Baitul Mukarram National Mosque

The mosque respects the ancient Mughal architectural principles that have long dominated the Indian subcontinent while incorporating a number of contemporary architectural characteristics. [Reference needed] The huge cube shape of Baitul Mukarram, which makes it stand out from other mosques in Bangladesh, was inspired by the Ka'abah in Mecca. The mosque is perched on a very tall ledge. The Baitul Mukarram National Mosque is housed in an eight-story structure that rises 99 feet above the ground. The mosque's main entrance was supposed to be on the eastern side, per the original design. The 29,000 square foot "shaan" to the east has restrooms on its south and north sides. When the Baitul Mukarram project first started, Wu'du Place or Ablution cached a significant portion. The two superficially domed entrance porticoes, one on the south and the other on the north, make up for the main building's lack of a dome. Three arches in the shape of a rabbit's foot make up the height of these porticoes, with the center arch being larger than the other two. The prayer hall of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque is adequately lit and ventilated thanks to two patios (an inner courtyard without a roof). Instead of being semicircular, the prayer niché of the hall is rectangular. Since modern construction typically minimizes adornment, excessive embellishment is avoided throughout the mosque. The garden is put out in a manner that is greatly influenced by Mughal gardens, however unlike conventional Mughal gardens, which symbolize the Islamic Heaven, it lacks the Char-Bagh system, probably because there isn't enough space for such a garden. The Bangladeshi government would likely have to destroy the garden if it decides to expand the mosque, therefore the garden's future remains uncertain.

Abdulhusein M. Thariani, an architect, created the mosque complex. A great mosque in Dhaka was suggested to be built by Haji Abdul Latif Bawany, the owner of the Bawany Jute Mills at the time, to Major General Omrao Khan, the military leader of East Pakistan at the time. Omrao Khan consented to assist in constructing such a mosque. The "Baitul Mukarram mosque committee" was founded the same year, and 8.30 acres of land between new and old Dhaka were selected. The site of the current mosque was a sizable pond back then. It was referred to as "Paltan Pond." The pond was filled, and on January 27, 1960, Ayub Khan, the then-president of Pakistan, started construction. The first time someone prayed was on Friday, January 25, 1963.

Within the complex, the proposal called for stores, offices, libraries, and parking spaces. Despite the fact that Muslims have a legacy of dome mosques, this structure did not uphold that practice at the time. It must have been an unusual attempt to build a mosque without a dome over its primary prayer area. When the nation was a part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the mosque was constructed.