Louis Kahn or Ayub Khan?
The Daily Star has published a full page interview held with Nathaniel Kahn, son of famous architect Louis I Kahn, by Kazi A. Asharaf in its issue of December 2, 2003. The reason behind giving such great importance to this interview in that Louis Kahn was the architect of our magnificent Parliament Building Complex. I remember having read some time back another write-up published in The Daily Star (weekly magazine?) on Louis Kahn and his great work at a place now called Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Neither in the earlier nor in the latest publication related to the 'Shangsad Bhabon' complex, is there any mention as to who commissioned Louis Kahn to build the great edifice we are proud of having in Bangladesh.
Why are the writers shy of mentioning the name of Ayub Khan, the then President of Pakistan, who wished to give a share of the national capital concept to East Pakistan by building the National Parliament of Pakistan at Dhaka and initiated the appointment of Louis I Kahn, the most reputed architect of the time? Ayub Khan may have been a dictator but not the worst of the dictators we unfortunately had in Pakistan and in Bangladesh. What is the harm in giving him the credit for anything good that he did?
The man who made the architectural plan of the wonderful Taj Mahal was perhaps a far greater architect than Louis Kahn but people call Shahjahan the builder.
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