By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Dec 18 (IANS): Nearly a fortnight after an under-construction sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vandalised in Bangladesh's Kushtia district, two miscreants vandalised a bust of revolutionary Jatindranath Mukherjee aka Bagha Jatin who fought against the British rule.

The crime was committed at Kaya College in Kushtia on Thursday night.

Kaya College's governing body President Nizamul Huq Chunnu and member Anisur Rahman, Principal Harun ur Rashid, and night watchman Khalilur Rahman were detained for questioning.

Earlier, two madrasa students Abu Bakkar and Sabuj confessed in a court that they were influenced by radical anti-liberation Hefazat leaders Mamunul and Babunagari to vandalise Bangabandhu's sculpture on December 5. Madrasa teachers Al Amin and Yusuf Ali were arrested on December 6 on charge of helping the accused to escape.

Later, they confessed to their crime in the court of Kushtia Senior Judicial Magistrate Delwar Hossain.

Kushtia Superintendent of Police SM Tanvir Arafath told IANS on Friday evening that the college authorities had shown extreme negligence in protecting the bust of Jatin.

"They have clearly violated government instructions in this regard," he said, adding that whether the accused officials will be released or not will be taken once their questioning ends.

Jatin was born to Sharatshashi and Umeshchandra Mukherjee on December 7, 1879, in Kayagram, a village in Kushtia subdivision of Nadia district of undivided Bengal, now in Bangladesh.