Memorial for 1969
DCC to build it with its own funds
Kausar Islam Ayon
Failing to get a sponsor to build a monument "Unoshottur" in memory of the martyrs of the 1969 mass uprising, the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) at a meeting yesterday, decided t o go ahead with the project using its own funds."The monument will be handed over to the Dhaka University (DU) for maintenance," said a high official of Dhaka City Corporation, the implementing authority of the monument project. Meanwhile, the site for the monument has been changed. Now it will be built at Chankharpool instead of Asad Gate at Mohammadpur. DCC officials said they had to change the site due to non-cooperation by the government departments regarding land. "The monument was supposed to be built at the Asad Gate intersection but we needed some more space for escalators, car parking etc. The adjoining areas belong to Dhaka Wasa, Public Works Department and Agriculture Extension Department and none of them co-operated with us in this regard," said an official of DCC. He said Chankharpool near Dhaka Medical College was selected as new site as Mohammad Asaduzzaman, a martyr of the uprising, was shot dead at this place. The monument will be built at the intersection without obstructing the traffic on the road. DCC in July last year announced its plan to build the monument when it honoured 10 leaders of the 1969 mass uprising at a programme at Nagar Bhaban. Dr Nizamuddin Ahmed, a renowned architect, has designed the monument. The plan includes a museum, a foot over-bridge, parking, cafeteria and other recreation facilities. The 50 metres long and 50 metres wide main structure of the monument will cost Tk 3.51 crore. The DCC is supposed to complete the work in 15 months. DCC officials said the museum will display all the available historic documents, photographs and paper cuttings of the mass uprising and profiles of the key leaders of the then Chattra Sangram Parishad. Nine leaders of the 1969 uprising who attended last year's reception appreciated the DCC initiative to build the memorial. "We welcome this initiative. We request the authority not to put any controversial things in this museum," said Tofail Ahmed, presidium member of Awami League and one of the key leaders of the upsurge. The mass uprising took place when people of the then East Pakistan burst into protests against "Agartala conspiracy case" filed against their leaders including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
| 
