Farmer’s sculpture destroyed in Sunamganj

A farmer’s sculpture, located at Chalband Point in Bishwambharpur upazila of Sunamganj district, was vandalised and demolished by an unidentified group on Friday night.

The sculpture, known as ‘Krishan Chattar’, was part of a broader initiative to promote tourism and showcase the area’s cultural heritage. The upazila administration, led by the former Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Sadi Ur Rahim Jadid, had commissioned the sculpture to highlight the agricultural history of the region.

The ‘Krishan Chattar’ was inaugurated in February 2023 along with a Boal fish sculpture, ‘Boal Chattar,’ which had been installed at the Currenter Bazar intersection. Both were widely appreciated, even earning recognition in the media.

However, on Friday night, a group of individuals targeted the farmer’s sculpture, destroying it with hammers. On Saturday, a video of the vandalism spread on social media, showing several people breaking the statue.

Suleman Ahmed, a private sector employee who commutes through Bishwambharpur, expressed his disappointment, saying “The sculptures of the farmer and the Boal fish, along with Haor Bilash and other structures, significantly enhanced the beauty of Bishwambharpur. These have no political connection. Destroying the farmer’s sculpture was not the right thing to do.”

Earlier, on Thursday night, murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman located in front of the Bishwambharpur Upazila Parishad and the Upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad had also been destroyed.

Bishwambharpur UNO Mofizur Rahman confirmed the destruction of the sculpture, saying, “A group of angry people tore it down. However, we have not yet identified those responsible, so legal action cannot be taken.”

Regarding the possibility of rebuilding the sculpture, he added, “I will inform the higher authorities in writing about the vandalism. They will make the decision on this matter.”

The former UNO, Md Sadi Ur Rahim Jadid, who spearheaded the initiative, is currently serving as the additional deputy commissioner (Revenue) in Chattogram. Efforts to contact him for comment were unsuccessful.