Drishtipat Blog

Ashfaq Wares Khan: Time To Take Stand
Amini: I will pull down all statues
Badruddin Umar: Gentleman Intellectual’s Movement (Bangla)
Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, et al: Baul Bhashkorjo (Bangla)
Citizens to Unite

Protesters on Dhaka University campus. [Photo: STAR]

Police battle cultural activists trying to hold rally at Muktangan. [New Age photo]

Sculptors, painters, artistes and writers on Saturday joined the teachers and students of Dhaka University in a street protest against the removal of baul statues from the airport road roundabout under pressure from religious zealots…Later at a rally, professor emeritus of Dhaka University Serajul Islam Choudhury came down heavily on Islami Oikya Jote leader Fazlul Huq Amini who announced to raze all sculptures to the ground. He also criticised the government’s silence over such threats from fundamentalists. Symbols of national pride like central Shaheed Minar, Aparajeya Bangla and Sangsaptak are not free from such threats, he said. ‘It is not impossible for them to attack our national symbols as they had tried to establish Islamic nationalism in Bangladesh,’ he said, adding that evil forces were issuing such threats with the help of the government. Muntassir Mamun, a professor of history, found no scope for confusion about the present government’s support for the religious fundamentalists. ‘The authorities see no wrong in fundamentalists bringing out procession and violating emergency rules. But they act upon promptly and obstruct when university teachers proceed to form a human chain at Shaheed Minar.’ Cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi, poet Muhammad Samad, dramatics teacher Israfil Shaheen, journalism teachers Getee Ara Nasrin and Robaet Ferdous and drama director M Hamid attended the rally. Sammilita Sangskritik Jote also held a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon denouncing the government’s role of maintaining double standard. ‘Cultural activists need to take permission from military for holding a cultural programme across the country, but the mullahs face no resistance even if they go out for creating anarchy,’ said an activist. Playwright Mamunur Rashid said the fundamentalists could show such audacity as the government did not punish the war criminals yet. Awami League publicity secretary and actor Asaduzzaman Noor said the government was trying to confuse the people and divert their attention to another issue from the next general elections.

[Bangladesh Engineering University Protests. Photo: bdnews24.com]

Bangladesh Chhatra League burnt an effigy of Amini in front of Raju Memorial Monument at the evening to protest his speech. Bangladesh Chhatra Union and the students of fine art painted the street in front of the institute, denouncing the role of the government favouring the bigots. The central steering committee of the 11-Party Alliance on Saturday demanded that the government take stern action against the religious bigots, who are out to destroy the country’s art and culture…The bigots were trying to stifle the nation’s glorious heritage and move the country towards darkness, the leftist leaders said. They also condemned the ‘audacious’ remarks of four party alliance leader Fazlul Haque Amini to demolish all the sculptures….Chaired by Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, the meeting was attended among others by Pankaj Bhattachrya, Mohammad Nurul Islam, Giasuddin Haider, Abu Hamed Shahabuddin and Asit Baran. Democratic Left Alliance, a combine of left leaning political parties demanded stern action against Fazlul Haque Amini for his statement for demolition of all sculptures