"I have been informed about the ongoing struggle to protect the area around the parliament complex designed by my father Louis I Kahn."

Nathaniel Kahn, describing the value of the parliament complex, said: "It would be a tragic mistake to build new buildings so close to the complex. It will not only diminish the value and importance of your beautiful capital but also of a world class monument."

"As the filmmaker of this year's academy award nominated film about my father called 'My Architect' which has a long sequence in Dhaka, I can tell you that the world has finally seen the parliament complex and they are thrilled by it. People all over the world will come to see it."

Nathaniel Kahn said: "Please, save the land around the parliament. It will help the people of Dhaka and be a source of pride, heritage and yes, tourism in the future."

The Architectural Archive, University of Pennsylvania, meanwhile is organising an exhibition throughout the United States on the works of Louis Kahn.

Architect Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, now in the United States, has been assigned to curate the exhibition that will feature Kahn's greatest creation, the parliament complex of Bangladesh.

The parliament complex came under the spotlight in October 2002 when the government took up a TK 6 crore project to construct two residential buildings for the speaker and deputy speaker in an area that Louis Kahn had marked as open space.

A High Court bench in June declared the construction illegal and directed the government to take necessary steps to declare the parliament complex a national heritage.

The Appellate Division on July 7 declined to pass a stay order on the June 21 High Court order and also brushed aside the government's plea to put an embargo on media coverage on any construction work at the parliament complex.