Police foil Chittagong rally to protest artefacts theft
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
CHITTAGONG, Dec 25 (bdnews24.com): The police in the port city of Chittagong obstructed Tuesday a rally planned by local cultural activists and teachers to protest the theft of artefacts en route to France.
Later, nearly 150 protesters linked their hands on the Central Shaheed Minar premises in the city.
Kotwali police chief Haniful Islam said the police did not allow the protesters to hold the rally since the organisers did not take permission from authorities, a requirement for any rally under the emergency rule.
Protesters accused the government of its failure in protecting two Vishnu statues that went missing from Zia International Airport.
They alleged that the incident occurred because of the insistence by the French government, which "ignored the protest by cultural activists" against the shipment of the artefacts to France for display.
Speaking to the news agency, Professor Abul Mansur of the Fine Arts Department of Chittagong University said France cannot avoid the responsibility for the lost treasures.
"So far we have understood the artefacts went missing after they were handed over to the French authorities," he said.
He went on to demand expulsion of the French envoy in Bangladesh for his recent comments in his interviews with television channels.
The protesters demanded of the government to bring back all the artefacts already sent to France and arrest those responsible.
Later, nearly 150 protesters linked their hands on the Central Shaheed Minar premises in the city.
Kotwali police chief Haniful Islam said the police did not allow the protesters to hold the rally since the organisers did not take permission from authorities, a requirement for any rally under the emergency rule.
Protesters accused the government of its failure in protecting two Vishnu statues that went missing from Zia International Airport.
They alleged that the incident occurred because of the insistence by the French government, which "ignored the protest by cultural activists" against the shipment of the artefacts to France for display.
Speaking to the news agency, Professor Abul Mansur of the Fine Arts Department of Chittagong University said France cannot avoid the responsibility for the lost treasures.
"So far we have understood the artefacts went missing after they were handed over to the French authorities," he said.
He went on to demand expulsion of the French envoy in Bangladesh for his recent comments in his interviews with television channels.
The protesters demanded of the government to bring back all the artefacts already sent to France and arrest those responsible.