Sculpture of Bagha Jatin vandalised in Kushtia

Some unidentified miscreants have vandalised a statue of British revolutionary leader Bagha Jatin on the campus premises of Kaya College in Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila.

The nose and some parts of the right cheek of the statue was damaged on Thursday night, said police.

An under-construction sculpture of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also vandalised in the district town on December 5.

Principal of Kaya College Harun-ur Rashid filed a case with Kumarkhali Police Station yesterday against a group of unnamed people.

Meanwhile, police summoned four people, including the principal, for quizzing. They were later freed after questioning.

According to police sources, the authorities tightened the security and set up CCTV cameras in the district after Bangabandhu's sculpture was vandalised.

However, another such incident happened.

SM Tanvir Arafath, superintendent of Kushtia police, told The Daily Star that the college authorities had shown negligence in protecting Jatin's sculpture.

They also clearly violated the instruction of the government, he added.

Kumarkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rajibul Islam Khan said the government was already considering a proposal of renaming the college after Bagha Jatin.

Jatindranath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin, grew up here. However, none of his successors live here now, he added.

The night guard of the Kaya College Khalilur and his family live at Bagha Jatin's grandmother's house now, said local sources.

Ziaul Haque Swapan, chairman of Kaya Union Parishad, said he never received any response from any higher authorities although he repeatedly asked them what measures were taken to protect the sculpture.

Abdus Samad, the then Khulna Divisional Commissioner, inaugurated the bust on December 6, 2016. It was built by Kumarkhali Upazila Administration.

Later the same year, the Governor of the Indian state of Tripura, Shri Tathagata Roy, visited the college and reopened the bust.

A memorial plaque was placed next to the bust in honor of the Tathagata Ray.