No communal, political motive behind attack on Kachharibari

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs yesterday said that there is "no communal or political motive behind the attack" at the Rabindra Kachharibari in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, and that the incident stemmed from a personal conflict.

In an official statement, the ministry detailed the sequence of events surrounding the altercation that took place at the site on June 8.

According to the ministry, the dispute began with a misunderstanding that led to an argument and later a physical fight between an on-duty employee of the Kachharibari and a visitor named Shahnewaz.

Allegations were brought against custodian Habibur Rahman of the Department of Archaeology for allegedly assaulting and detaining the visitor.

While the matter was still under investigation, locals organised a human chain on June 10 in support of Shahnewaz, demanding action against the accused officials, the statement said.

Following the demonstration, an agitated crowd reportedly entered the premises intending to assault staff members. Several employees were injured in the ensuing violence, the statement added.

In response, the district administration and the Department of Archaeology each formed an investigation committee.

Both are expected to submit reports within five days.

According to the ministry's statement, the Department of Archaeology has filed a case, and police have arrested five individuals so far, with efforts underway to apprehend the rest.

Security at the Kachharibari has since been reinforced.

With support from the local administration and community, the site was reopened to visitors yesterday morning.

The ministry emphasised that no artifacts or relics associated with Rabindranath Tagore's memory were harmed. "Nothing disrespectful or damaging to the honor of the poet has occurred," the statement read.

On Thursday,  India condemned the "vandalism of the Rabindra Kachharibari" in Shahjadpur and urged Bangladesh's interim government to take strict action against the perpetrators.

Replying to a question at the weekly media briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We strongly condemn the despicable attack and the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore by a mob."

"The violent act is a disgrace to the memory and the inclusive philosophy and the teachings that the Nobel laureate espoused in Bangladesh.

"The attack falls in the broad pattern of systematic attempts by extremists to raze the symbols of tolerance and eviscerate the syncretic culture and the cultural Legacy of Bangladesh. We urge the interim government [of Bangladesh] to rein in the terrorists and take strict action against the perpetrators..."