KOLKATA: Teachers and intellectuals in Kolkata condemned Tuesday a name by All India Minority Federation for the removing of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s bust from the 114-year-old Baker Hostel within the metropolis.
Baker Hostel, the place Mujibur Rahman stayed between 1942 and 1947 as a scholar of Maulana Azad School (earlier Islamia School), homes his former rooms, which nonetheless comprise his mattress, desk, chair, almirah, and books.His bust was put in within the hall outdoors the room in 2010 and later changed by a brand new one in 2019, sculpted by Bangladeshi artist Liton Pal Ronny.
The controversy erupted following the federation’s demand for the bust’s removing as a consequence of its proximity to a close-by mosque. “This has been our demand for a very long time. There’s a mosque close by, and folks supply namaz there. The bust is misplaced in that individual space. Nevertheless, we now have not objected to Bangabandhu’s bust positioned elsewhere within the metropolis,” mentioned Mohammad Qamruzzaman, basic secretary of the federation.
The demand has been met with robust opposition. “The (Bangladesh) excessive fee took the initiative to create a nook there. It’s a part of historical past. This bust was featured in my documentary too,” mentioned filmmaker Goutam Ghose, who made the documentary “Mujib in Calcutta”.
Tanveer Nasreen, head of historical past at Burdwan College, highlighted Kolkata’s historic significance in shaping leaders like Suhrawardy, Fazlul Haque, and Mujibur Rahman. “Traditionally, the function Kolkata performed within the making of the Bengali Muslim thoughts was primarily secular, progressive, and inclusive. There isn’t a motive why Bangabandhu’s bust ought to be relocated from the Baker Hostel,” she mentioned.
In response to the controversy and in gentle of the state of affairs in Bangladesh, police have elevated safety across the hostel. “We now have directions to not permit anyone to get near the rooms or the bust,” mentioned an officer.
Baker Hostel, the place Mujibur Rahman stayed between 1942 and 1947 as a scholar of Maulana Azad School (earlier Islamia School), homes his former rooms, which nonetheless comprise his mattress, desk, chair, almirah, and books.His bust was put in within the hall outdoors the room in 2010 and later changed by a brand new one in 2019, sculpted by Bangladeshi artist Liton Pal Ronny.
The controversy erupted following the federation’s demand for the bust’s removing as a consequence of its proximity to a close-by mosque. “This has been our demand for a very long time. There’s a mosque close by, and folks supply namaz there. The bust is misplaced in that individual space. Nevertheless, we now have not objected to Bangabandhu’s bust positioned elsewhere within the metropolis,” mentioned Mohammad Qamruzzaman, basic secretary of the federation.
The demand has been met with robust opposition. “The (Bangladesh) excessive fee took the initiative to create a nook there. It’s a part of historical past. This bust was featured in my documentary too,” mentioned filmmaker Goutam Ghose, who made the documentary “Mujib in Calcutta”.
Tanveer Nasreen, head of historical past at Burdwan College, highlighted Kolkata’s historic significance in shaping leaders like Suhrawardy, Fazlul Haque, and Mujibur Rahman. “Traditionally, the function Kolkata performed within the making of the Bengali Muslim thoughts was primarily secular, progressive, and inclusive. There isn’t a motive why Bangabandhu’s bust ought to be relocated from the Baker Hostel,” she mentioned.
In response to the controversy and in gentle of the state of affairs in Bangladesh, police have elevated safety across the hostel. “We now have directions to not permit anyone to get near the rooms or the bust,” mentioned an officer.
