Photo: Courtesy-
Metropolis Report-
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan has recently visited Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Masjid, popularly known as the Red Mosque, which has won the prestigious Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for its intricate Islamic architectural design.
State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh Nasrul Hamid received KSA Ambassador Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan at Keraniganj.
After visiting the mosque, Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan said Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia enjoy warm relations that will reach a new height in the coming days.
He also handed over 100 copies of the holy Quran to the members of the management of the mosque.
He said that Bangladesh has been one of the most populous Muslim-majority countries in the present world.
He expressed the hope that Bangladesh and KSA will work together to contain militancy in the region.
He also the government of Bangladesh, people irrespective of caste, creed, religion and belief live in harmonious way.
A total of seven mosques across the world received the prestigious award and one of those is the Red Mosque at Doleshwar in Keraniganj…
Award board of trustees chairman Prince Sultan bin Salman and governor of Madinah province in Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Salman were present at the award ceremony at Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia, it added.
A total of 201 mosques from 43 countries under three continents participated in the competition.
The award was given to the Red Mosque from a short list of 27 mosques.
Founded in 2011, the Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture recognises architectural excellence in mosque engineering and construction.
Meanwhile, the old mosque adjacent to the Red Mosque also won the ‘UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards 2021 Cycle for Cultural Heritage Conservation’ award recently, and architect Saeed Mostaq Ahmed won the ‘Award of Merit’ for its renovation and preservation.
Also known as ‘Daroga Masjid’, Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque was constructed by Daroga Aminuddin Ahmed in 1868.
Aminuddin’s son Moiz Uddin Ahmed was the first caretaker of the mosque. Khidir Baksh and Kader Baksh, two brothers who were Moiz Uddin’s relatives, continued the mosque’s construction and renovation.
Kader Baksh’ grandson, former lawmaker Prof Hamidur Rahman, expanded the mosque further and built its minaret in 1968.
Later, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, son of Prof Hamidur Rahman, took an initiative for the restoration of the mosque keeping the main infrastructure intact.
Architect Abu Sayeed M Ahmed led the year-long restoration project, finishing it in 2018.
Meanwhile, the historic Nizamuddin Basti, a slum in the Indian capital, has received the Award of Excellence the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation for its “outstanding achievement in placing heritage at the heart of the sustainable development agenda”.
The project also garnered a Special Recognition for Sustainable Development.
Nine projects from six countries — Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand — have been honoured by a jury of heritage experts, the UN body said in a release.
Duong Bich Hanh, Chief of Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok, said, “The diversity of heritage typologies and countries where the winning projects come from are truly remarkable. The number of projects that have successfully addressed various aspects of the sustainable development agenda is also commendable.”
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme recognises the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving, and transforming structures and buildings of distinct heritage value in the region.
