Rabindranath Tagore's graffiti defaced with black ink in Bangladesh's Dhaka; four detained

Dhaka: Four people have been detained for questioning after black ink was smeared on graffiti depicting Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on a wall in front of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka's Segunbagicha area, police said on Saturday.

Confirming the incident, Akthar Hossain, Deputy Police Commissioner and Spokesperson of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told over the phone that the individuals were detained following the defacement of the artwork and a disturbance at the site.

"Police have detained four people for questioning after black ink was smeared on graffiti of Rabindranath Tagore and a disturbance occurred at the site", Hossain told ANI.


The incident involved graffiti of Tagore, the renowned Bengali poet and Nobel laureate, painted on a wall in front of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy as part of a public beautification initiative undertaken by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

The project featured graffiti depicting ten writers, literary figures and cultural personalities, including Kazi Nazrul Islam, Fakir Lalon Shah, Zainul Abedin, SM Sultan, Zahir Raihan, Shah Abdul Karim, Humayun Faridi, Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Satyajit Ray.

The artworks were painted on a wall adjacent to the Shilpakala Academy as part of a beautification drive aimed at freeing footpaths from illegal occupation in the Segunbagicha area.

As part of the initiative, dustbins and resting benches for pedestrians were also installed along the stretch to improve public amenities. The project was inaugurated by DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam.

Police have detained the four individuals for questioning in connection with the incident.