With Respect, From Bengal: Nadia Sculptor Crafts Bangabandhu Bust For Bangladesh Dispatch

Krishnagar(West Bengal): As political storms continue to rage and anti-India hate campaigns run in Bangladesh, a pair of nimble hands has quietly begun shaping resistance, not through protest but through his art— a potent medium of his message.

In his modest studio in Krishnagar’s Vishtri village, sculptor Rana Mallick is giving Bangabandhu a new form and with it, giving back the dignity that vandals tried to erase.

Less than a year ago, on August 5, 2024, a five-week violent protest in Bangladesh saw the demolition of the bust of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh's Independence from Pakistan.

The new bust of Bangladesh's Father of the Nation, which is being sculpted in Krishnagar will be sent to Bangladesh — not for public display, but to be installed in a private home within just a few days.

The bust is almost complete and will soon make its way to the home of Nijhum Majumdar, a Bangladeshi citizen who commissioned the statue with a simple wish. He wants his children to grow up knowing the man who led their nation to freedom.

According to Majumdar, Bangabandhu acquires a special place in his heart just like any other sensible fellow countryman. Undaunted by the threat of attacks, he also declared his wish on social media, risking his life in Bangladesh, where attacks and murders of minorities are common on the pretext of blasphemy.

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Rana, who has earlier crafted statues of Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar for Krishnagar’s civic buildings, regularly receives statue orders from Bangladesh.

The order of Bangabandhu's bust came through a woman from Bangladesh, whom Rana calls 'Anindita Madam', who works on cultural initiatives across borders.

He said, "I received the order for this statue from Anindita Madam. She is associated with many works in Bangladesh. Through that source, I received the order for this statue. Sheikh Hasina herself saw this statue and liked it. I completed the entire work with her permission. It will go to Bangladesh in the next 3-4 days."

The idol is expected to cross the border within the next 3–4 days, not as a grand statement, but as a personal symbol of respect for the Bangladesh Liberation War stalwart.

Ironically, his statue was razed amid cheers at Bijoy Sarani in Dhaka, which is less than 600 km from Nadia, a small town in West Bengal.