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A newly created mural of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's capital has become the centre of a police investigation. Four people are arrested, while questions remain over the alleged act and its motive.
Rabindranath Tagore mural targeted in Dhaka, four arrested on sedition charges (Representational image)
Four people have been arrested in Bangladesh over the alleged attempt to deface a newly created mural of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the capital Dhaka, with police taking action in the case under sedition charges. The incident took place outside the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city's Segunbagicha area.
According to a report by The Daily Star, a young woman allegedly attempted to deface the mural using black ink. Dhaka Metropolitan Police subsequently arrested four people in connection with the incident.
Details about the specific roles of the four accused and the motive behind the alleged act are yet to emerge. Further investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether others were involved.
Rabindranath Tagore is among South Asia's most celebrated literary figures. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, becoming the first Asian to receive the honour.
His poems, songs and literary works occupy an important place in the cultural heritage of both India and Bangladesh. Tagore also wrote Amar Sonar Bangla, which became the national anthem of Bangladesh.
The alleged attempt to deface his mural has brought attention to the protection of cultural symbols and artworks in public spaces. The mural had been created outside the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, a major institution dedicated to the country's arts and cultural activities.
The alleged vandalism comes against the backdrop of earlier incidents involving Rabindranath Tagore's images and places associated with his legacy in Bangladesh.
According to the information available in the report, Tagore's photographs have previously been targeted, while his ancestral village was also damaged in an incident last year.
The latest case has led to the arrest of four people, but further details about the alleged involvement of the accused, the circumstances of the incident and the investigation remain awaited. Police action and the findings of the ongoing probe are expected to provide greater clarity on the case.
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