By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Dec 20 (IANS): Police in Bangladesh have arrested three members of the ruling Awami League's youth front, Juba League, over their involvement in the vandalism of a statue of of revolutionary leader Jatindranath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin, in Kushtia.

Tanvir Arafat, Kushtia Superintendent of Police (SP), said a night guard at the Kaya College witnessed the incident.

"Vandals took position near the sculpture at around 11 p.m. on December 17. Around two hours later, Anisur Rahman (Juba League President) hit the sculpture three times with a hammer. Then they left by a motorcycle," Arafat said.

"This sculpture has nothing to do with the incident of vandalism. It has been vandalised out of personal aggression. However, it will be found out through investigation whether there was a conspiracy to achieve a nefarious purpose through this incident," he added.

Besides Anisur, the other arrested persons are Sabuj Hossain and Hridoy Ahmed.

The Kaya college authorities already have a conflict with Anisur and in revenge, he along with his associates vandalised the sculpture located on the side of the road in front of the main gate of the college, according to the police.

Meanwhile local Awami league leaders told IANS that Anisur will be temporarily removed from the party.

On December 18, Kumarkhali Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mojibur Rahman confirmed that Anisur, Kaya College president Nizamul Haque, principal Harun Arishur and others had been questioned for vandalizing the sculpture.

Rahman was taken to the police station later.

This incident took place 13 days after a sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took place in Kushtia.

On December 3, a sculpture of Madhusudan Dey, who was brutally killed by the Pakistan Army in March 1971, was partially damaged by some unknown miscreants in the Dhaka University (DU) campus premises.