1,500 sculptures and murals vandalised all over country

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in the face of student-led mass uprising on 5 August, about 1,500 sculptures, relief sculptures, murals and memorials have been vandalised, set on fire and uprooted all over the country.

Most of the sculptures and murals were of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and about the liberation war. Plus, the statue of ‘Venus’ at Shashi Lodge in Mymensingh, the statue of ‘Themis’ at the Supreme Court and the ‘Duranta’ sculpture at the Shishu Academy have also been demolished.

Correspondents of Prothom Alo after investigation have found information of 1,492 sculptures, relief sculptures (figures curved on a wall using ceramic or terracotta), murals and memorials being vandalised, set on fire and uprooted in 59 districts between 5 and 14 August. Most of the vandalism and arson incidents occurred on 5, 6 and 7 August.

More than 122 sculptures, relief sculptures and murals have been vandalised, set on fire and uprooted in 15 different locations in Dhaka city. As many as seven full-body sculptures of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been destroyed.

A total of 1,492 sculptures, relief sculptures, murals and memorials including 273 in Dhaka division, 204 in Chattogram division, 166 in Rajshahi division, 479 in Khulna division, 100 in Barishal division, 129 in Rangpur division, 49 in Sylhet division and 92 in Mymensingh division have smashed, uprooted and set on fire.

Speaking on the issue of vandalising sculptures and murals, acclaimed sculpture artist of the country Hamiduzzaman Khan told Prothom Alo, “I’m extremely sad and overwhelmed. This should not have happened. There should be no such incident again. Hopefully, the restoration works will start soon.”

Two murals of Bangabandhu have been damaged during the attack and vandalism at the house on Dhanmondi 32. Visiting five locations where sculptures have been damaged and destroyed, it was found that in some places they have been completely shattered using hammers and crowbars, in some places they have been uprooted from the base while some of the sculptures have been burnt to the ground.

Freedom fighter and artist Shamim Sikder’s sculpture titled ‘Swadhinata Sangram’ is located at capital’s Polashi intersection. There are more than 100 small and large separate sculptures there. Only five of them are still intact while the rest of them have been uprooted from the base.

Visiting the spot in person on 11 August afternoon, busts of local as well as foreign poets, litterateurs, revolutionaries, politicians and scientists were laying flat on the ground. These include busts of notable people starting from scholar and litterateur Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar to political personality Yasser Arafat and from scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose to mystic poet Lalon.

Reports of the sculpture ‘Duranta’ on the Shishu Academy premises being burnt down was received on 8 August. Going to the Shishu Academy on the same afternoon, Duranta’s charred body was found laying amid the debris. Only the face of the child was intact.

The ‘Duranta’ sculpture portraying a child running with a wheel was installed in 2008. A mural of Sheikh Russel placed right beside ‘Duranta’ has also been burnt to ashes.

The ‘Mrityunjoy’ sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was installed at Bijoy Srani intersection very recently. And, the ‘Mrityunjayee Prangan’ was inaugurated on 10 November last year.

On the afternoon of 5 August, it was noticed that attempts were going on to dismantle that huge sculpture. At one point, the sculpture ‘Mrityunjoy’ was finally destroyed by pulling it down with ropes, setting it on fire and hitting it hard with crowbars.

The statue of ‘Themis’ installed in front of the annex building of the High Court division of the Supreme Court has been uprooted two times. There were conflicting views regarding this sculpture since 2016. There was a symbol of the scale of justice in the hands of this sculpture, created as a symbol of justice after the image of Greek goddess Themis. It was uprooted on 7 August.

Though the ‘Mujibnagar Memorial Complex’ situated in Meherpur is considered as a single sculpture, there were more than 500 separate sculptures there. At least 303 small and large sculptures have been vandalised at the complex. The magnanimous sculpture of Bangabandhu was smashed at first.

More than a hundred youth entered the complex wielding iron and bamboo rods and hammers around 5:00 in the afternoon on 5 August. First of all they smashed the head of the sculpture of Bangabandhu. At the same time they also haphazardly hit the sculpture portraying ‘Guard of Honour from 17 April’.

The sculpture of ‘Venus’, installed in front of ‘Shashi Lodge’ in Mymensingh has been vandalised and the head of the statue has been stolen. Curator of Shashi Lodge Museum, Sabina Yasmin told Prothom Alo, “Hundreds of people attacked and vandalised here in clusters. The portion of the sculpture’s head could not be found. It was a priceless heritage.”

The bust of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin placed in front of the Zainul Sangrahashala has also been damaged in this city. However, local artists have collaborated and restored that sculpture later.

In Khulna, two sculptures of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been destroyed completely. A memorial centre of the liberation war named ‘Polashi Theke Dhanmondi’ was under-construction in Madaripur city. Everything inside of the memorial located at Shokunir Lakepar area in the centre of the town was destroyed on the 7 August afternoon.

After 5 August, sculptures were vandalised at three locations in Gazipur. A relief sculpture of the seven Bir Shrestha was damaged there. It was located in Joydevpur. More than 12 murals installed in front of Shahjalal University, MC College, Zilla Parishad and the deputy commissioner’s office have been vandalised in Sylhet. All of them were of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In Narsingdi, the sculpture known as ‘Torjoni’ was set on fire. The sculpture ‘Torjoni’ was sculpted in imitation of the iconic image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman raising his index finger during his 7 March speech.

Chairman of the sculpture department at the faculty of fine arts of Dhaka University Nasimul Khabir told Prothom Alo that a list of the affected sculptures is being prepared. And, emphasis is placed on selecting damaged or destroyed sculptures for restoration. However, involvement of experts is necessary to determine which method to be followed in restoring the damaged sculptures.

It is not that all of them could be restored, he added.

[Staff reporters and correspondents of the respective areas have helped prepare this report]