid bureaucratic framework of government service stifling to his creative independence. In 1964, he resigned from his official post and co-founded ‘Vastukalabid’ alongside engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah. This private consultancy private firm initiated a new era of architectural practice across the country.

Islam was also crucial in building the nation’s academic infrastructure. He was instrumental in establishing the Faculty of Architecture at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, where he taught as a part-time lecturer to inspire the next generation.

Perhaps his most globally significant contribution was his role in shaping the capital’s skyline. When tasked with designing the national capital complex, Islam generously recommended that the government invite global icons to take the lead. His advocacy brought the world-renowned American architect Louis I. Kahn to Dhaka to design the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban (National Parliament Building), a masterpiece that remains a global architectural marvel.

Beyond his blueprints, Islam was a progressive thinker and a patriot who actively supported cultural and democratic movements, including the 1971 Liberation War. He served as the first president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, structuring the profession into an organised body.

Islam passed away on 14 July 2012. His enduring philosophy—that architecture must reflect a nation’s climate, culture, and soul—remains the guiding light for South Asian architects today.