Dhaka:Four individuals, including ANM Ayash, a member secretary of the Rashtra Sanglap Forum, were arrested in connection with an attempt to deface a graffiti of Rabindranath Tagore on a wall outside the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the police filed a case under the Penal Code after detaining the individuals, who have been identified as ANM Ayash, Md Sakibul Hasan, 19, Md Sujon Mia, 18, and Marzia Khandaker Rimi, 27. The arrests occurred after a commotion broke out around 1230 pm on Saturday when the group reportedly tried to cover the graffiti with ink.
Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station Moniruzzaman stated that the four would be presented in court on the same afternoon. The suspects were taken into custody by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police for further questioning.
The incident unfolded when several activists of the Rashtra Sanglap Forum gathered at the Shilpakala Academy premises at 11 am, leading to a heated exchange between Ayash and bystanders. Police intervened and detained the four individuals involved.
During the altercation, a woman was seen applying ink to Tagore's portrait before a police officer stopped her. The woman claimed their action was a protest against 'Indian aggression.'
The graffiti, along with portraits of other notable figures such as Zainul Abedin and Satyajit Ray, was painted on a wall following the removal of illegal structures from a footpath in Segunbagicha by Dhaka South City Corporation on October 5.