A shoe garland was hung on a sculpture of Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman in the Central Bus Terminal area of Jhenaidah city, sparking anger among locals.
Photos of the incident spread on social media on Tuesday morning, reports Bangla Tribune.
The garland was removed later in the afternoon, said freedom fighter Kamaluzzaman, a former leader of the district Muktijoddha Sangsad.
Kamaluzzaman said the shoes were hung on the sculpture on Monday night.
“After learning about it, I went to the site with several freedom fighters and removed them. The sculpture was vandalized several months ago as well,” he said.
Jhenaidah Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Asaduzzaman said police learned about the incident through social media.
“We are investigating the incident,” he said.
A meeting was held at the Jhenaidah deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday evening.
Later, Deputy Commissioner Md Noman Hossain said police had been instructed to investigate the incident and take legal action.
Speaking on the matter, freedom fighter Siddikur Rahman said Hamidur Rahman was a source of pride for Jhenaidah and the entire country.
“He sacrificed his life during the Liberation War and became a symbol of heroism. The sculpture was vandalized before, and today’s (Monday's) incident is also deeply regrettable and condemnable. We demand a swift investigation and that those responsible be brought to justice,” he said.
Hamidur Rahman’s nephew Hafizur Rahman said the sculpture had been targeted repeatedly.
“I believe a group deliberately put the shoe garland on the sculpture. They do not want it to be installed in Jhenaidah. We demand a swift investigation and legal action against those responsible,” he said.
Abu Tawab Opu, general secretary of the Jhenaidah district committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, also condemned the incident and demanded an investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
“The incident is an attack on the Liberation War, independence and sovereignty,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Noman Hossain said the incident was “extremely regrettable.”
“We will identify who carried out this disgraceful act at night. We will discuss the matter with all sides and take action. I have asked the police superintendent to act swiftly,” he said.
Sculpture vandalized earlier
The sculpture stands at the link point of the Jhenaidah-Jessore and Jhenaidah-Kushtia highways near the Central Bus Terminal, at the entrance to the city.
It was vandalized after the July uprising. Demolition work resumed on July 13 this year and continued until July 17. The district administration and other relevant authorities could not explain why the work was being carried out.
The district administration suspended the demolition work on July 18.
Recently, the district Muktijoddha Sangsad put up a banner at the site reading: “Repair work on the Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman Memorial is underway.”
