Police fire tear gas at those protesting removal of SC statue

Police have used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse people protesting the removal of the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court premises. Activists of various student fronts – led by Chhatra Front, and Chhatra Union – brought out a procession on the Dhaka University campus Friday morning demanding the statue be reinstated. The statue of Lady Justice on the Supreme Court premises was removed early Friday. Sculptor Mrinal Haque called the move a slap in the face of progressive ideals in the country. The blind-folded, saree-clad statue of a woman, wearing bangles and holding a sword in one hand and a scale on the other, symbolises justice. Protesters had gathered in front of the Supreme Court around the time of the removal and shouted slogans against the decision. Islamists have long been demanding the removal of the statue and asked the government to fulfill their demand before Ramadan – the Muslim month of fasting which begins next week. The students were barred by police when they tried to approach the High Court's Mazar Road gate. Police used water cannons and fired tear gas when the protesters tried to break through the police barricade. Several protesters, injured in the police action, were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Witnesses said Shahbgah police detained four people, including Chhatra Union Secretary Liton Nondi, from the spot. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar said protests and rallies were not allowed in the High Court area. "We were trying to prevent them from entering this area," he said. "We dispersed them when they broke through the barricade near Mazar Road." Chhatra Front's General Secretary Nasir Uddin Prince announced protest programmes for Saturday at all educational institutions in Bangladesh. The protesters will also organise a programme on Friday afternoon protesting the removal of the Lady Justice statue and police action on protesters. Qawmi madrasa-based Hefazat-e-Islam and several radical groups have been campaigning against the sculpture, terming it anti-Islamic, since December last year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had also said she did not like the statue and would talk to the chief justice about removing it from in front of the Supreme Court, near the National Eidgah grounds. Terrorist group Ansar al-Islam had also backed the demand.