The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

No decision was taken to bring 42 artefacts back from France at the meeting of Council of Advisers yesterday.

With Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, the meeting of the Council of Advisers was held at the Chief Adviser's Office in the city.

At the meeting, Cultural Affairs Adviser Ayub Quadri apprised the Council of Advisers about the latest situation concerning the missing artefacts supposed to be sent to Paris for exhibition and the steps taken by the government in this regard.

Forty-two artefacts in 10 cartons were shipped to France on December 1 for exhibition at the Guimet Museum in Paris.

Two seventh century relics-statues of Lord Vishnu-were found missing, while the second consignment of 145 artefacts were to be shipped out in 13 crates on December 22.

Meanwhile, police have been conducting a massive hunt for the last four days in different parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka to recover the two 1500-year-old rare terracotta statues of Hindu god Vishnu.

However, police could not make any headway in their investigation into the recovery of the statues till last night although four days have already been passed after the incident.

The 15 suspects, including the officials of Air France and Homebound courier service and airport ground handling operators who were arrested following the theft incident from the airport and later placed on a five-day remand are now being interrogated at the Taskforce Intelligence Cell.

Apart from police, officials of different intelligence agencies are interrogating them.

Sources at the police administration said they would interrogate the owner of Homebound courier services which was responsible for shipment of the stolen statues at ZIA.

Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed said they were examining information divulged by the suspects.

He said police also inquiring about the people who might have involved in the theft incident.

Besides, the Interpol was already contacted about the stolen statues. It is learnt that Interpol sought information about the stolen statues from the Bangladesh Police before launching a formal investigation. A senior police official told The New Nation yesterday that they had already sent necessary information about the missing statues to the Paris-based Interpol.

Samar Chandra Pal, Director General of Bangladesh National Museum, said 12 crates of artifacts which were brought back from the Zia International Airport on Tuesday have been kept in the National Museum under stringent security measures. No decision has so far been taken about these artifacts.

Failing to retrieve the lost relics, the government decided on Tuesday not to send the remaining artefacts abroad, and bring them back from Air France authorities to the National Museum.

A high-powered committee headed by the cabinet secretary was formed Tuesday to investigate and report fully on the incident within three workdays.