Last
week I was on a field trip, travelling to the northern districts of
Bangladesh. Among all the places in the northern regions, Rangpur is
special to me for many reasons especially because in the late 70's my
family spent great times in this beautiful town.
In the
days of undivided India, Rangpur was regarded as the gateway to this
region due to its connectivity with the neighbouring towns on the other
side of the border like Jalpaiguri, Shilliguri, Darjeeling, etc.
Rangpur
was also renowned for its heritage buildings, age old trees, and rich
culture, well educated people and a group of dedicated pioneer women
like Syeda Maleka Ashraf, Anwara Syed, Eienun Nahar (only to name a few)
to speak and work on behalf of the marginalised segments of society.
This town was also highly regarded for its active civil society but most
importantly Rangpur is always very special to us as this is the home of
Begum Rokeya. Throughout the years, although Rangpur lost much of its
pride, it is once again coming to the forefront. This divisional town,
now turning into a city, is unique as it holds the most beautiful office
complex of Bangladesh. The organisation is RDRS (Rangpur – Dinajpur
Rural Services).
Soon
after the war of independence, a Geneva based organisation came forward
to assist this poverty stricken area. RDRS, now a national,
non-government organisation is serving around 1,600,000 people from 18
districts. The organisation is not only unique with its services but
also different in its overall thinking.
Credit goes to its
visionary architect Mobasher Hossain, the then consultant - planner of
this complex (who is now the President of the Commonwealth Association
of Architects (CAA) and also President of the Institute of Architects
Bangladesh). The far sighted architect not only sensed the essence of
the work of the organisation but also thought about a simple and
sustainable mechanism of maintenance of this people oriented
organisation's office.
Under
the supervision of Almas Parvez (a dedicated long-time staff), Abdur
Rahman has been doing the gardening work all by himself. He just used
three types of wall creepers to decorate the office walls and few low
maintenance plants and trees for the total premises. All these creepers
and plants are seen and available in small and big towns.
He
placed the climbing one at the soil base around the walls and this only
ensured that the soil is wet enough to keep them alive and grow well.
That's it! No fertiliser or insecticides are ever used to add vitality
to the walls and their climbers. The walls are kept open – not
polished with cement or covered with paints. I learnt that 'Paulding
Plastering Insulation' is used to keep the walls dry. This uneven raw
base allows the creepers to tighten their grips and helps them climb up.
For
the vines, a cannel-type lining was made around the edges of the roofs,
then filled with soil and fertilisers and creepers planted all over the
lining. The vines grew fast and after a while they start multiplying
themselves and flow down and created an amazing sight!
This,
provided with some care, can easily be replicated in any urban setting.
All you need is some patience. So start soon after completion or
renovation of your house, building or flat. You will not only be
relieved of the periodic expenses of painting and cleaning, but will
enjoy the appreciation of the beholders!
