Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said the vandals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s sculpture will be eradicated from the soil of Bangladesh.
“We have defeated the Razakars, Al-Badrs, Pakistani aggressors on the soil of Bengal. The accomplices of those Pakistanis will never be able to demolish the sculpture of Bangabandhu and stand on the soil of Bengal. We will eradicate the Razakars, Al-Badrs, anti-independence forces and fanatics from the soil of Bengal,” he said.
The minister made the remarks at a human chain held on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital to protest the vandalism of Bangabandhu’s sculpture.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), an organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, organized the human chain with 12 research institutes affiliated to the National Agricultural Research System (NARS).
The vandals will be tried on the soil of Bengal as anti-independence forces and traitors in the way the war criminals have been tried, he said.
“Those who have hit the sculpture of Bangabandhu have done it in a well-planned manner,” he said, adding that this defeated anti-independence forces killed Bangabandhu and his family in 1975 with domestic and international assassins.
He said Bangabandhu wanted to build a secular and democratic state system on the basis of Bengali nationalism and justice.
The assassins wanted to kill the spirit of independence and liberation war by killing Bangabandhu, he added.
Even, they wanted to erase Bangabandhu’s ideology and philosophy forever, he said, adding that it is very clear that this defeated fanatic group has been deliberately trying to destroy the spirit and ideology of the liberation war for 21 years since 1975.
“They have to fall under our feet again and apologize for this,” he continued.
The agriculture minister further said that sculpture and statue are not the same, adding: “There is an aesthetic aspect to sculpture, it is an art.”
The sculpture of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is being constructed so that his ideals can be presented to the next generation, he added.
“Sculpture is a memento or memorial. Through this, future generations will be inspired in the spirit of liberation war and freedom and will be motivated in human love and humanitarian service as well,” he said.
Agriculture secretary Md Mesbahul Islam, Agriculture Ministry additional secretary (extension wing) Md Hasanuzzaman Kallol, BARC executive chairman Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar and the heads of several organizations and officers and employees of all levels were also present there.
Besides, other agencies including the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) also participated in the human chain.
