Strong criticism has erupted after allegations that bust sculptures of the seven Bir Shreshtha, Bangladesh’s highest wartime gallantry award recipients, were treated disrespectfully during a Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) fair at Shaheed Smriti Municipal Park in Tangail.
Reports and images circulating on social media show ropes tied around the necks of the sculptures, allegedly used to secure bamboo poles supporting fair stalls. The visuals also show garbage piled near the statues, further fueling public anger and condemnation.
The fair was inaugurated on April 24 by State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku and was scheduled to run until May 3. The controversy emerged toward the end of the event after the images went viral online.
The incident has triggered widespread backlash from political figures, student activists, cultural personalities, and members of civil society, many calling it a serious insult to the memory of Liberation War heroes.
Azad Khan Bhasani, grandson of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, called the incident “deeply shameful,” stressing that respect for national heroes must be ensured in all public spaces and events.
Al Amin, convener of the Tangail District Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, condemned the act on social media, describing it as “unacceptable” and demanding an apology and accountability.
Film actor Mir Nasimul Haque criticized the arrangement, saying that using the sculptures for tying event infrastructure and leaving waste nearby reflected “extreme disrespect” toward the nation’s freedom fighters.
Poet and columnist Enayet Karim said the incident was “completely unacceptable,” urging a proper investigation and administrative action to ensure such negligence is not repeated.
Mueed Hasan Tarit, founder of the Tangail Youth Foundation, also called for strict measures, emphasizing that memorials and sculptures are symbols of national pride and must never be treated as part of event structures.
Responding to the criticism, Shahnaz Begum, assistant general Manager of BSCIC Tangail District Office, said the matter came to their attention later and the ropes were removed immediately. She added that it was unclear who had placed them around the sculptures after several days of the fair’s operation.