Broken sculptures fading history at DU’s ‘Swadhinata Sangram’ complex

The scars of vandalism remain clearly visible at the ‘Swadhinata Sangram’ sculpture complex on Fuller Road at Dhaka University nearly two years after August 5, 2024, with most of the sculptures still lying broken.

Some of the sculptures are lying on the ground, while severed heads and other body parts are scattered across the grass.

A few sculptures remain standing, but they too bear visible signs of vandalism.

Created by Ekushey Padak-winning sculptor Shamim Sikder, the complex once housed around 116 sculptures depicting important figures and events from Bangladesh’s history including the Language Movement and the Liberation War.

Despite the passage of nearly two years since the vandalism, there has been no visible initiative to remove the damaged sculptures for preservation or restore them to their original condition. 

Left exposed in the open for a prolonged period, the sculptures are deteriorating further due to rain, humidity and overgrown weeds.

Once a prominent site commemorating the country’s history, the complex now resembles a silent ruin of broken sculptures.-UNB