3 arrested over Bagha Jatin’s sculpture vandalism in Kushtia

Police have arrested three people including a local Jubo League leader over vandalising sculpture of revolutionary leader Jatindranath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin, in Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila.

The arrestees are Anisur Rahman, Kaya Union Juba League president, Sabuj Hossain, 20 and Hridoy Ahmed, 20.

Kushtia Superintendent of Police (SP) Tanvir Arafat came up with the information at a press conference at his office on Saturday afternoon.

Police are also trying to arrest another one, named Bacchu, who had involvement with the incident, said the SP.

The sculpture, installed four years ago in front of the main entrance of Kaya College under Kumarkhali in Kushtia, vandalised on early Friday around 14 days after the incident of vandalism of the under-construction sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Miscreants damaged the nose and some parts of the right cheek of Bagha Jatin's statue in the early hours of the day.

The SP further added that the Kaya College authorities had a loggerhead with Anisur. Over the issue, Anisur along with his associates vandalised the sculpture.

Principal Harun-Or-Rashid of the college filed a case on Friday afternoon under Special Power Acts.

Bagha Jatin or Baghajatin, an Indian freedom fighter, was the principal leader of the Jugantar party that was the central association of revolutionary freedom fighters in Bengal. He played a very important role in the anti-British armed movement in India.

Earlier, on 4 December night, miscreants vandalised the sculpture under construction of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Panch Rasta intersection in Kushtia district town.

On 6 December, two days after the incident happened, four people, including madrassa students were detained over the incident.