Bangladesh: Vandals Destroy Iconic 1971 War Memorial Sculpture, Angry Tharoor Wants End To 'Anarchic Excess'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday (August 12) reacted strongly as he posted images of a destroyed sculpture at 1971 war memorial complex in Mujibnagar in Bangladesh. The sculpture, capturing the iconic moment of Pakistani Army's formal surrender to Indian forces, was seen in a ruined state in 'before and after' pics Tharoor posted from his official handle on X (formerly Twitter).

Taking on 'anti-India vandals' in Bangladesh who have attacked cultural centres, temples and 'Hindu homes', Tharoor urged Muhammad Yunus to restore law and order in the country currently in the grip of widespread violence that erupted during and after mass protests against quotas in government jobs. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, is currently the head of interim government in Bangladesh.

'...Such anarchic excess can never be condoned,' says Tharoor in his post.

The sculpture was a real-life reproduction of the iconic photograph that records Pakistani general's formal surrender to Indian forces.

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled from Bangladesh on August 5 as violent protesters neared her official residence in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Although she was expected to go to the United Kingdom and avail a political asylum, Hasina flew first to New Delhi and at the time of publishing of this story, was still at an undisclosed location in India.

Her exit followed weeks of mass protests against quotas in government jobs. Hasina had a hard-handed response to the protests and death toll mounted as police and other security forces tackled protesting mobs with bullets.

Sheikh Hasina was widely perceived to be friendly towards India. The daughter of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whom India actively supported before and after 1971 war, Sheikh Hasina kept extreme Islamist groups under check.

Now that Hasina has left the political stage, her rival Khaleda Zia is widely expected to make a comeback. Zia is not known to have a pro-India slant as pronounced as Sheikh Hasina's.