Dhaka University (DU) authorities on Thursday removed a statue of Rabindranath Tagore, which the university students constructed next to the Raju Memorial Sculpture.
Students built the symbolic sculpture of Rabindranath Tagore on Tuesday to protest against the recent banning and censorship of books at the Amar Ekushe Book Fair.
The sculpture featured a taped-up Tagore holding a book with a nail pierced through it.
After the disappearance of the sculpture, aggrieved DU students displayed a banner that reads: “Gum Hoye Gechen Rabindranath” (Rabindranath has disappeared), where the sculpture was built.
DU Chhatra Union leader Shimul Kumbhkaar said the sculpture was no longer there since Thursday morning.
“We still don't know who removed it. We will meet the proctor and try to find out about it,” he said.
In this regard, DU Proctor Professor Dr AKM Golam Rabbani said they are trying to find out who constructed the sculpture at that place.
He said the beauty of the existing sculpture (Raju Memorial Sculpture) was destroyed when the students placed another sculpture there, without the university's permission.
“The institution has a policy on placing sculptures on the university premises. The sculpture was placed without informing the university administration. Therefore, the university administration removed it,” he added.
According to the artists involved, the sculpture was planned to stay on display for the whole month of February and was meant to protest against the lack of freedom of speech and expression in Bangladesh.