Authorities halt dismantling of Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman statue after public backlash

Officials remain silent on who carried out the demolition of the unfinished monument

Authorities have halted the demolition of an unfinished statue of Bir Sreshtha Hamidur Rahman in Jhenaidah following widespread public criticism.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Md Noman Hossain on Monday said the statue would be rebuilt at a suitable location inside the municipality.

"We will identify a convenient site and reconstruct the statue within the municipal area," he said.

The monument, honouring the Jhenaidah-born war hero who laid down his life in the Liberation War, was being built on a pedestal at the entrance to the town but was never completed.

The project began in 2012 under then mayor and Awami League district general secretary Md Saidul Karim Mintu. It was estimated to cost Tk 3.2 million.

Construction started years later. Some work was carried out in 2016 before the project stalled, leaving the statue unfinished and never inaugurated.

After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, hundreds of people attacked and vandalised the structure that afternoon. Workers resumed demolishing it on Wednesday, drawing fresh attention and prompting media coverage.

Amid the criticism, the demolition was suspended from Sunday.

A local freedom fighter said veterans had asked the deputy commissioner to build a new statue of Hamidur in the town.

Deputy Director of the Local Government Division Rathindra Nath Roy said on Monday that the DC had already taken the initiative.