After high drama, DU authorities admit to removing ‘unsanctioned’ Tagore sculpture

The sculpture was installed last week by a group of Dhaka University students on the campus with its mouth taped and a book nailed in its hands, in what the students said was a “protest against censorship and suppression of dissent”

After four days of consecutive drama regarding a Rabindranath Tagore sculpture, Dhaka University Proctor Prof Dr AKM Golam Rabbani has said the institution's authorities removed the sculpture since it was installed without their consent.

“The authorities [of the university] removed the unsanctioned sculpture. Since nobody asked for our consent before its installation, we decided it was an illegal installation and removed it,” he said.

The much-talked-about sculpture was installed last Tuesday by a group of Dhaka University students on the campus with its mouth taped and a book nailed in its hands in what the students said was a “protest against censorship and suppression of dissent.”

The students from DU’s Institute of Fine Arts hoped the sculpture would raise awareness about the right to freedom of speech.

The sculpture disappeared from its position next to the Raju Memorial Sculpture on early Thursday, which prompted aggrieved DU students to display a banner that reads: Gum Hoye Gechen Rabindranath [Rabindranath has disappeared], where the sculpture was built.

Several parts of the sculpture were recovered in different parts of the campus the next day, and the students managed to build it again in its former place.

After the disappearance, Prof Rabbani told bdnews24.com that the authorities were attempting to learn more about the incident.

On Sunday, the DU proctor clarified his Thursday statement, claiming that when he said they were trying to learn more about the incident, he meant the installation, not the disappearance.

“I meant we [DU authorities] didn’t know who had installed it in the first place. The sculpture didn’t disappear; we removed it since it violated the sanctity of another sculpture [Raju Memorial], and we found that the latest one failed to reach the benchmarks of arts and culture. Rather, we believe the students who installed it were indulged in debauchery.”

“I strongly suspect these students have some evil ulterior motive to create chaos on the campus. We already informed them that we will hold them responsible if the situation deteriorates.”

Meanwhile, the fine arts students who installed the sculpture said they believe their attempt to raise awareness against censorship was successful as the drama centring the sculpture became a hot-button topic via social and mainstream media.

“It was a temporary installation, built as a part of a campaign against censorship. We [the students who installed the sculpture] considered the sculpture as public property. We didn’t want to own it either,” said Shimul Kumbhkaar, one of the sculptors and a leader of the DU Chhatra Union.

Shimul also blamed the DU proctor Rabbani for not being truthful when they reported the sculpture's disappearance to him.

“He [Prof Rabbani] told us on Thursday that he was trying to learn who had removed it. That’s why we displayed the banner of disappearance. Later in the day, we learned that he [Prof Rabbani] was responsible for removing it, and subsequently, we started to find the broken pieces in different areas of the campus.”

The Chhatra Union leader said the students were not mulling any legal action, and Shahbagh Police Station chief Nur Mohammad confirmed that no complaint had been filed yet centring on the installation and subsequent destruction of the sculpture.