The Projonmo Chattar structure at Dhaka’s Shahbagh was demolished in the early hours of Sunday.
Shahbagh police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khalid Mansur has confirmed that the structure was demolished by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
A section of the Projonmo Chattar structure had been completely dismantled.
Several local tea vendors in the Shahbagh area said that the demolition began after midnight on Saturday using a bulldozer.
However, they were unaware of the reason behind the removal.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune, OC Khalid Mansur said: “This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Since the structure is within their authority, I do not know why it was demolished. They carried it out around midnight after informing me, so that no public unrest would occur. No resistance or crowd formation was reported. As far as I know, the ministry informed me that a new installation related to July will be constructed at the site.”
The incident has sparked mixed reactions among local residents.
Notably, the “Projonmo Chattar” emerged during the 2013 Shahbagh movement, symbolizing the spirit of the Liberation War and the demand for justice against war criminals.
The sculpture stood as a memorial to that uprising.
As of now, there has been no official statement regarding who was responsible for the demolition or whether it was carried out under any directive from the authorities.
