Sculpture construction to continue: Quader

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said the installation of Bangabandhu's sculpture in Dhaka's Dholaipar will continue.

"We will install the sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Quader told journalists at the Secretariat Monday. He also vowed that those who vandalised Bangabandhu's statue in Kushtia would have to pay a heavy price for their audacity.

"The government will not spare anyone involved with the vandalism.'

Quader said there are sculptures in many Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.

Asked about whether the prime minister would respond to Hefazat-e-Islam and other religious organisations over their protests against setting up sculptures, the minister said he does not know about it.

"The prime minister will decide for herself whether there is any scope for discussion," he added.

The Awami League leader discarded the comment that the anti-sculpture movement could emerge as the relation between the government and Hefazat cemented. 

"This remark is completely false. We only met their demand over bringing 14 lakh qawmi madrasa students to the mainstream. This does not mean any political relation developed with them. Hefazat is not a political organisation and there is nothing about compromise," he noted.        

In another development on the day, a Dhaka court instructed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the sedition complaints against three individuals including Hefazat leader Junaid Babunagari and Mamunul Haque.

Muktijuddha Mancha and Bangabandhu Foundation filed two sedition cases with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for speaking against the sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After hearing the petitions, the court directed the PBI to investigate the allegations and submit a report to the court within the first week of January.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh leader Syed Faizul Karim has also been accused in the case.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said, "According to the law, police will have to take permission from the home ministry before starting the investigation."

A number of religious groups and organisations have recently rallied in the capital over installing a sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka.

Religious leaders including Hefazat-e-Islam's Ameer Junaid Babunagari and Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque gave anti-sculpture speeches saying those are "haram" (prohibited) in Islam.

Amid the protests by religious leaders and subsequent counter movements by Awami League and its associates, miscreants on Friday night vandalised an under-construction statue of Bangabandhu in Kushtia. 

Police subsequently arrested two local madrasa students and two of their teachers over the sabotage. 

Police produced the four individuals before a local court Monday. The court set Tuesday for hearing over the police's remand plea and sent them to jail. 

Kushtia Police in a press briefing Sunday said the students damaged the statute after being inspired and influenced by the recent anti-sculpture statements made by Mamunul Haque, and Syed Faizul Karim.

Secure all the sculptures of Bangabandhu: HC

In another development on Monday, the High Court (HC) directed the authorities concerned to ensure the security of all the sculptures of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in different places of the country.

The Cabinet Division secretary, home secretary and others have been asked to implement the order.

A HC bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin passed the order following a petition filed by a lawyer.

Former secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association Bashir Ahmed accompanied by Md Jaglul Kabir stood for the writ while Deputy Attorney General Barrister ABM Abdullah-Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.