Editorial

I normally try hard to avoid paying attention to Dhaka University (DU), where I had the [mis]fortune to study for five years, let alone ask other people to pay attention to it. But recent developments compel me to break my personal rule. Rabindranath Tagore came to my campus and he is in distress.

The entire situation is steeped in thick layers of irony. A sculpture of the great poet was erected as a statement for freedom of speech, with his mouth taped off and a bleeding nail hammered through a copy of the Geetanjali in his hands. However, university authorities dismantled the sculpture overnight, and parts of it were strewn throughout campus. The latest news when this piece was being written is that some students recovered the damaged head and other parts to erect the sculpture again, with Tagore's head inclined to the left this time, in supposed protest.

Understanding Bangladesh's politics, and how students constantly shape it with their voice and activism is a difficult prospect. The recent events at DU does a good job encapsulating it all. The fact that it's happening in February just adds to the irony.