Two statues of Liberation War veterans were created years ago by Professor Amirul Momenin Joshi from the Department of Graphic Design, Handicrafts, and Art History at Rajshahi University (RU).
However, after failing to find a place for them, he eventually sold them to a scrap dealer for a nominal price.
Recently, a scrap dealer in the Binodpur area of Rajshahi city purchased these sculptures from Joshi's studio. Now, these statues are lying in front of the shop owned by a businessman named Khokon.
The shop, called 'Khokon Iron House,' is awaiting potential buyers. If no one buys them, Khokon plans to dismantle the sculptures and sell them as scrap metal.
The scrap dealer Khokon said: "The statues have a metal frame inside made of iron beams. The outer parts are made of SS pipes and steel, which will never rust. The height is about 18 feet."
He further mentioned that he would sell each statue for Tk2 lakh.
However, sculptor Amirul Momenin Joshi revealed that he sold the sculptures for just Tk9,400, even though it cost him nearly Tk60,000 to create them.
He had worked on them for a long time in his studio in the Meherchandi area of the city. After failing to place them anywhere, he reluctantly sold them to the scrap dealer.
Joshi expressed his sorrow, saying: "Across the country, there were around 200 sculptures made by me and my students, including several of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu. I saw on TV on August 5 that many sculptures were being destroyed. It is painful for an artist to see this. Given the current situation, it's impossible to sell or place a Liberation War sculpture anywhere. Therefore, I sold them to the scrap dealer. The pain an artist feels in such situations is beyond description."
He added: "I had asked the dealer to take them for scrap metal, but he left them intact and placed them outside his shop. Now, I am receiving calls, and my distress is increasing."
