Rabindranath 'disappears'

Rabindranath Tagore's sculpture, placed by some Dhaka University students beside the Raju Memorial Sculpture protesting the "recent incidents of censorship and repression" in Bangladesh, was removed by the DU authorities today.

The authorities say they demolished the sculpture as it represented a "degraded culture," reports our DU correspondent.

Soon after, the students placed a banner at the site of the removed sculpture which read, "Gum Hoye Gelen Rabindranath" (Rabindranath has disappeared).

Photo: Prabir Das/Star

DU Chhatra Union leader Shimul Kumbhkaar told The Daily Star, "We placed the sculpture along with some students of fine arts at the university. However, the proctorial team of the university removed it."

"When we called DU Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani over the phone and asked him about how the sculpture of a Nobel laureate was 'offensive' to them, he disconnected the call," he added.

Contacted, Proctor Rabbani said," It was built without our permission. They placed a distorted sculpture of the poet. We could not tolerate it."

"Besides, the sculpture was placed right beside the Raju Memorial," he added.

The sculpture, set up on Tuesday, was of Tagore whose mouth was taped, holding a book that had a nail pierced through it.

The sculpture intended to protest the absence of freedom of speech and expression and it was supposed to be in place for the entirety of February, said the artists involved.