After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in 1975, he was buried in his native Tungipara. For many years the military junta restricted access to the grave site. After the Awami League was elected in the 1996 general election, the Department of Archaeology officially commenced construction of the complex, which was opened in 2001.[1]
The next day, the military junta buried all but Mujib's body in the Banani graveyard. It was decided to bury Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his birthplace, Tungipara, away from the country's capital. The Director General of Forces Intelligence assigned a major to hand over his body to his village relatives and supervise the burial. Major Haider Ali and 14 army personnel brought Mujib's dead body to Tungipara by helicopter. They found a distant relative of Mujib named Mosharraf Hussain whom they entrusted to bury Mujib. When a village imam was brought to perform the process, Ali asked him to bury the body without performing the funeral rites. Better than this, the imam said that if the dead person is a Shaheed, then he can be buried in this way. After listening to imam's answer, Major Ali asked to complete the funeral at low cost and quickly. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was buried next to his father after completing the burial.[6] Entry to his grave area was restricted for many years and no one was allowed to enter.[1]
In 1994, architect Ehsan Khan, Ishtiaq Zahir and Iqbal Habib were commissioned to convert Bangabandhu's residence in Dhaka into a museum. After they completed the work in 1995, Sheikh Hasina asked them to build a mausoleum complex for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara. A year later, after Awami League came to power, the government selected them to implement the mausoleum complex project. They were given two years to complete the project. The prime minister gave them the basic idea of what will be built under the master plan. The construction started in 1998.[7] The foundation stone of the complex was laid on 17 March 1999 and inaugurated on 10 January 2001.[2] The complex has been designed in such a way that it fits into the village environment. Care was taken not to spoil the environment and nature of the area where the complex was built.[7]
Structure
The mausoleum complex is situated on 38.30 acres land.[2]
Entrance gate of the mausoleum complex
Mausoleum
The center of the complex has a tomb building. The tomb is located in front of the complex after passing the gardens on both sides.
The tomb built of red ceramic and black and white marble, contains the graves of three people including Mujib and his parents. The grave is clad in white marble and surrounded by a dome. Light spills into the tomb through the latticed walls and the carved glass above.[2]
Library and museum
There is a library with 6000 books with a museum. There is an exhibition center which houses photographs of Bangladesh independence struggle and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from various periods and local-foreign historical newspapers. Also the coffin carried Mujib is also preserved here. Besides, there are research center, open stage, public plaza, administrative building, cafeteria, Bakultala square and souvenir corner. There are flower gardens and artificial hills on both sides of the wide road by the library.[2]
Ancestral residence and mosque
The ancestral house of Mujib (left) and Sheikh family mosque (right)
There is Mujib's ancestral house beside the tomb and a Sheikh family mosque established in 1854.[8]
Apart from this, there is historical places related to the life of Mujib such as a pond, family garden etc. There is an amusement park named after Sheikh Russel.[2]
