After the removal of the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court premises, a cabinet member has said no sculptures built in the spirit of the Liberation War will be removed while his colleague said the relocation respected all the religions, including Islam.
The image of the Lady Justice with her blindfold, balance and sword personifies the moral integrity of the judiciary.
But the statue erected in December last year provoked the ire of hardliners and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who criticised Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha for the decision, also because it is clad in a sari.
It was removed from near the top court’s entrance on Thursday night, a move seen by some as a compromise with radical views. On Saturday, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader said the matter of Supreme Court statue is not related with other sculptures across the country built in the spirit of the Liberation War.
“Removing sculptures built in the spirit of Liberation War is out of question. They will remain and more will be built in future. The government’s stance is clear on this,” said Quader, also the ruling Awami League’s general secretary, while speaking to reporters in Narayanganj.
Workers removing the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court premises in the wee hours of Friday. Photo: tanvir ahammed
Workers removing the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court premises in the wee hours of Friday. Photo: tanvir ahammed
At a separate programme in Dhaka, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the removal of the statue has shown respects to all religions, including Islam.
According to him, the sari-clad statue was not a true representation of the Greek goddess Themis.
If this sculpture would have been presented to the future generations it would be a distorted representation of the Greek goddess, according to the law minister.
“We want to move away from distortion. I would say Bangladesh’s image has not been tarnished by the removal of the statue.”
Huq said it was the chief justice’s decision to remove the statue.
