I am really disgusted with the hoodlums of the BCL that are trying to 'change' everything in Bangladesh. They essentially have not learned an iota of wisdom from history and give a bad name to student politics and what it had done to our nation. They forget that public hate arrogance of power, as much as they hate crime and corruption. Liking a leader does not mean disrobing another, nor removal of someone's bust of sculpture.
If these hoodlums had any common sense they could have easily found a new place, even within the same compound, to put the bust of Sk. Mujib, without having had to remove the old one 'Shelly.' But what we see is a sickening display to removing everything old. So, airports, hospitals, colleges, etc. with an old name are replaced with a new name, thus, trying to obscure history, if not totally erase its past. Not surprisingly, we don't have any more Salimullah Hall, Iqbal Hall, and even not the PG Hospital. Instead we have new names that only show our narrow-mindedness, a moth-eaten understanding of history, as if the history started only from 1971. Lost there is the past connection to the present.
Why can't the political leaders of today build a new structure and name that under whatever name they like? People won't have any problem identifying their contribution to that building or structure. But no, they won't. Because it is easy to give a new name than to build one. Thus, they go after changing the old names on which they had nothing to contribute to. Shame on them and shame on their student chelas!
I support Mandal's view wholeheartedly, and echo his voice: "I am a great fan of Bangabandhu .... Of course there can be a sculpture of Bangabandhu on the hostel premise. But why it replaces my creation?"
Regards,
Habib Siddiqui
-----Original Message-----
From: Isha Khan <bd_mailer@yahoo.com>
To: Dhaka Mails <dhakamails@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, 5 May 2009 6:52 am
Subject: BCL men go for 'change'
| BCL men go for 'change'
 | | Removing 31-year old sculpture 'Shelly', made by a freedom fighter, a group of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League recently put the statue of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Shahnewaz Hostel of Dhaka University. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain | Some leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) have set up a sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Shahnewaz Hostel of Dhaka University (DU) by removing a 31-year old sculpture made by a freedom fighter...
Mani Mandal, a freelance artist, made the now removed sculpture of a former female student of DU's fine arts faculty 'Shelly' in 1977 with his own fund.
Mandal also a former student of the fine arts faculty said he found his creation removed to ground and Bangabandhu's sculpture on its spot on May 1 when he went to visit the hostel.
"I asked some senior students and a house tutor of the hostel about the incident. The house tutor told me that he was not aware of the removal of my creation," Mandal who took part in the liberation war under sector nine told The Daily Star yesterday.
"I am a great fan of Bangabandhu and joined the liberation war being inspired by his voice. Of course there can be a sculpture of Bangabandhu on the hostel premise. But why it replaces my creation?" artist Mandal asked.
Sources said BCL activists Navo and Rano removed the sculpture in the last week of April as per direction of BCL central committee leaders Abul Hasnet and Sheikh Moniruzzaman Liton.
While asked BCL leader Hasnet told reporters that he knew nothing about the removal of the sculpture but he took side of the general students while they were replacing it with Bangabandhu's sculpture.
"We saw that the sculpture which was on that spot was not much important. It was nothing but expression of artist's personal emotion. Besides, the sculpture of Bangabandhu made by a student was fallen idle on the premise. So, sculpture of Bangabandu has been set up in a prestigious spot. There was no political motive or gain behind the matter," Hasnet added.
Prof Abdus Sattar, provost of AF Rahman Hall under which the hostel is run, said that the warden concerned of the hostel informed him about the matter yesterday afternoon and he instructed the warden to keep both the sculptures.
"It is a sensitive issue. Bangabandu is a great leader and the removed sculpture reflects the emotion of artist. So, I asked the authorities concerned to talk with artist Mandal and resolve the matter through discussion," Prof Sattar told The Daily Star over phone. |
