Dhaka: A painting of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on Khulna Railway Station’s boundary wall in Bangladesh has been vandalised with black paint sparking outrage.
Local reports say it is believed to have been done by miscreats and a cultural activist said it could be a group.
Tagore Painting Vandalised
The Khulna Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Lokman Hossain confirmed the incident after receiving reports of the vandalism on Friday.
“All businesses across the road were closed on Friday, making it difficult to determine who defaced the mural and when,” the Dhaka Tribune quoted the police officer as saying.
It is believed the murals were painted by the Khulna City Corporation.
They showed the July 2024 uprising, Sundarbans, Sixty Dome Mosque and the jute industry. It also paid tribute to famous people who have made a contribution to the areas art, literature and culture including Rabindranath Tagore.
The wall on the Old Jessore Road had portraits of Fakir Lalon Shah, artist SM Sultan, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Former President Ziaur Rahman and Michael Madhusudan Dutt but only Tagore had been painted with black paint.
Khulna City Corporation Administrator Outraged
KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said, “By defacing the portrait, they have exposed their narrow-mindedness and sick mentality.”
Cultural activist Shariful Islam Salim, general secretary of Nattyalok, said he believed it could be a group.
“They have carried out similar acts in Dhaka as well. These incidents are being orchestrated deliberately. Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice. This may not stop with Rabindranath; they could target other eminent personalities too.” The Daily Star quoted him as saying.
Salim said Tagore inspired generations through his writings and philosophy and his work inspired free thinking, secularism and respect for humans.
“Some youths are being misguided into doing something like this,” he said.
“He’s a part of our culture in Bangladesh and we should all come together and speak with one voice,” Salim said.
Rabindranath Tagore Mural In Dhaka Vandalised Last Month
The incident comes just under a month after a graffiti mural of Tagore outside Bangladesh Shilpkala Academy in Dhaka was vandalised with black paint.
Last month at least 37 prominent Bangladeshi citizens voiced their concerns over the vandalism of Tagore’s mural.
They said in a statement that incidents like this could encourage religious extremists and cause more tension between communities in Bangladesh.
They said Tagore was politically portrayed as being anti-muslim by the rulers of Pakistan during the 1960’s.
“Language, literature, art and culture are indivisible common heritage of humanity.” We must never allow our differences in religion, geography or ideology to divide us from our cultural traditions, the statement said.