'Shaheed Minar' Raju sculpture - Historic student memorials in Dhaka which powered anti-government protests

     Dhaka, Aug 28 (PTI) Celebrated memorials such as the 'Shaheed Minar' and the ‘Raju’ sculpture erected in memory of a martyred students' union leader here not just emerged as the symbol of the recent anti-government protests but also served as the hotbeds for the student-led resistance in Bangladesh.
     Located in the Dhaka University area, these sites stood witness to the resistance that began in July and eventually engulfed the entire country leading to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government and her fleeing to India on August 5.
     But, the city of Dhaka is no stranger to public movements, as its history is studded with many landmark moments that have shaped its destiny in the past 70 years.
     Abdul Moyeen Khan, a former Cabinet minister of Bangladesh, told PTI that students of Bangladesh have always rejected unjust impositions, as demonstrated during the Bengali language movement in 1952 and various other subsequent resistances and the latest being the 2024 movement.
     'Shaheed Minar,' where people gather these days in a relatively relaxed environment, is akin to a pilgrimage site for the people of Bangladesh. While the main memorial is in Dhaka, several replicas of it exist in many other cities of Bangladesh.
     The main memorial is represented by five vertical panels including a huge central panel with its bent top portion and a bright red circle in the backdrop. It has existed in its current form for over 50 years as it was re-built after the Liberation War of 1971 leading to the birth of a new nation of Bangladesh.
     The original 'Shaheed Minar' was erected to honour the lives lost during the Bengali language movement in 1952 when the region was known as East Pakistan with its capital at Dhaka.
     Generations after generations have grown up in Dhaka hearing the story of the brave university students who died in police action on February 21, 1952, while struggling to get the status of ‘state language’ for Bengali.
     Even after 70 years, the legend of 'Ekushey February' (February 21) still lives on in the hearts and minds of the people of Bangladesh. It was later recognised by the UN as International Mother Language Day.
     The echoes of this historic struggle could be felt in Dhaka in 2024 too as several lives were lost in the violent anti-quota protests that eventually turned into unprecedented anti-government resistance.
     Huge gatherings took place at 'Shaheed Minar' during the agitation as protesters drew strength from both, the site’s legacy as well as its symbolism.
     Mohd Shahid, who lives near 'Shaheed Minar', said this monument site along with Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) area and Shahbagh were the hotbeds of the recent protests.
     “When police firing took place, I could hear it from my house. (I could) see several thousands of people in the streets, defiant despite curfew restrictions. Those gunshots still echo in my head,” he told PTI during a recent visit to the memorial.
     Artworks have come up on Dhaka walls, including in the varsity area, to memorialise the recent protests, with many of the murals depicting 'Shaheed Minar' or bearing slogans such as 'This is New Bangladesh' and '36 July We Will Never Forget, We Will Never Forgive.' Many protesters have begun to call August 5 as 'July 36', a term coined to refer to the “extended period of resistance” that began on July 1.
     Large-scale and curfew-defying protests were also held at the square facing the TSC, the centrepiece of which is a famous mounted sculpture depicting a group of students with hands linked and marching together in a defiant posture.
     Called 'Shontrash Birodhi Raju Sharokh Bhashkorjo ('Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture'), it was erected in 1997 in memory of martyr Moin Hossain Raju and also in commemoration of the departed souls of other martyrs, reads a marble plaque embedded on its raised platform.
     Raju was a central leader of the Bangladesh Students' Union, who led an anti-terrorism procession of Ganatantric Chhatra Oikya (loosely translated as democratic students’ union) on March 13, 1992, in the Dhaka University campus.
     Made by sculptor Shyamal Chowdhury, Raju Memorial has become one of the defining images of the anti-government protests that brought down the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
     Artworks related to the murals hailing the resistance make visual reference to this memorial often depicting its silhouetted image.
     Post August 5, when the interim government had assumed office, the site recently bore witness to small protests by university students demanding “no political interference on campus” and early conduct of students' union elections.
     A music concert was held at the memorial -- located in a traffic roundabout -- on August 23 in aid of people affected by floods in Bangladesh.
     While the sculpture was lit up in colourful hues, two giant hoardings bearing slogans in Bengali flanked it forming an artistic backdrop. A band also played Bangla rap songs with lyrics recalling the anti-government protests that ousted the previous dispensation.
     The protests had reached a crescendo on August 5, when Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country, even as protesters had termed the fall of the government and her departure a “Day of Victory.”
     The Dhaka University campus is home to two more sculptures that have been integral to the resistance movements.
     A huge sculpture 'Shoparjito Shadhinota’ stands in an enclosed area opposite the TSC, marking the struggle and victory in the Liberation War of 1971.
     'Oporajeyo Bangla' is another sculptural artwork that stands in a nod to the 1971 war and celebrates the struggle for the creation of Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)