This house was completed in 1952 and initially rented as a one-unit home. It was used as a Guest House for USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), an arm of the US Embassy, personnel and their guests for five years. There was only one major renovation made in 1958 when it was converted from a single dwelling to a two-unit residence. An addition was built in the north end of the building to add dining spaces on both levels and a kitchen on the 1st floor. The lower level was rented out until 1963. Since then, it has been occupied by Mr. Kabir’s family members only.

Syed Gholam Kabir was born in Bamundi village, Burdwan district, West Bengal around 1900. He joined the Bengal Civil Service in 1925 after graduating from Presidency College in Calcutta. After partition he opted for Pakistan and continued to serve in the Pakistan Civil Service.  Syed Gholam Kabir was married to Sara Begum and together they had five children.

An American friend of the owner’s family once described the architecture style of the house as Art Deco homes of the 1940s and 1950s and indeed the style is very recognizable and distinctive among the houses built in Dhaka at the time and during the 1960s. However, since the house was designed by Syed Gholam Kabir in collaboration with civil engineers, it makes one curious as to how those stylistic influences were adapted in the design of the house.