It was a peaceful protest procession. The participants were hardly a hundred odd youths who thought the unceremonious removal of Lady Justice's statue from in front of the Supreme Court building in the early hours of Friday did not go well with the country's secular fabric.

Some onlookers, who witnessed the march the next morning advancing towards the capital's Doel Chattar, saw no brick chips or sticks, let alone any arms, in the hands of the protesters.

There was no scuffle or confrontation between the youths and the police. And all the youths, except some 10 to 12, left after the law enforcers lobbed tear gas canisters and sprayed coloured waters using water cannons near the High Court Mazar gate.

The police action left around 20 protesters injured.

Four of the agitators, including Bangladesh Chhatra Union General Secretary Liton Nandi, were detained.

Yet, hours later, the law enforcers filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station against 140-150 protesters, including the four detainees, claiming that they were equipped with lethal weapons and attempted to kill policemen.

“Armed with bricks, sticks and lethal weapons, demonstrators obstructed police from discharging duty and intended to kill the law enforcers. They [accused] attacked and injured them severely. And by doing so, they committed crimes under the sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 332, 333, 353, 307 and 427 of the penal code,” reads the first information report (FIR).

Later, the four youths were shown arrested in the case. Yesterday, a Dhaka court sent them to jail after they were produced before it.

Meanwhile, protests and condemnation poured into the streets and on social media for the second day yesterday against the removal of the statue, a variation of the Greek Goddess of Justice Themis, from in front of the SC building -- a move seen by many as “surrender to radical Islamists".

Also, different socio-cultural and political organisations and dignitaries protested the filing of the case and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

On the other hand, ruling Awami League leaders tried to defend taking down the statue. Party insiders said the Awami League felt relieved as the work was over before the start of Ramadan, a deadline set by some radical Islamist groups.

According to the insiders, the government “avoided a possible movement” by the groups, including Hefajat-e-Islam, as the statue was brought down. The government also pleased them who are thought to be an important factor in the upcoming general elections in 2019.

The hardline Islamist groups also threatened that they would not allow the reinstallation of the statue anywhere in the country.

Although several ministers and AL leaders have been claiming that it was the Supreme Court that took the decision to take down the statue, several Islamist organisations have thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

THE PROCESSION

As the news of taking down the statue spread, people, mostly youths, gathered on the road outside the main gate of the SC and began a demonstration in the early hours of Friday. They also blocked the road in front of the court. From there, the protesters announced that they would march towards the SC from Dhaka University campus later in the day.

Around 11:30am, some 100 protesters gathered near the Raju Sculpture on the DU campus and started moving towards the SC. Three Daily Star reporters and one photojournalist were covering the incident.

The agitators were holding a banner and none of them had any stick or brick in their hands.

Immediately after they crossed the Shishu Academy, police started firing tear gas canisters and water cannons at them. They were dispersed.

Only, 10 to 12 of them stayed there and managed to reach near a police barricade close to the High Court Mazar gate. Some of them, including Liton Nandi, were raising both of their hands up.

Police detained Liton as he tried to talk to the law enforcers. Another protester was also held and the two were taken into a prison van parked nearby.

 Some agitators reappeared and tried to make it to the police barricade apparently to talk to police. However, the law enforcers resumed firing tear gas canisters at them. According to the FIR, 55 canisters were shot in the incident.

Some 10 minutes later, police released Liton and the other youth. However, Liton was detained again when Arif Noor, a central committee member of Udichi, tried to approach the law enforcers. 

Arif and two other youths were also held.

Yesterday, police produced them before a Dhaka court. The defence counsel filed a bail petition, which is scheduled to be heard today. Later, the arrestees were sent to jail.

On being informed that journalists and eyewitnesses did not see any arms in the hands of the protesters, Maruf Hossain Sarder, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna division), said, “I didn't see the FIR. Please contact the Shahbagh Police OC.” 

Abul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said he would not make any comment on the matter.

Asked how many police members were injured, he said the number was two but did not give any details about them.

Contacted, Manzurul Ahsan Khan, adviser to Communist Party of Bangladesh, said the police action against the unarmed protesters proved that the government wanted to “gag all the voices who still dare to protest its misdeeds”.

He also said the aggressive police stance is aimed at pleasing Hefajat.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, noted jurist Shahdeen Malik said the case clearly demonstrated that the government was out to gag all the voices against it with the use of police force and criminal laws.

AL RELIEVED, ISLAMISTS THANK PM

The removal of the statue from in front of the SC building came as a relief for the ruling Awami League as it had feared that several radical Islamist organisation could take to the street in the month of Ramadan, demanding its removal.

According to the party insiders, the AL wanted to avoid any sort of conflict with the groups over the issue and the government conveyed to the chief justice its desire to take down the statue. The PM herself discussed the matter with the CJ.

At a programme in mid-April, the PM suggested Chief Justice SK Sinha either remove the statue or reinstall it elsewhere so that it could not be seen from the National Eidgah.

AL leaders were sure about removal of the statue before the Eid-ul-Fitr after the PM assured the Ulemas about the move during a meeting on April 11, the party insiders said.

Now, the ruling party leaders believe this has made “thousands of religious people” happy and it would ultimately translate into gains for the AL.

They also think the decision also would not give the opposition any scope for doing politics over the issue.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamiatul Ulema Chairman Maulana Farid Uddin Masoud, also the grand imam of the country's largest Eid congregation at Sholakia of Kishoreganj, termed the decision wise. “The Alem and Ulema are feeling happy thanks to the decision taken by the prime minister.”

In another statement the Olama League, which claims to be affiliated with AL, also thanked the PM.

PROTESTS

In Dhaka, demonstrators held a rally at Shahbagh protesting the arrest of the four youths and demanding the withdrawal of the “false” case.

Later, the agitators brought out a procession there, demanding their release within 24 hours.

They also threatened to stage demonstrations at all public universities and government colleges today, if the demands were not met.

Similar protests were held in Rajshahi, Chittagong, Gaibandha and Bogra, report our correspondents there.

Gono Forum President

DR KAMAL HOSSAIN

Attempts are being made to misuse religion to get votes, said eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain, also president of Gono Forum.

"Secularism was incorporated in the constitution in order to separate religion from politics, but an attempt is being made to misuse religion," he said at a programme at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

He said mass killings and rapes were committed and lakhs of people had been maimed in the name of religion in 1971. “What was their religion who conducted genocide during the war? Did they believe in Islam ...We have to remember these,” he said

About the removal of the sculpture, he said, "I want to say nothing now. A conference of lawyers will be held and decision will be taken there. … but division should not be created on any issue."

WORKERS PARTY

Politburo of Workers Party, an ally of ruling Awami League, viewed the removal of the Lady Justice's statue from the Supreme Court premises as not good a sign for secular democratic politics.

A statement of the party read, "The debate after the installation of the statue of Themis, symbol of justice, at the Supreme Court premise and the way the statue was removed were in conflict with the spirit of our Liberation War, Independence and the Constitution."

It read, "We earlier said that removal of this statue will make the fundamentalists' demands to remove the sculptures upholding the spirit of the Liberation War and Bangabandhu stronger. Bigots, including Hefajat-e Islam, have made joint announcements to this end in today's papers."

Awami League General Secretary

OBAIDUL QUADER

“The sculptures of our heritage and the spirit of the Liberation War will not be removed. Rather, such types of sculptures will be installed by the government,” said ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

Ruling out Hefajat-e Islam's demand for removal of all sculptures, Quader, also minister for Roads, Transport and Bridges, said, "There is no similarity between the sculptures upholding the spirit of the Liberation War and the statue of Lady Justice. So, our government has the firm stance against the demand of Hefajat-e Islam to remove all sculptures in the country."

Quader said only the location of the statue of the Lady Justice was a matter of concern as it was close to the country's main Eid jamaat (congregation). "In this context, our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has raised a question about the location of the statue of the Lady Justice,” he said.

Law Minister

ANISUL HUQ

"By removing the statue from the Supreme Court premises, respect has been shown to Islam and other religions," Law Minister Anisul Huq said.

Emerging from a programme at the Cirdap Auditorium, he said, “The idol was not the original form of Greek goddess Themis, so it was not actually an idol. If this sculpture would have been presented to the future generations, it would be a distorted representation of actual Themis. We want to move away from distortion.

“I would say the image of Bangladesh has not been tarnished by the incident,” he said.

 The law minister said, "So far I could know, he [the chief justice] took the decision to remove the sculpture.”

Asked about the prime minister's talks with the chief justice regarding the removal of the sculpture, he said, "It is a matter between the prime minister and the chief justice and I am not supposed to know about it.”