Swadhinata Stambha or Independence Monument is a national monument in Bangladesh to commemorate the historical events that took place in the Suhrawardy Udyan, previously known as Ramna Race Course ground regarding the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

The government of Bangladesh took the initiative to build the monument in 1996. The construction began in 1999. Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and Marina Tabassum designed the project. The main attraction of the project is a 50-meter high tower composed of stacked glass panels, which stands at the place where the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender was signed at the end of the war.

History

In 1996, the Government of Bangladesh decided to build a monument to restore the memories of the Bangladesh Liberation War in Suhrawardy Udyan of Dhaka. In 1997 a competition was organized to select the best monument for the proposed project in Suhrawardy Udyan. Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and Marina Tabassum, two architects who graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology came with the design of a suitable project. Their proposed project included a museum, multi-media projection theatre, amphitheater, and other ancillary facilities in addition to the main focus of the project, the monument itself. The focal point in the experience of the space is the monument: a Tower of Light made of stacked glass sheets. The design presented by Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and Marina Tabassum won the competition and their design was selected for the proposed project.

How To Go

The Swadhinata Stambha can be reached by any bus from Gulistan, Motijheel, Shahbag, Gabtali, Mirpur, or Tongi to Shahbag in Dhaka.