Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Parliament building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban is a parliament building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka and reaches a height of 155 meters (509 feet) with nine interconnected blocks of exposed concrete. The central building houses the main chamber beneath a parabolic shell roof, while auxiliary structures contain offices and administrative spaces.
Work began in 1961 during the East Pakistan period following designs by an American architect and extended across two decades. Completion occurred in 1982, a decade after Bangladesh gained independence, when the country was already under its own administration.
The complex takes its name from the Bengali word for National Assembly and reflects the cultural identity of the country. The perforated walls create light and shadow patterns reminiscent of traditional Musharabiyya screens and produce a filtered atmosphere in the interior spaces.
Access is subject to security checks, and some areas remain closed to the public, especially during parliamentary sessions. The sprawling grounds require time to explore, and it is advisable to choose the cooler hours of the day for a visit.
The artificial lake surrounding the building serves not only as a design element but also as natural cooling, lowering interior temperatures. The water surface optically doubles the height of the structure through reflections in calm weather.
Location: Dhaka
Inception: 1982
Architects: Louis Kahn
Official opening: January 28, 1982
Architectural style: modern architecture, brutalist architecture
Height: 155 m
Email: visit.branch@parliament.gov.bd
Website: http://parliament.gov.bd
GPS coordinates: 23.76222,90.37861
Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:36
Brutalist architecture emerged in the decades following World War II, producing buildings that challenged conventional design through their honest expression of materials and function. From Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation in Marseille to Louis Kahn's National Assembly in Dhaka, these structures define a global movement that prioritized raw concrete, bold geometric forms and exposed construction elements. The style reached across continents, shaping university libraries in Chicago, government buildings in Boston and Chandigarh, residential towers in London, and cultural centers in São Paulo. Each building reflects the architectural philosophy of its time, when architects sought to create functional spaces through direct expression of structure and material. This collection documents examples from Europe, Asia, North and South America, representing the full range of building types that defined the movement. You'll find administrative complexes that house parliaments and municipal offices, educational facilities serving major universities, residential towers providing urban housing, and cultural institutions including museums and theaters. The structures share common characteristics—concrete left exposed to show its texture and formwork patterns, geometric compositions that emphasize mass and volume, and architectural elements that reveal rather than conceal how buildings stand and function. These sites offer insight into a period when architects reimagined how modern cities could be built and how public spaces could serve their communities.
Bangladesh extends from the Brahmaputra delta to the hills near the Myanmar border. The country combines historical structures with natural settings that suit photography. In Dhaka, mosques from the 17th century stand near buildings from the 20th century. The coast shows long sandy beaches and small islands in the Bay of Bengal. In the northeast, tea plantations sit on gentle hills, while wetlands and swamps become water-covered landscapes during the monsoon season. Places like Lalbagh Fort and Ahsan Manzil document the Mughal era and colonial influences in the capital. The Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat dates from the 15th century and shows early Islamic architecture in the region. Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the parliament building by Louis Kahn, represents modern design. Natural areas like Ratargul Swamp Forest or the tea gardens near Srimangal offer different subjects. Cox's Bazar beach stretches for many miles (kilometers) along the coast. Saint Martin Island lies farther south in the sea. Sajek Valley in the Chittagong Hill Tracts shows mountainous terrain with views over forested slopes.
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