WORLD
Sculptor Mrinal Haque, who engraved the statue, supervised the reinstallation process.
Bangladesh reinstalled the statue of a Greek Goddess clad in a saree, taken down from the front of the Supreme Court after religious hardliners deemed it "un-Islamic", to a different location within the premises.
The sculpture of Themis - the goddess of justice - had been in place for less than six months when it was removed on Friday after Islamist groups claimed it hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
Sculptor Mrinal Haque, who engraved the statue, supervised the reinstallation process. The reinstallation work began yesterday and was completed today with the help of around 30 workers.
Hifazat-e Islam, Olama League and several other Islamist organisations have been demanding the removal of the statue.
Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam had targeted the statue since its erection in December, saying it did not reflect the Islamic culture of the Muslims in Bangladesh, The Dhaka Tribune reported.
Just a day after being removed from in front of the Supreme Court, the statue of Lady Justice was reinstalled today before the annex building of the apex court, Haque said.
"I wasn't given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it," he had said.
The statue was erected in December 2016, holding a sword and the scales of justice in her hands.
The statue, which is not of the Greek goddess but a Bengali woman, has ruffled feathers in the Muslim-majority nation, with hardliners staging massive protests in recent months.
According to the hardliners, the statue, a variation on the Greek goddess Themis, goes against Islam, the report had said.
Police had used tear gas and water cannons as protests mounted after authorities removed the statue from the Supreme Court premises.
Scores of slogan chanting protestors rallied near the apex court complex where police hurled tear gas canisters and coloured water from water cannons to disperse them the report said.
In April, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the secular Awami League party, apparently backed the Islamists by expressing her dislike for the statue and approved its removal.
In reaction to criticism over her approval, Hasina said she had asked Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha why the statue of a Greek goddess had been distorted by having it clad in a saree, the report said.
"Why shouldn't it be removed? Don't they see that it is no more Greek. It's half Greek, half Bengali. It's Greek- Bengali now. Don't they see it?" she had inquired.
Bangladesh has experienced increasing tensions between hardliners and secularists in recent years, suffering a spate of killings of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreign.
Rohit Shetty teases 'biggest love story of 2025' feat Ranveer Singh and.., fans react
Hajj 2025: You can't take your children to Hajj this year due to...
Aly Goni supports Samay Raina because..., says he was forced to...
Students' farewell dance on SRK's 'Aankhein Khuli' steals the show, watch viral video
World’s longest railway station has 44 platforms, 67 tracks, has secret platform, located in…
New Income Tax Bill likely to be introduced in parliament today; here's what to expect
Meet IIT-JEE topper with 300 marks in JEE Mains Session 1 Result 2025, advices students not to...
Rozlyn Khan files defamation case against Ankita Lokhande: 'A woman who could use...'
PM Modi US visit: PM Modi arrives at Blair House, greets members of Indian diaspora
Meet son of billionaire whose net worth is Rs 77,280 crore, leads business empire in Australia as...
Happy Kiss Day 2025: Wishes, WhatsApp messages, images, quotes to share with your lover
Why Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of Champions Trophy 2025? Report says Ajit Agarkar...
Meet woman, who studied 17-18 hours daily, cracked UPSC in sixth attempt with AIR..., she is...
DNA TV Show: Delhi Police searches for AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in threat case
ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up fixtures: Will India play any practice game before mega event?
Meet man, IIT graduate, who once worked at Google, OpenAI, now owns...
BTC X8 Bumex Review 2025: Scam or Legit Trading Platform? Quick Facts!
AR Rahman comments on future of music, worries about THIS genre: 'We have lost all…’
UPSC introduces changes in online application process after aspirants' complaints; check here
TRAI's BIG move, introduces new rules against pesky calls, messages, fines telcos for...
Vir Das breaks his silence on India’s Got Latent controversy: 'A good artist will always…'
Who was Kim Rieul? Korean designer behind BTS and MONSTA X’s modern hanboks passes away at 32
Trade Compliance Meets Cybersecurity: Forensic Strategies for Risk Management
Enabling governance to organizations within AWS marketplace: A look at private marketplace
R Madhavan makes BIG STATEMENT about his bank account: 'I don't know how much I have and...'
Asense Interior: Celebrating 11 Years of Redefining Luxury Interiors in Bengaluru
Snow Moon 2025: When and how to witness February's full moon tonight? Know here
Kiss Day 2025: Why do we celebrate this day? Know history and significance
DNA Verified: Is Rashtrapati Bhavan hosting a wedding for the FIRST time? Know truth here
India's retail inflation slows to 4.31 per cent in January due to...
WATCH: Maha Kumbh girl Mona Lisa starts training before filming her 1st movie alongside Anupam Kher
Radhika Merchant stuns in blue and green suit at MahaKumbh Mela, it costs Rs....
BIG move by Mukesh Ambani, Reliance partners with US company, set to drive...
IND v ENG: Why are India and England players wearing green arm bands in 3rd ODI at Ahmedabad?
Tripti Dimri sets major beachwear goals in Maldives; can you guess price of her swimsuit?
Mitolyn Supplement Reviews: Ingredients, benefits, side effects, purple peel exploit
Gaurav Sharma: Visionary leader driving cybersecurity excellence
All About Details: Turning ordinary outfits into statement looks
Duolingo owl is dead? Launguage learning app urges users to respect Dua Lipa's privacy, know why
Why digitisation is necessary in construction industry and why its adoption remains slow
Meet IIT-JEE topper, who created record in Odisha by scoring 99.98 percentile, aims to join...
When is Shab-e-Barat 2025 – February 13 or 14? Check history, significance
THIS is India's last railway station where train never stops, know why
GBS outbreak: Mumbai reports its first death due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Ram Gopal Varma questions Rajinikanth's acting, says 'I don’t know if he can exist without...'
Who was Acharya Satyendra Das? Ayodhya Ram temple's chief priest who passed away in Lucknow
Old wedding card mentioning IIT degrees of couple creates buzz on social media; see viral post
Chunky Panday says Shatrughan Sinha advised him to 'make people wait': 'If you are punctual...'
UP Court summons Rahul Gandhi on March 24 over 2022 remarks against Army
Indian consulate in Marseille to strengthen 'people-to-people ties': PM Modi