ZCZC
BSS-23
PROTEST-BANGABANDHU-SCULPTURE
DU students protest opposition to installing Bangabandhu’s sculpture
DHAKA, Nov 21, 2020 (BSS) – Dhaka University (DU) Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) centric socio-cultural organaisations today staged demonstrations protesting the opposition to installing sculpture of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by top leaders of Islami Andolon Bangladesh.
From a human chain today at the base of university’s Raju Memorial Sculpture, they also demanded to build a 16 feet sculpture of Bangabandhu inside the DU campus.
Meanwhile, Muktijuddho Moncho, a platform of the descendants of freedom fighters, gave a 72-hour ultimatum from a human chain to arrest top two leaders of Islami Andolan Bangladesh- Fazlul Karim and Mamunul Haque- who recently made remarks opposing installment of Bangabandhu’s sculpture.
“We are very unfortunate to see religion-based politics today even after almost 50 years of independence. The defeated forces of 1971 are now showing such audacity of opposing the installation of sculpture of Bangabandhu who gave independence to the nation,” said Ishtiaq Ahmed, president of DU Research Society (DURS).
DU students will not tolerate such audacity, added Ishtiaq.
“There are a lot of sculptures in different Muslim countries and sculpture and idol is not the same thing. Before making such remarks one should know the difference between sculpture and idol,” said former Liberation War Affairs Secretary of DUCSU Saad Bin Kader Chowdhury.
“This difference is not structural, it is spiritual. Idols are worshiped. But a sculpture is a symbol of history, tradition of a nation and a country,” added Saad.
Cultural Secretary of Jubo League Biplob Mustafiz and former DUCSU member Rafiqul Islam Sabuj, spokesperson of all TSC centric organisations, addressed the human chain, conducted by BM Jobol-E-Rahmat, general secretary of Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS).
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.
BSS/ASG/MMM/KU/1830 HRS