| Baitul Mukarram National Mosque | |
|---|---|
বায়তুল মোকাররম জাতীয় মসজিদ | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| District | Dhaka District |
| Ownership | Government of East Pakistan (1959-71) Government of Bangladesh (since 1971) |
| Year consecrated | 1959; 67 years ago (1959) |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Topkhana Road,PaltanDhaka |
| Country | Bangladesh |
  Shown within Dhaka Show map of Dhaka Baitul Mukarram (Dhaka division) Show map of Dhaka division Baitul Mukarram (Bangladesh) Show map of Bangladesh | |
| Administration | Ministry of Religious Affairs |
| Coordinates | 23°43′46″N90°24′46″E / 23.7294°N 90.4128°E /23.7294; 90.4128 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Abdulhusein M. Thariani |
| Type | Neo-islamic |
| Style | Islamic Architecture |
| Founder | Government of East Pakistan |
| Funded by | Abdul Latif Ibrahim Bhawani |
| General contractor | Thariani & Co. |
| Groundbreaking | 27 January 1960; 66 years ago (27 January 1960) |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 42,000+ |
| Height (max) | 99 feet |
| Website | |
| Baitul Mukarram Mosque. Bangladesh National Tourism Bord, website | |
Baitul Mukarram[a] (lit. 'The Honored House'), officiallyBaitul Mukarram National Mosque,[b][1] is thenational mosque of Bangladesh. It is located at the center ofDhaka, the capital ofBangladesh. The mosque was completed in 1968.[2][3] It has a capacity of more than 42,000 worshippers.[4]
The mosque complex was designed by architectAbdulhusein M. Thariani.[5] On 27 April 1959, Abdul Latif Ibrahim Bawani, owner of then Bawani Jute Mills, held a meeting at his house with GA Madani, Haji Abdul Latif Bawani, MH Adamji, S Sattar, Muhammad Sadiq, AZM Rezai Karim and Major General Umrao Khan.[6] In that meeting he proposed to Major General Khan, then military administrator ofEast Pakistan, that a grand mosque be built in Dhaka. Umrao Khan agreed to help build such a mosque. The same year, a Baitul Mukarram mosque committee was established and 8.30 acres of land between new Dhaka andOld Dhaka was chosen for the site. At that time, there was a large pond in the present mosque's location. It was known as Paltan pond. The pond was filled up and on 27 January 1960, then president of PakistanAyub Khan, commenced the work. Prayers took place for the first time on Friday, 25 January 1963. On 28 March 1975, theGovernment of Bangladesh entrusted the management of the mosque to theIslamic Foundation Bangladesh.[7]
The mosque complex includes shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within it. Unusually, the mosque does not have a dome. In 2008, the mosque was extended, financed by a donation from thegovernment of Saudi Arabia.[8][9]
The mosque has severalmodern architectural features whilst at the same time it preserves the traditional principles ofMughal architecture which has for some time been dominant in theIndian sub-continent.[citation needed] Baitul Mukarram's large cube shape was modeled after that of theKaaba atMecca,[5] making it a noticeable structure unlike any other mosque in Bangladesh.
The mosque is on a very high platform. The Baitul Mukarram National Mosque's building is eight storied and 99 feet high from the ground level. According to the original plan, the main entrance of the mosque was to be on the eastern side. The 'shaan' on the east is 29,000 square feet with ablution space on its south and north sides. Ablution orWu'du Place cached an important part when the Baitul Mukarram was begun. The absence of a dome on the main building is compensated by the two superficial domed entrance porticoes, one on the south, and the other on the north. The height of these porticoes consists of threerabbit's foot shaped arches, the middle of which is bigger than the rest.
Two patios (roofless inner courtyard) ensure that enough light and air enter the prayer hall of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The prayer niché of the hall is rectangular instead of semi-circular. Excessive ornamentation is avoided throughout the mosque, since minimizing ornamentation is typical of modern architecture.
The garden is laid out in a style borrowed heavily fromMughal gardens, however unlike the traditional Mughal gardens which represent theIslamic Heaven, the garden does not have theChar-Bagh system, most likely due to not having enough room for such a garden. The future of this garden is unknown; if theBangladeshi government extends the mosque, it will most likely have to remove the garden.
| Serial | Name | Term | Notes |
| 1 | Abdur Rahman Bekhud (1904–1987) | 1963–1971 | |
| 2 | Usman Madani | 1971 | Acting khatib duringBangladesh Liberation War |
| 3 | Amimul Ehsan Barkati (1911–1974) | 1971–1974 | |
| 4 | Abdul Muiz (1919–1984) | 1974–1984 | |
| 5 | Ubaidul Haq (1928–2007) | 1984–2007 | Longest-serving khatib[10] |
| 6 | Muhammad Nuruddin (1954–2009) | 2007–2009 | Acting |
| 7 | Mohammed Salahuddin (1944–2022) | 2009–2022 | |
| 8 | Ruhul Amin Faridpuri | 2022–2024 | Expelled |
| 9 | Muhammad Abdul Malek | 2024– |
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... the Al-Baitul Mukarram, the largest mosque in East Pakistan, which could accommodate 42,000+ devotees for congregational worship.
It takes the historical model of the Kaaba in Mecca as its formal reference. Architect: A.H. Thariani
