39 eminent citizens protest demolition of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman's sculpture in Jhenaidah

On Thursday, July 23, 39 eminent citizens from various spheres of the country issued a joint statement protesting the initiative to demolish the under-construction sculpture of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman in Jhenaidah. In the statement, they expressed deep outrage and condemnation over the district administration's move and demanded that the sculpture be reinstated with due dignity.

The statement said that a sculpture of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman, a son of Jhenaidah, was under construction on the podium of the connecting road adjacent to the Jhenaidah Central Bus Terminal . Suddenly, citing a "flimsy" pretext and without any consultation, the Jhenaidah district administration began demolishing the sculpture . This has caused deep resentment among the public, the statement noted.

The signatories further said that an anti-independence group had vandalised the under-construction sculpture after August 5, 2024 . Instead of repairing it, the administration's irresponsible and highly objectionable act of demolishing the sculpture of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman, one of the sons of the sun of the Liberation War, is unacceptable in any way.

According to them, although the government cited the reason of reducing accidents, making such a decision without any consultation with the civil society of Jhenaidah, particularly the families of the martyrs, amounts to disrespect towards Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman.

In the statement, they expressed strong condemnation and outrage over the incident and demanded the reinstatement of the sculpture in its original location with due dignity. They also demanded the restoration and reinstatement of sculptures of Bir Muktijoddhas that have been vandalised in various places across the country recently and called for legal action against those involved in these shameful incidents.

The 39 signatories are: Anu Mohammad, former professor, Jahangirnagar University; Advocate Sultana Kamal, human rights activist and founder chairperson, Human Rights Culture Foundation; Khushi Kabir, coordinator, Nijera Kari; Shirin Parvin Haque, member, Naripokkho; Abu Sayeed Khan, writer and journalist; Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director, TIB; Advocate Z I Khan Panna, senior lawyer, Bangladesh Supreme Court and president, Law and Arbitration Centre; Dr Shahidul Alam, photographer; Shamsul Huda, executive director, ALRD; Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, senior lawyer, Bangladesh Supreme Court; Advocate Tabarak Hossain, senior lawyer, Bangladesh Supreme Court; Rehenuma Ahmed, writer; Md Nur Khan, human rights activist; Dr Sumaiya Khayer, professor, Department of Law, Dhaka University; Dr Samina Lutfa, professor, Department of Sociology, Dhaka University; Dr Zobaida Nasreen, professor, Department of Anthropology, Dhaka University; Robayet Ferdous, professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University; Geeti Ara Nasrin, professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University; Dr Mirza Taslima Sultana, professor, Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University; Tasnim Siraj Mahbub, associate professor, Department of English, Dhaka University; Dr Nova Ahmed, professor, North South University; Pavel Partha, writer and researcher; Dr Ishita Dastidar, anthropologist and researcher; Rozina Begum, researcher and rights activist; Kajal Debnath, former president, Bangladesh Puja Celebration Parishad; Monindra Kumar Nath, acting general secretary, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council; Saleh Ahmed, general secretary, Sammilita Samajik Andolan; Parvez Hashem, lawyer and human rights activist; Sadab Noor, research fellow, Durham University; Zakir Hossain, chief executive, Nagorik Uddyog; Advocate Saidur Rahman, chief executive, Human Rights Culture Foundation; Saeed Ahmed, human rights activist; Shahed Kayes, poet and essayist; Mithun Rafsan, indigenous poet and cultural activist; Dipayan Khisa, human rights activist; Muktashree Chakma, rights activist; Meinthin Pramila, indigenous rights activist; Dr Hana Shams Ahmed, rights activist; and Saydia Gulrukh, journalist and researcher.