Vandalisation of Bagha Jatin’s sculpture: Jubo League leader, 2 others arrested

A local unit leader of the youth wing of ruling Bangladesh Awami League and two others have been arrested for their alleged involvement with the vandalising of the sculpture of Jatindranath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin, a freedom fighter of undivided India.

Anisur Rahman, 35, is the president of Koya union Jubo League, said Kushtia police super Tanvir Arafat at a media briefing at his office today, Saturday.

Earlier, parts of the sculpture, installed in front of the main entrance of Koya College in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia, was vandalised on Thursday night, said Kumarkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Razibul Islam Khan, who visited the spot along with Mojibur Rahman, the officer-in-charge of local police station.

Tanvir Arafat said two others are Sabuj Hossain, 20 and Hridoy Ahmed, 20. Police is looking for another person, Bacchu, 32.

The police super said Anisur had a clash with the college authorities. In this context, he along with his associates vandalised the sculpture of Bagha Jatin.

Following the vandalising of the sculpture on Thursday night, Koya College principal Harun Ar Rashid filed a lawsuit under special powers act on Friday afternoon.

Bagha Jatin was one of most famous anti-British freedom fighters. He was born in Koya. Bagha Jatin earned the epithet ‘Bagha’ as he killed a Royal Bengal Tiger single-handed with a dagger after fighting with it for nearly three hours. The sculpture was made at the initiative of Kumarkhali upazila administration to remember him at his birth place.

Former Khulna divisional commissioner Abdus Samad inaugurated the sculpture on 6 December 2016.

Earlier, an under-construction sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vandalised in Kushtia town on the night of 4 December.

Following the incident, police arrested two students and two teachers of a madrasah and sent them to jail.