Sculpture vandalising accusation against Tareque and Khaleda

BNP leaders Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have been named in a complaint filed with a Dhaka court over the vandalism of Bangabandhu’s sculpture and inciting of the anti-sculpture movement led by Islamist groups.

AB Siddiqui, president of Jananetri Parishad, submitted the case petition for violation of the Penal Code to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

After hearing the plaintiff’s statement, Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder set Thursday for an order on the matter.

The complaint also implicates Hifazat-e Islam chief Junaid Ahmed Babunagari, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis’ Acting Secretary General and Hifazat Joint Secretary General Muhammad Mamunul Haque and Islami Andolan chief Sayed Faizul Karim.

“Anti-liberation collaborators of Pakistan, who are led by Khaleda Zia, broke down an arm of a statue of the Father of the Nation in Kushtia on Dec 4 night and an ear of the statue at Madhu’s Canteen of Dhaka University by using Islamist militant goons as part of a conspiracy to foil independence and sovereignty, and turn Bangladesh into Pakistan,” Siddiqui said in the complaint.

He sought arrest warrants for the accused.

Siddiqui told bdnews24.com later that he had filed around seven cases against Khaleda and 10 against Tarique in total. Mamunul had threatened to stop construction of Bangabandhu’s statues and rid Bangladesh of all sculptures at a programme in Dhaka on Nov 13, according to the complaint.

Babunagari, speaking at a religious gathering in Chattogram’s Hathazari on Nov 27, had threatened to carry out mayhem like the one Hifazat unleashed on May 5, 2013 in Dhaka’s Motijheel, Siddiqui said.

Faizul, at a rally outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on the same day, threatened to tear down Bangabandhu’s statue and dump the debris in the Buriganga river, and call a gathering in Motijheel again, the complaint said.