Rabindranath Tagore mural defaced in Khulna

Miscreants have defaced a mural of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore by smearing black ink on his face on the boundary wall of Khulna Railway Station.

The incident came to the attention of local residents on Friday, prompting condemnation and outrage among residents and cultural activists.

However, those responsible for defacing the mural have yet to be identified.

The railway station wall along Jashore Road features murals depicting the July mass uprising, the Sixty Dome Mosque, the jute industry and the Sundarbans, alongside portraits of prominent personalities. 

They include painter SM Sultan, poets Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Michael Madhusudan Dutt, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, late president Ziaur Rahman and scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray.

Of all the portraits, only Tagore's face has been covered with black ink.

The Khulna City Corporation (KCC) commissioned the murals at various locations across the city as part of its beautification drive ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to Khulna.

KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said the murals were painted to familiarise visitors to Khulna with the region's history and heritage.

"These murals will help foster free thinking among our children and young people. Those who smeared ink on Rabindranath Tagore's portrait have exposed their narrow-mindedness and unhealthy mentality," he said.

The administrator added, "We will repaint Tagore's portrait there, making it even better."

Khulna Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Lokman Hossain said that those responsible for the act have yet to be identified. 

Police visited the spot and are investigating the incident, he added.

Earlier in October, police detained four people, including ANM Ayash, member secretary of the Rashtra Sanglap Forum, while they were attempting to erase a mural of Rabindranath Tagore on a wall outside the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.

They were later remanded in connection with a case filed over the incident.