Who hung shoes on Bir Sreshtho Hamidur’s sculpture?

A garland of shoes was hung around the sculpture of Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman near the central bus terminal in Jhenaidah town on Tuesday, triggering anger among freedom fighters and local residents.
A photograph circulated on social media showed several shoes and sandals hanging from a rope around the head of the white-painted sculpture.

Former freedom fighter commander Kamaluzzaman visited the site after seeing the photograph and had the shoe garland removed. He also informed the district administration and lodged a General Diary (GD) with Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station.

“After seeing the matter on social media, I visited the site with a few others. Upon arrival, I found a garland of shoes hanging on the sculpture. It was subsequently removed. I have informed the district administration and filed a General Diary regarding the incident,” he said.

Freedom fighter Siddiqur Rahman described Hamidur Rahman, who embraced martyrdom during the Liberation War, as a source of pride for Jhenaidah and the nation.

“Previously, there was an incident where the sculpture erected in his honour was vandalised. Now, this incident of placing a garland of shoes on it is extremely distressing and condemnable. I demand an investigation to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

Hafizur Rahman, nephew of Bir Sreshtho Hamidur Rahman, alleged that a particular group had repeatedly targeted the sculpture and demanded a swift investigation.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner Noman Hossain described the incident as deeply regrettable and instructed police to identify those responsible and take prompt action.

At an emergency meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Tuesday evening, officials, freedom fighters, political activists and civil society representatives decided to install CCTV cameras and reconstruct the sculpture with an accurate likeness under a competent architect.

The sculpture had been vandalised following the July mass uprising. Its dismantling began on July 13 and continued until July 17 before the administration suspended the work on July 18. A banner recently placed by the District Muktijoddha Sangsad says repair work is underway.

Officer-in-Charge Asaduzzaman, however, said he had no details about the incident other than what he had heard from journalists.