A Dhaka court on Sunday remanded 4 people, including State Dialogue Forum Member Secretary ANM Ayas, in a case filed over an attempt to erase a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore painted on a wall in front of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha.
The court granted 3 days of remand for Ayas and Sakibul Hasan and 2 days each for Sujon Mia and Marjia Khandaker Rimi.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order following an application by the investigation officer. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Md Rezaul Karim of the police prosecution department confirmed the remand orders.
Earlier, Shahbagh police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Abdul Gaffar Himel, the investigation officer, produced the 4 accused before the court and sought 10 days of remand.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi argued in favor of remand on behalf of the state. Defense lawyer Monir Hossain sought cancellation of the remand petitions and bail for the accused.
On Saturday, SI Ziaul Haque of Shahbagh police station filed the case over the attempted erasure of Tagore's portrait. The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, creating enmity between different groups and hurting religious sentiments.
At noon on Saturday, a group of young people, including Ayas, faced police obstruction while attempting to erase Tagore's portrait on a wall in front of the Shilpakala Academy. An argument broke out between the 2 sides, after which police detained Ayas and 3 others and took them to the police station.
At the scene, a woman was seen applying ink to Tagore's portrait before a police officer intervened to stop her. The woman said they had come to protest against “Indian aggression.”
The group also chanted slogans under Ayas's leadership after facing police obstruction.
On October 5, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) cleared the footpath in Segunbagicha of encroachments. Portraits of 10 prominent figures who contributed to art, literature and culture were subsequently painted on the wall beside the footpath.
Those depicted included Rabindranath Tagore, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Satyajit Ray and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
On Friday, a Facebook page named “July Revolutionary Alliance” questioned the decision to paint the portraits. The post criticized the inclusion of Satyajit Ray and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, describing them as “cultural figures of West Bengal.”
The following day, a group of people led by Ayas attempted to erase the portraits.
