Fund crisis stops Asad museum's work for 2yrs

Dhaka South City Corporation suspended construction work of Shaheed Asad Sarani Museum in 2013 due to funds shortage, after spending Tk 2.5 crore to start the work.  

The city corporation began building the museum, for Shaheed Asad and other martyrs of the 1969 mass uprising, in Chankharpool near Dhaka Medical College Hospital on August 11, 2009.

The project was scheduled to be completed by June 2013 at a cost of The Tk 5.12 crore. Later, the deadline was pushed to December 31, 2013.

An DSCC official said so far they have no plans to resume the work, but added that they should finish the project as it is a good one.

Ansar Ali Khan, chief executive officer of DSCC, said the work was suspended due to the funds shortage.

After Sayeed Khokon became Dhaka south's mayor, the city corporation repaid Tk 150 crore out of its Tk 300 crore debt, he said, adding that they will discuss resuming the construction work this fiscal year.

The three-storey museum was supposed to be constructed in the middle of the road symbolising the city of processions, rallies and national unity against autocratic ruler Ayub Khan in 1969, said the official.

Memorabilia of the martyrs of the uprising and posters, books and newspapers of that time will be put on display at the museum once it is completed, said Ansar Ali Khan.  

The then Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Dhaka University vice-chancellor SMA Faiz laid the foundation stone of the museum on January 20, 2009.

The initiative to construct the museum was taken on July 11, 2005 and it was planned to be set up at Asad Gate in the city initially.

According to the design, the museum will have three floors; the first floor will be 20 feet above the ground, the second floor 34.76 feet and the third floor will be 49 feet above the ground.

All the floors would be 4,252 square feet.