Our Virtual Reality

BISHALER BARI ↗: The Residence of Abul Khair↗ • Chairman, Bengal Group Limited & Bengal Foundation

Originally designed by Bangladesh's pioneering modernist architect Muzharul Islam in the late 60’s, Bishaler Bari was subsequently adapted by several architects over the decades; initially by architect Abu Saud, followed by improvisations by Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and also Luva Nahid Choudhury. Bishaler Bari was far more than a private residence. For over forty years, it served as one of Bangladesh's most influential cultural homes—a place where art, architecture, music, literature, and intellectual exchange coexisted with remarkable warmth and informality.

Situated on a one and half bigha property in Gulshan, Dhaka, the two-storey house was built as the residence of the Ispahani family and later served as home of the Russian Ambassador following Bangladesh's Liberation War. In the early 1980’s, Bishaler Bari became home to Professor Abdur Razzaq, Abul Khair Litu, Mahua Khair, Kushol, Hema and Bishal. It was named in memory of Mr Abul Khair’s youngest son, Bishal.

Throughout its history, Bishaler Bari welcomed artists, architects, musicians, writers, dancers, diplomats, Nobel laureates, foreign ambassadors, intellectuals, and distinguished guests from Bangladesh and abroad. It was not simply a venue for gatherings but a living cultural environment where ideas were exchanged, friendships formed, and artistic collaborations flourished. Within its walls emerged institutions and initiatives that helped shape the country's cultural landscape, including Bengal Foundation, the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, the Bengal Classical Music Festival, Bengal Institute of Architecture, Landscape and Settlements, the magazines Kali O Kalam, Jamini, ICE Today, ICE Business Times. It housed one of the first landmark cross-border art camps Contemporary Works of Bengali Artists, which brought together fifty-two leading and influential artists from Bangladesh and India for the first time.

The residence also housed one of Bangladesh's finest private art collections, displaying paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed-media works by many of the country's most celebrated artists alongside distinguished South Asian masters. Visitors to the virtual tour will encounter works by Zainul Abedin, S. M. Sultan, Mohammad Kibria, Murtaja Baseer, Monirul Islam, Shahabuddin Ahmed, Rashid Chowdhury, Quamrul Hassan, Qayyum Chowdhury, Rafiqun Nabi, Safiuddin Ahmed, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Jamini Roy, Rini Dhumal, Dilara Begum Jolly, Rokeya Sultana, Hashem Khan, Mahbubur Rahman, Aminul Islam, Kazi Abdul Baset, Kazi Ghiyasuddin, Mahmudul Haque, Nazlee Laila Mansur, Mohammad Eunus, Abdus Sattar, Sheikh Afzal, Shahid Kabir, Syed Jahangir, Dhali Al Mamun, Maksuda Iqbal Nipa, and many other significant artists.

The immersive Matterport experience allows visitors to move freely through the residence, exploring the entrance, gardens, courtyard, parking area, living and dining rooms, library, bedrooms, verandas, staircase, and Mr. Abul Khair's private room. Beyond the architecture, the tour reveals sculpture-filled gardens, mature trees alive with birds, generous indoor spaces, and a home where art was part of everyday life rather than confined to gallery walls.

Captured by ARTCON in April 2025, this project preserves the house in its final complete state before its demolition. It is not a reconstruction or a digital interpretation, but an authentic spatial record created through comprehensive three-dimensional documentation.

Bishaler Bari no longer stands. Through this immersive archive, however, its architecture, collections, memories, and extraordinary cultural legacy remain accessible to future generations.