Project Philosophy: The Voice of Void

For fifty-two years, a piece of land at Feni College remained a silent, forgotten wound. Once a lively playground where students played football, it became a brutal torture cell during the Liberation War of 1971. In a tragic twist, the place where students once scored goals became a site where martyrs were killed. An unfortunate true incident goes like this: In 1972, a man came to this site searching for his brother. He identified him among a pile of bones only because his brother’s skull was larger than others. This deep personal grief is the foundation of the Feni College Boddhobhumi Sritisthombho Complex.

We designed the space as a ‘Continuous Path’ divided into four symbolic chapters. It begins with ‘A Walk to Remember’, leading visitors to the ‘Walls of Silence’. Two high walls stand like a ghostly goalpost, marking the center of the killings. In front of them is a scorched black wall, representing a soul scarred by bullets. This wall has 71 circular red holes, representing the year 1971. To reach the main plaza, visitors must climb 16 steps, symbolizing Victory Day on December 16th. Six copper cylinders hang from the walls, representing the spirit, struggle, and glory of the martyrs. These also mark December 6th, the day Feni was liberated. Below them, a stream of crimson water flows, reflecting the blood shed on this soil. The complex was not built to showcase architectural excellence but to create a void so that silence could tell the story. The raw textures of the project were kept intentionally to respect the sacrifice of our blood-stained history.

The third chapter, ‘Recalling the History’, is a circular amphitheater. It is inspired from the gathering pattern of our freedom fighters who used to sit in circles to listen to war news on the radio or discuss war strategies. Today, this place of fear has become the city’s heart, where students gather for cultural programs, narrate history and connect with people.

Finally, the ‘Journey of Freedom’ is a zigzag path, showing that the road to liberty was never easy.

There are four plaques with the names of 31 freedom fighters and the history of Feni, leading to the Flag Plaza. Here stand our map and national flag. After prolonged trail of sacrifice, this is our ultimate achievement: a map we call home and a flag that represents our soul. We promised: “We shall not forget you.”