Authorities ‘unaware’ as Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman statue is dismantled again in Jhenaidah

District administration says it will install a new statue in a “suitable” location

The unfinished Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman sculpture is being dismantled again in Jhenaidah, but authorities say they do not know who is behind it.

Workers were seen breaking part of the pedestal during a visit to the site at the district's central bus terminal on Friday.

The broken pieces were loaded onto a pickup van, while the statue's upper section remained intact.

The Tk 3.2 million project was launched to honour Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman, who was posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honour for his sacrifice in the Liberation War.

Construction began after years of delay, but the project was abandoned unfinished in 2016.

Jhenaidah Municipality Administrator Rathindra Nath Roy said the statue was first vandalised by "some people" after the Awami League government fell in 2024.

Roy, however, said he had no idea who was dismantling the structure again, adding that he had not even “seen” the project's file.

A municipality official said up to Tk 1.1 million had been spent for the project before it was stopped for “some unknown reason”.

He, too, said he had no idea who was behind the latest dismantling of the “Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman Square” project.

Md Mohiuddin, who was a ward councillor of the municipality when the project was launched, refused to talk.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Md Noman Hossain also said he was unaware of who was behind the dismantling.

The DC said demands had been raised to remove the abandoned parts of the sculpture damaged after the July Uprising.

“There is a plan to install a new sculpture of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman in a suitable location.”

Kamaluzzaman, former commander of the district unit Muktijoddha Sangsad, said they are aware of the matter and hold a meeting to take a decision about the sculpture.