The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

In the wake of strong criticism over the theft of 1,500-year-old two rare terracotta statues of Hindu god Vishnu, the government yesterday decided not to send the second consignment of 143 artefacts for exhibition in Guimet Museum in Paris.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Council of Advisers taking the "public sentiment into account."

The meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office, took the decision after thoroughly reviewing the situation involving the dispatch of the artefacts to France.

Besides, the meeting formed a high-powered inquiry committee with Cabinet Secretary as convener to investigate how two rare terracotta artefacts of Hindu god Vishnu were stolen from Zia International Airport after the second consignment of 145 artefacts in 13 crates were handed over to the Air France authorities.

Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein, Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser Dr Ayub Quadri, Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin, Acting Ambassador of France in Bangladesh, Inspector General of Police and relevant government high officials were present at the meeting.

After the Advisory Council's meeting it was told that the rest 145 artefacts would not be sent to France until and unless the matter relating to the missing of two statues of Hindu god Vishnu was resolved.

An official announcement said due to an unfortunate incident of theft of two artefacts from Zia International Airport early Saturday and because of complexity and taking into consideration the public sentiment that arose due to this incident the remaining artefacts would not be dispatched at this time.

The meeting decided that the Guimet Museum would be informed regretfully that it would not be possible to "go ahead with holding the exhibition of the items as planned."

In response to an invitation from Guimet Museum, the Bangladesh government had accepted the offer to showcase its rich cultural heritage in Paris in keeping with the usual practice of countries doing such displays.

In the morning the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in a letter to the National Museum authorities directed to bring the artefacts back from the Zia International Airport and kept those under their custody. Receiving the letter, high officials of the National Museum rushed to the airport and asked the Homebound shipment agency to unload the crates from the Air France cargo flight on the runway. Accordingly, the Homebound authorities unloaded 12 crates of artefacts from the Air France cargo aircraft on the runway. Afterward the artefacts were examined by the National Museum officials in presence of the officials of police, RAB and other agencies at the airport. Later, the artefacts were sent to the National Museum at Shahbagh in the city.

Police also launched a nationwide hunt and sought help from Interpol to retrieve the stolen antiquities after detaining 15 people in connection with a criminal case filed with the Biman Bandar Police Station by a senior official of the National Museum.

Earlier, the first consignment of 42 artefacts in 10 boxes was sent to France for exhibition in Guimet Museum in Paris on December 1. The second consignment of 147 artefacts was being sent after the Supreme Court cleared the legal roadblocks.

It is learnt that though the shipment of the second consignment of 143 artefacts has been cancelled by the government, the first consignment of 42 artefacts which have already been sent to France will be exhibited as usual at Guimet Museum in Paris.

On Saturday last, 13 crates containing 147 artefacts were handed over to Air France authorities after completing customs formalities.

Police said soon after the crates were loaded in the aircraft, it was found that one crate containing two statues were missing. The missing crate was later found empty in a ditch near the runway of the airport.

The government formed a five-member inquiry committee to investigate the theft of the statues and submit its findings by December 26.

The Embassy of France in Dhaka is likely to hold a press conference on Thursday to explain the French government position on the Bangladesh government decision.