No decision yet on bringing relics back from France
Thursday, 27 December 2007
The interim cabinet made no decision Wednesday on bringing the artefacts back from France, an adviser said, reports bdnews24.com.
"No decision has so far been made on bringing back the relics already sent to France for display at the Guimet Museum before the exhibition begins," Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein told reporters after the meeting.
"Please try and contact the cultural affairs secretary for details on the issue."
Another official who attended the meeting said the secretary briefed the Council of Advisers on the latest developments.
Earlier at 11am, Cultural Affairs Secretary ABM Abdul Haque Chowdhury told the news agency by telephone, "The advisory council meeting [Wednesday] may discuss whether the relics will be exhibited abroad or brought back immediately."
After the meeting at 2:40pm, Chowdhury said, "We haven't yet received any directive or been communicated about a decision on bringing the artefacts back."
Meanwhile, Samar Chandra Paul, Bangladesh National Museum director general, said at 2:00pm,"The government policymakers have started deliberating on the issue, but no decision of bringing the relics back from France has yet been taken."
Forty-two artefacts in 10 cartons were shipped to France on Dec 1 for exhibition at the Guimet Museum in Paris.
Two seventh century relics-statues of Lord Vishnu-were found missing, while the second consignment of 145 artefacts were to be shipped out in 13 crates on Dec 22.
Failing to retrieve the lost relics, the government decided Tuesday not to ship the remaining artefacts abroad, retrieving them from Air France authorities and returning them to the National Museum.
A high-powered committee headed by the cabinet secretary was formed Tuesday to investigate and report fully on the incident within three workdays.
"No decision has so far been made on bringing back the relics already sent to France for display at the Guimet Museum before the exhibition begins," Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein told reporters after the meeting.
"Please try and contact the cultural affairs secretary for details on the issue."
Another official who attended the meeting said the secretary briefed the Council of Advisers on the latest developments.
Earlier at 11am, Cultural Affairs Secretary ABM Abdul Haque Chowdhury told the news agency by telephone, "The advisory council meeting [Wednesday] may discuss whether the relics will be exhibited abroad or brought back immediately."
After the meeting at 2:40pm, Chowdhury said, "We haven't yet received any directive or been communicated about a decision on bringing the artefacts back."
Meanwhile, Samar Chandra Paul, Bangladesh National Museum director general, said at 2:00pm,"The government policymakers have started deliberating on the issue, but no decision of bringing the relics back from France has yet been taken."
Forty-two artefacts in 10 cartons were shipped to France on Dec 1 for exhibition at the Guimet Museum in Paris.
Two seventh century relics-statues of Lord Vishnu-were found missing, while the second consignment of 145 artefacts were to be shipped out in 13 crates on Dec 22.
Failing to retrieve the lost relics, the government decided Tuesday not to ship the remaining artefacts abroad, retrieving them from Air France authorities and returning them to the National Museum.
A high-powered committee headed by the cabinet secretary was formed Tuesday to investigate and report fully on the incident within three workdays.