The National Martyrs Memorial has been built to commemorate all the brave martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Great Liberation War of 1971. This memorial complex has been set up in Savar Upazila with an area of 44 hectares at a distance of 35 km from Dhaka. Designed by architect Syed Mainul Hossain, the construction of the memorial was completed in late 1982.
The main structure of the National Memorial is made up of seven pairs of triangular walls. The walls are arranged from small to large. Although the middle wall is shorter in length, it is higher than the other walls in height. The height of the highest point of the monument is 150 feet. The main structure of the National Memorial is made of concrete. Red bricks are used in all other structures of the monument which evokes the legend of freedom in the land stained with red blood. The monument looks different from different angles, which indicates the uniqueness of this monument.
Why seven pillars in the memorial?
The monument consists of seven pairs of triangles. The seven pairs of walls of the National Memorial represent the seven different phases of the freedom movement. The stages are:
- Language movement of 1952.
- United Front elections 1954.
- Regime movement of 1956.
- Education movement of 1962
- Six point movement of 1966
- People’s Uprising 1969
- The Great Liberation War of 1971
The National Memorial complex includes artificial water bodies, gardens and historical slaughterhouses and mass graves, a reminder of the brutality of the Pak forces in 1971. The slaughterhouse and mass graves were discovered after the liberation war, which has been attached to the original structure of the memorial. In front of the National Memorial there is a reservoir full of the national flower of Bangladesh. The reflection of the national monument in this reservoir creates a wonderful view.
There is no entrance fee to the National Memorial. The National Memorial is open daily from 6 am to 6 pm for visiting visitors.
How to go
BRTC has bus service from Dhaka to the memorial. You will have to visit the memorial from Dhaka’s Motijheel, Gulistan, Shahbagh, Farmgate, Asadgate, Shyamoli, Gabtali by BRTC bus. From Mirpur 12 and Mirpur 10, Rajdhani Paribahan and Itihash Paribahan leave for the memorial via Mirpur 10, Mirpur 1, Gabtali. Also from Motijheel – Gulistan you can take several buses to Nabinagar and from there you can easily visit the memorial.