Staff Correspondent

The central command of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi has expressed deep concern and strongly condemned the demolition of the sculpture and square constructed at the entrance of Jhenaidah town in memory of Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Hamidur Rahman.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday Udichi Central Acting President Mahmud Selim and General Secretary Amit Ranjan Dey stated that Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman is not only a source of pride for Jhenaidah but also a unique hero of the Great Liberation War and the entire nation. They described the initiative to remove the sculpture and memorial square without following proper procedures, gauging public opinion, or consulting relevant stakeholders and the martyr's family as deeply regrettable and reprehensible. Such actions, the leaders noted, amount to an insult to the history, spirit, and national dignity of the Liberation War.

The Udichi leaders emphasized that a sculpture of Bir Shreshtha Hamidur Rahman at a district gateway is far more than a physical structure; it is a profound symbol of wartime history, patriotism, and supreme sacrifice, playing a vital role in instilling the heroic tales of the Liberation War in the younger generation. Instead of relocating the monument elsewhere, they demanded that it be rebuilt and reinstalled at its original site with appropriate design, security, and aesthetics.

Highlighting that the sculpture had faced multiple attacks following 2024, the leaders asserted that the state's primary responsibility was to preserve, renovate, and protect the monument with utmost dignity rather than demolish it. They called upon the authorities concerned to prioritize the opinions of the martyr's family members, freedom fighters, cultural figures, historians, and local residents in all future decisions.