In the aftermath of the fall of the Awami League government, various cultural establishments across Bangladesh have been attacked.
Cinema halls, Shilpakala Academy, and zoos have been looted, while libraries and museums have been set on fire.
On August 5, after Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave office, several statues of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were destroyed, and the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road No 32 was burned down and looted.
The house, rich with memories of Bangladesh's independence struggle, was reduced to ashes, a fact that filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki found hard to accept.
Though a supporter of the movement for the downfall of the Awami League government, he wrote on Facebook: "I believe that one of the urgent tasks for the interim government should be to begin the restoration work on the house at Dhanmondi."
Although the building can be restored to its former state, many of Bangabandhu's belongings that turned to ashes can never be recovered.
Similarly, rare and centuries-old books in the Bir Chandra Public Library in Comilla met the same fate when a group of people participating in a victory rally set the 150-year-old library on fire and looted it.
The house of musician Rahul Ananda on Dhanmondi Road No 32 was also targeted.
Ananda, who was part of the student movement, told the Daily Prothom Alo: "About three thousand musical instruments were burned to ashes. They were like my children. I managed to get one child out alive; the rest were either burned or looted."
In protest of these losses, many in the cultural sector have started speaking out.
On August 9, the cultural organization Udichi held a rally in front of the National Press Club to protest the vandalism of sculptures and historical landmarks associated with the Liberation War.
A platform called "Agitated Theater Artists" has also taken to the streets.
On August 7, they held a sit-in program in front of the National Theatre in Dhaka, where they revealed that seven theater groups had been set on fire.
They questioned why no action was being taken to protect art, cultural institutions, and historical sites.
Kazi Roksana Ruma, director of the theater organization BotTala, read a written statement at the event.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Ruma said: "When we hope to see a society without inequality and a democratic country after the fall of a government through a popular uprising, it is extremely wrong to see various cultural establishments being destroyed. Expressing anger against a fallen autocratic government in this way reflects a lack of education in our mindset."
She further added: "The development of our art and culture hasn't happened properly. The previous government focused more on the majority Muslims and gave them more patronage. The custodians of our art and culture who worked to spread cultural practices have not received much attention. As a result, we have become disconnected from the masses."
Attacks on Shilpakala and cinemas
After the fall of the government, many sculptures at road intersections in divisional and district towns across the country were demolished, and cinemas were also attacked.
According to media reports, in Gurudaspur, Natore, miscreants vandalized and looted the Ananda Cineplex. On August 8, goods worth at least Tk30 lakh were looted from this cinema hall in the Chachkoir area of Gurudaspur.
Various district Shilpakala Academies and children's academies run by the government are also being targeted.
According to cultural officers at the Shilpakala Academies, a report is being prepared by the central Shilpakala Academy, which states that more than 22 Shilpakala Academies in different districts and upazilas have been attacked.
The miscreants vandalized and looted items like harmoniums, tanpuras, computers, projectors, cameras, and other materials from the auditoriums.
When asked whether these attacks were due to political vendetta or opposition to progressive art practices, writer and publisher Robin Ahsan told Deutsche Welle: "After the fall of the government, a certain group is demolishing sculptures to convey that an Islamic revolution has taken place in the country. Moreover, the attacks on Shilpakala Academy, children's academies, and music schools are not out of political anger. Rather, the attackers are implying that such practices will no longer be allowed."
On ways to restore the vandalized sculptures, Robin said: "It is impossible to create a new heritage sculpture. It is also not feasible for the new government to accomplish this in a short period."
He further added: "The destruction of Liberation War memorials, and young people filming and laughing while doing so, presents a grotesque image. It will take a long time to overcome the fear that has entered people's minds regarding the practice of art, literature, and culture."
