A mural of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was defaced with black ink in the Jilapitola area of Kumarkhali in Kushtia, Bangladesh, sparking anger among his admirers. The vandalism, which also included distortion of Tagore’s name, came to public attention after an image of the defaced mural began circulating on social media on the night of Thursday, April 3. However, the identity of those responsible for the act remains unknown.
The mural is located at the entrance of Kumarkhali on the Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway. A field visit on Friday, April 4, revealed that the poet’s face on the mural had been covered in black ink, and the spelling of “Rabindranath” and “Tagore” had been deliberately distorted. The mural premises appeared neglected, with overgrown weeds and faded paint. Although a CCTV camera was installed at the site, it was found to be non-functional.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Kumarkhali, Bijoy Kumar Jowardar, visited the site and stated, “We have inspected the spot upon receiving the report. It is not yet clear who defaced the mural or when. Those responsible will be identified and brought under the law. Restoration of the mural will begin soon.”
A local resident, requesting anonymity, said, “The mural has been neglected for a long time, with no administrative attention. Since this morning, we’ve seen the poet’s face blackened — it’s deeply saddening. I suspect some religiously fanatical group with a perverse mindset may have done this.”
Local poet and literary figure Sohel Amin Babu commented, “Rabindranath was never a communal figure. Smearing ink on his image is a disgrace to the Bengali nation. The motives and perpetrators behind such a heinous act must be thoroughly investigated and made public.”
Rabindranath researcher and devotee from Kumarkhali, Refool Karim, expressed his sorrow: “It is shocking that in a place where Tagore composed most of his celebrated work Gitanjali, people’s minds could harbor such perversion.”
Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station, Md. Solaiman Sheikh, confirmed the site visit and stated, “We will take legal action if a formal complaint is submitted.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Mikail Islam suggested that the incident might have occurred during the Eid holidays and assured that appropriate measures would be taken after a thorough investigation.
Contextual Note: In August of last year, Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus assumed the role of Chief Advisor to the interim government under the “Meticulous Designed System” movement. Since then, there have been increasing reports of crackdowns on progressive thought. Allegations have surfaced of persecution of minorities, arbitrary arrests of hundreds of journalists, legal harassment of political activists, looting, and arson attacks on homes allegedly carried out by Awami League members. Accusations have also emerged that these actions were indirectly supported by Dr. Yunus, including alleged attempts to erase the legacy of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. It has been claimed that, under government sanction, the historic residence of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, located at Dhanmondi-32, was destroyed.