Students of Dhaka University (DU) are agitated over the insult to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by those opposing the construction of his sculpture at Dholaipar Mor in the southern part of Dhaka city.
They demanded the immediate arrest of those who threatened to vandalize the sculpture of Bangabandu and also urged the government to erect Bangabandhu’s sculpture at Dhaka University to let the future generation know the history of Bangladesh.
Dhaka University Teacher-Student Centre (TSC)-centric socio-cultural organizations on Saturday staged a demonstration protesting the opposition to installing Bangabandhu’s sculpture, by top leaders of Islami Andolon Bangladesh. From a human chain at the base of the university’s Raju Memorial Sculpture, they also demanded erecting a 16-foot sculpture of Bangabandhu inside the DU campus. Meanwhile, Muktijuddho Moncho, a platform of the descendants of freedom fighters, issued a 72-hour ultimatum from a human chain to arrest two top leaders of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Fazlul Karim and Mamunul Haque, who recently made remarks opposing installing of Bangabandhu’s sculpture.
Former Liberation War Affairs Secretary of DUCSU Saad Bin Kader Chowdhury said, “There are a lot of sculptures in different Muslim countries and sculptures and idols are not the same thing. Before making such remarks one should know the difference between sculpture and idol. He also said, this difference is not structural, it is spiritual. Idols are worshiped through consciousness. But a sculpture is a symbol of the history and tradition of a nation and a country.
DU Research Society (DURS) secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed said, "We are very unfortunate to see religion-based politics today even after almost 50 years of independence. The defeated power of 1971 is now showing such audacity in opposing the installation of sculpture of Bangabandhu who gave independence to the nation, and received 4682 days of imprisonment. DU students will not tolerate such audacity.
The leaders and activists of Muktijuddho Moncho said, “The memory of Bangabandhu cannot be erased from the soil of Bengal. We, along with the pro-independence people at all levels, urge the government to bring all members of the anti-independence clique under the current law and bring them to justice without delay. Those miscreants who have made arrogant statements against the construction of murals in memory of the Father of the Nation should be arrested immediately and maximum justice should be done.
On November 13, top leaders of the Islamic Andolon Bangladesh spoke out against the installation of a sculpture of Bangabandhu from a rally of Touhidi Janata Oikya Parishad at Dhupkhola ground in the capital.
