Jatiya Sangsad building: Louis I Kahn didn’t furnish any unique master plan: SC

Gulam Rabbani :
In the full text of a verdict the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has observed that Louis Isadore Kahn (Louis I Kahn) did not furnish any unique master plan for the National Assembly Complex of Bangladesh.
Rather he submitted sets of Master Plan from time to time, it also observed. There are Master Plans of the year 1962; March 12, 1963; May 3, 1963; December 21, 1963; May 10, 1964; August 1964 and February 1965.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the observation in the full text of the verdict that set aside a High Court ruling declaring the houses built for the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker on the premises of National Assembly Complex (Jatiya Sangsad area) as illegal.
The apex court delivered the short judgement on August 16 this year, while the full text of the verdict released on the SC website recently.
In the observation the apex court also said, “The construction of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker’s residences are within the residential block of National Assembly Complex which were built under Louis Kahn’s direct supervision, will not in any way deface the aesthetic value and grace of the National Assembly Complex.”
In 2003, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and the Institute of Architects Bangladesh filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the construction of the two houses on the parliament premises, citing violation of the original design by renowned architect Louis I Kahn.  
Construction work began in 2002. Following the petition the High Court on June 21, 2004, delivered a verdict saying the construction of the new buildings for the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were illegal and directed the government to declare the National Assembly Complex as “national heritage”.
Later, the Appellate Division suspended the High Court’s order after an appeal from the state and granted them leave to appeal against the order.
Subsequently, the state’s lawyers submitted a regular appeal against the High Court’s order in 2005. In the meantime, the construction of the residential buildings of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were completed.
In 2015, during a hearing on the appeal, the Appellate Division asked the state to present the original design of Louis I Kahn, which it did later. The apex court held hearing on the appeal petition on August 2 and 3 this year and delivered the verdict on August 16.
The apex court allowed the appeal filed by the state and set aside the High Court verdict over the issue.