Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum has been named in influential US weekly TIME magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world for 2024. Tabassum was named in the Innovators section of the list for her commitment to sustainable design that “prioritises local cultures and values, as well as the perils faced by our shared planet.” The citation for Tabassum, written for TIME by Sarah Whiting, dean of the Harvard School for Design, says: “Tabassum’s altruism even extends to buildings themselves. She cares for her creations as creatures partaking in the resources of our earth: describing her Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which won the prestigious Aga Khan Award, she said a building “has to be able to breathe without artificial aids.” Elsewhere in the country, which faces increased flood risks due to climate change, she has developed houses that are cost-effective and easy to move—clearly, buildings shouldn’t just breathe; they should avoid getting their feet wet. While she practices very locally, she teaches, lectures, and is recognized internationally, modeling architecture not as an individual signature but as a collective Esperanto.” Athens Conference: FM Hasan calls for responsible, sustainable ocean management Tabassum's work was previously honoured with the 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture and with the Soane Medal by the American Academy of Arts and Letters Awards in 2021. She was also named as the winner of the Millennium Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lisbon Architecture Triennale in 2022. Tabassum is the principal architect of Marina Tabassum Architects, which she founded in 2005. Previously she was at URBANA, which she co-founded in 1995, shortly after graduating from BUET in 1994. She broke into the limelight with her design for the Bait ur Rauf Mosque in Abdullahpur, that won her the Aga Khan Award, and pioneered a new generation of architects in embracing indigenous design principles for mosques, distinguished by the lack of domes, the use of plinths, the earthen palette, and the intelligent, at times bewitching use of light streaming in through perforations on the roof and walls. Read more: 'Architecture is truly global, can also be deeply local'

CNN is set to air a 30-minute program that explores Bangladesh’s preparations for sustainable economic and environmental growth. The program, titled “Growing Bangladesh”, will examine how Bangladeshi innovators are finding localised solutions to the country’s core challenges, such as flood-resistant homes and solar-powered pay-as-you-go microgrids, according to a press release of CNN International. Marina Tabassum, an award-winning Bangladeshi architect famed for her landmark designs such as Swadhinata Stambha at Suhrawardy Udyan, is featured in the CNN program. Tabassum bases the majority of her initiatives in Bangladesh, drawing on the country’s rich history, culture, and needs, with an emphasis on improving homes and lives. Read More: Marina Tabassum scoops Lisbon Lifetime Achievement Award Aiming at climate change mitigation, she is developing flatpack bamboo homes for those affected by flooding. Her work seeks to make a difference and embrace social responsibility while celebrating the heritage of Bangladesh. “Growing Bangladesh” also features Fahad Ifaz, the co-founder of iFarmer. With nearly half of the country’s population employed in agriculture and more than 70 percent of its land used for farming, Fahad and his friends founded the initiative in 2019 with the goal of transforming the agricultural sector. iFarmer seeks to increase farmers’ income and productivity by providing bundled services for finance, timely advisory services, education, modern farming technology, and access to inputs and appropriate markets. With more than 87,000 farmers registered on the platform, the company has transformed Bangladesh’s agricultural sector by facilitating the sale of nearly 190,000 tonnes of produce and facilitating more than $19 million in funding assistance for farmers throughout the country, according to the CNN press release. Read More: Sofol App from iFarmer: A Revolution Towards the Agriculture Digitization Salma Islam, head of projects, fundraising, and communications at SOLshare, a start-up hoping to kickstart the electric vehicle (EV) revolution in Bangladesh is among the “changemakers” who are featured in the program. CNN’s “Growing Bangladesh” also features Rokaiya Ahmed Purna, one of the country’s leading fashion designers who seek to revolutionise Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry by unleashing the country’s creativity. Purna’s ‘Design in Bangladesh’ platform – to be launched later this year – aims to turn the tables and conceptualize the idea of “Designed in Bangladesh” instead of “Made in Bangladesh”. Her platform will provide opportunities for Bangladeshi designers and she hopes that this will demonstrate the country’s creative prowess to the world and garner international recognition for Bangladeshi designs. Read More: Bangladeshi Marina Tabassum in Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s Steering Committee During the 30-minute show, CNN also talks to Taslima Miji, the founder of Leatherina, a manufacturer of leather products. The company is committed to making a difference in the leather industry by procuring responsibly and reducing waste and designs many of its bags in-house. The show will air at 11 am and 9 pm Bangladeshi time on April 1.

Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum added another feather to her cap – the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Lifetime Achievement Award 2022. Marina, also a researcher and educator, is the first architect from the global south to receive the honour, adding her name to a list that includes Denise Scott-Brown, Lacaton, Vassal, Kenneth Frampton, Álvaro Siza and Vittorio Gregotti. The 2021 Soane Medal and 2016 Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner's work shows a "deep sense of commitment to the social and cultural role of architecture, with particular attention paid to building a collective sense of belonging in each new project." Read: Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum in top 50 thinkers’ list The international jury responsible for choosing the winner of this edition's Lifetime Achievement Award highlighted how Marina's unique practice touches on the spiritual fundamentals of architecture, without losing sight of its responsibilities and potential impact. The 2022 edition of the Lisbon Triennale has Terra (the Earth) as its theme, a motto that expresses the territory, the city, the landscape, the place where everyone belongs or a continent seen from the sea. Over the past three decades Marina's practice "has been an inspiring example of work with local communities that can have a positive impact across the planet – even under the most adverse conditions," the jury, composed of Cristina Veríssimo (Portugal), Diogo Burnay (Portugal), N’Goné Fall (Senegal), Yael Reisner (Israel) and Zhang Ke (China), said. Read 47 individuals, enterprises get Walton 'Branding Heroes Award' Marina's projects demonstrate both a "strong, clear ethical position and delicate, sophisticated design, being uncompromisingly innovative even with limited resources and budget constraints," it added. "The architect's bold step forward, transforming architecture's role from a passive-commission model into an active-initiative one, keeps showing us the way towards how architects can challenge the climate crisis and bring about social change in an experimental, respectful and inspiring manner," the jury said. Marina's notable works include the minimal, sun-dappled Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, opened in 2012, the Independence Monument of Bangladesh, and the Museum of Independence. Read Nagad's Jhalak scoops up 'Best Emerging Director in Fintech' award The 6th Lisbon Architecture Triennale, curated by Cristina Veríssimo and Diogo Burnay, will be held from September 29 to December 5, 2022, in Portugal's Lisbon. During Terra's opening days, Marina will be in Lisbon to receive the award, which is an original work of art by Portuguese artist and sculptor Carlos Nogueira. On September 30, a series of conferences will bring together the winners of all three Lisbon Triennale Millennium Awards – Lifetime Achievement, Début and Universities. Read Rickshaw puller awarded prize for 999 call to save women in Chattogram This award is given after an independent selection process that runs through two different stages. In the first phase, over 30 international leading figures in architecture are invited by the Triennale to nominate up to three names they consider worthy of the award. The resulting list is then given to the jury responsible for the final decision, which includes the general curators of the Triennale 2022 plus three other prominent figures from Senegal, Israel and China.

Renowned Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum has been included in the Steering Committee of Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the 2020-2022 cycle.

Bangladeshi Architect Marina Tabassum's name was registered in the list of world's top 50 thinkers in 2020.   UK-based magazine Prospect published the list on July 14.   Prospect said there is nothing like an emergency to make people realise the value of practical ideas and sharpest thinkers answers so many unknown questions freely.