Bangladesh authorities demolish 1971 Liberation War mural in Lalmonirhat

According to local media reports, the mural was demolished on Sunday.

Speaking with the workers, it was learned that they were demolishing the mural under the directive of the Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner, reported Dhaka Tribune.

According to reports, the mural was covered with cloth on Bangladesh Independence Day, before it was demolished on the weekend.

A worker told bdnews24.com that they were working on the deputy commissioner’s instructions.

Helal Kabir, convenor of a local voluntary organisation, told bdnews24.com: "The deputy commissioner has ordered the mural’s demolition. He had previously ordered it to be covered."

Earlier, justifying the decision to cover the mural with a cloth,  Deputy Commissioner HM Rakib Haider said it did not go with the spirit of the July-August Uprising.

The movement, which initially began as a protest against a job quota issue, spiralled into a movement against former PM Sheikh Hasina-led regime and led to her downfall.

Sheikh Hasina, who is seen as a pro-Delhi leader, fled to India.

Several sculptures and murals of Bangladesh's Founding Father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were destroyed across Bangladesh following the toppling of the former Hasina-led government on August 5, 2024.

The Lalmonirhat mural assumed significance since it depicted important historical events, including the 1952 Language Movement, Bangabandhu's March 7 speech, the Liberation War, the Mujibnagar government, the 1971 massacre, and the surrender of Pakistani forces.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)-inspired Lalmonirhat Conscious Citizens’ Committee has condemned the act.