Suryaa International Desk: A mural of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore located on the compound wall of the Khulna Railway Station in Bangladesh has been defaced with black ink by unknown individuals.
The mural was part of a series of wall paintings commissioned by the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) to commemorate historical and cultural figures ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The wall, situated along Old Jessore Road, also features portraits of Fakir Lalon Shah, S.M. Sultan, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Khaleda Zia, Ziaur Rahman, and Michael Madhusudan Dutt. However, only the portrait of Rabindranath Tagore was targeted.
Khulna Sadar police have registered a case and initiated an investigation following reports received on Friday afternoon. This incident follows a similar defacement of a Tagore graffiti mural outside the Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. Cultural organizations in Bangladesh have called for the identification and punishment of those responsible, citing concerns regarding the protection of cultural heritage.