Rabindra Kachhari Bari entry barred indefinitely after visitor assaulted

“Due to unavoidable circumstances, visitor admissions will be suspended. The Department of Archaeology has been monitoring the situation,” says custodian Habibur Rahman.

Authorities at the Kachhari Bari belonging to Rabindranath Tagore, the global icon of Bengali literature, situated in Sirajganj’s Shahjadpur, have halted admissions for visitors for an indefinite period.

Habibur Rahman, the custodian of Kachhari Bari, confirmed the matter on Wednesday.

The decision came after an attack on Kachhari Bari following tension after an incident of alleged misconduct and the beating of a visitor during the Eid holidays.

“Due to unavoidable circumstances, visitor admissions will be suspended. The Department of Archaeology has been monitoring the situation,” said custodian Habibur Rahman.

A Kachhari Bari served as the office and trade house for Zamindars, or feudal landlords.

On Jun 8, a visitor went to the Kachari Bari with his family. There, he got into an altercation with an employee at the entrance over the motorcycle parking fee.

Later, the visitor was allegedly confined in an office room and physically assaulted.

Locals were agitated over the incident and held a protest by forming a human chain on Jun 10. Afterwards, a group of agitated people attacked and vandalised the auditorium of the Kachhari Bari. They also beat a director of the institution.

When informed, police went to the scene and took control of the situation. An army team and Shahjadpur Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mushfiqur Rahman visited the scene.

However, no case has been filed yet over the attack on the Kachhari Bari, said Shahjadpur Police Station OC Aslam Ali.