The mural of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, which was blotted with black ink by miscreants, has been restored in Bangladesh’s Kushtia district, media reports said on Sunday.
In addition to cleaning the mural, the name’s spelling has also been fixed, reported Dhaka Tribune.
Vijay Kumar Joardar, assistant commissioner (Land) of the upazila, told the newspaper that an artist worked from noon until the afternoon on Friday to complete the restoration activity.
Upon receiving the information, a team—including an artist—visited the site that morning and began restoration efforts in the afternoon, Joardar added.
Md Solaiman Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali police station, told the newspaper: “We visited the site that same night after receiving the information. No written complaint has been filed so far.”
Image went viral on social media
The incident came to light after the images of the defaced mural went viral on social media.
The identities of those behind the attack are still not known.
Local residents told the newspaper that the mural had been neglected for some time, with faded paint and non-functional CCTV cameras.
They said a lack of administrative oversight may have caused the incident.
Liton Abbas, a local poet and writer, told the newspaper, “Erasing the ink alone isn’t enough. We need to uncover who did this and why. The real culprits must be identified and held accountable.”
Bengali icon Tagore had composed the South Asian country’s national anthem ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’.
Apart from Tagore, several sculptures and murals of Bangladesh’s Founding Father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were destroyed across Bangladesh following the toppling of the former Hasina-led government on August 5, 2024.
Liberation War Memorial demolished
The mural at the iconic Liberation War Memorial Stage in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat City, was demolished at the instruction of the local authorities last week.
Speaking with the workers, it was learned that they were demolishing the mural under the directive of the Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner, reported Dhaka Tribune.
According to reports, the mural was covered with cloth on Bangladesh Independence Day, before it was demolished on the weekend.
A worker told bdnews24.com that they were working on the deputy commissioner’s instructions.
Helal Kabir, convenor of a local voluntary organisation, told bdnews24.com: “The deputy commissioner has ordered the mural’s demolition. He had previously ordered it to be covered.”
Earlier, justifying the decision to cover the mural with a cloth, Deputy Commissioner HM Rakib Haider said it did not go with the spirit of the July-August Uprising.
