Bigots against baul monument
Staff Correspondent
Some Muslim bigots on Wednesday forced government authorities to pull
down a monument of bauls on the roundabout at Zia International
Airport in Dhaka after they had tried to raze and rallied against the
sculpture.
The Dhaka City Corporation six months ago decided to erect a
monument at the place as part of the city beautification programme.
Sculptor Mrinal Haque about three months and a half ago started
building the monument, sculptures of five bauls holding ektaras,
single-stringed instruments, symbolising the exuberance of the
Bengali culture. The initiative was sponsored by the United
Commercial Bank.
`I have completed 80 per cent of the work amid protests by some
Muslim bigots in the name of religious sentiments being hurt,' Mrinal
told New Age. `Sensing trouble, the airport and the civil aviation
authorities decided to pull down the monument and I agreed to the
proposal.'
Several hundred bigots, teamed up as the committee against statue
in the airport crossing, tried to stop the initiative just after
Mirnal had started work.
The bigots on Wednesday gathered near the neighbouring Babu Salam
Mosque and brought out a procession demanding that the monument
should be immediately dismantled.
A large number of lawmen, including Rapid Action Battalion
personnel, reached the place, but failed to tackle the situation.
The situation deteriorated when several hundred people from
different mosques reached the place and joined the protesters at
about 3:00pm.
High police officials and the civil aviation authorities at a
brief meeting decided to move the sculpture to ward off further
trouble.
The civil aviation authorities assigned the Fair Enterprise and
the Probhati Enterprise to move the sculptures and the protesters
joined the demolition job at about 5:00pm.
The Airport police told New Age they were pulling down the
monument at the directive of higher authorities.
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