Bangladesh finds a spot at Nagasaki Peace Park
At the Nagasaki Peace Park, monuments from around the world stand united, commemorating Japan’s historic loss in the 1945 atomic bombing. On 28 May, Bangladesh joined those monuments
In just a few words, the poem 'Dusshomoy' by Rabindranath Tagore conveys a message of resilience. In the face of adversities and hopelessness, the words, "yet, O bird, O my bird/Do not fold your wings just yet, blindly" compels people to not lose hope and to persevere.
'Ore Bihongo Mor,' the words from Tagore's poem, is the name of a monument unveiled on 28 May at the Nagasaki Peace Park in Japan. The structure embodies the black badge worn during periods of mourning, with a blackbird at its base and a white bird on the top corner of the structure.
It was designed by Architect Anindya Pandit, who works as an architect at Studio Varmine and is an Assistant Professor (Adjunct) at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST).
The structure finds its place nestled between the structures from Italy and Poland, where each monument commemorates the lives lost during the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in the year 1945.
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The Nagasaki Peace Park stands as a reminder of that time.
The park was established in 1955 near the centre of the explosion, and now its Peace Symbol Zone is the centre of monuments donated from across the world, all uniting in this message of peace.
With Ore Bihongo Mor, Bangladesh donated its own monument to this historic landmark for the first time. The structure stands at a height of 3 metres and a width of 2.8 metres.
Before deciding on what would go on the allotted plot for Bangladesh in this park, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works called for an open design competition through the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB).
Approximately 62 individuals competed and the jury chose Architect Pandit's design to stand at the Nagasaki Peace Park.
While Architect Pandit had created a design with a powerful meaning, it was only the first step of the project, and he had a long way to go before he could see his ideas come to life.
"While working on this design I had to keep a lot of factors in mind, such as the fact that the structure would be built on foreign soil and the historical significance of the whole thing," he recently told The Business Standard.
"There was a challenge cutting such large stones, which is not possible with our country's resources. When the construction began, a Japanese company helped with the process, all of which took place in China."
The winning design of the mourning badge came with a thoughtful concept. "The way people express mourning is very unique — through a badge on our shirt pockets. I wanted to bring this concept into a three-dimensional expression," shared Architect Pandit.
In times of mourning, people stand together with a black badge on the left side of their chest. It is a way of saying, 'We share this sadness'. In the same way, with this monument, Bangladesh now wears this badge of mourning, in solidarity with Japan's past tragedies.
The outline of two birds stands out when you look at the structure. "The flying white bird at the top is a symbol of peace," commented Pandit.
"In the badge we wear, there is usually a triangular cut at the bottom. I treated the cut at the bottom as the blackbird, which is also a symbol of peace that is moving upwards."
Inside of the badge-like structure, almost like a hidden message, you will find the words from Tagore's 'Dusshomoy' etched in Bangla. A translation lies below on a white slab of marble.
The structure's stark black and bright white hues come from the materials used to create it. The black "cloth" portion is made of black granite, and the contrasting white is made of marble.
Despite the concept being based on a two-dimensional badge, the architect envisioned it in such a way that the structure will not face any issues with stability due to its form. From its side profile, you notice that it is mapped out with a hollow triangle on its side.
At the end of the day, along with standing as a symbol of condolence and solidarity, 'Ore Bihongo Mor' is also a manifestation of the friendship between Japan and Bangladesh.
On the occasion of the unveiling, Architect Pandit commented, "Bangladesh and Japan have always had a good relationship, which is one of the reasons for the sculpture. Through this structure, Bangladesh is commemorating an international historic event."
