Our treasures are already being stolen before their departure, so we can be rest assured what to expect. Please read the rest….
Sincerely,
Arham Chowdhury
arham chowdhury <arhamhch@yahoo.com> wrote:
To: arhamhch@yahoo.com
From: arham chowdhury <arhamhch@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 08:26:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [banglaart] Fwd: FW: [shahidulnews] A Flag Fails to Flutter
To: "'arham chowdhury'" <arhamhch@yahoo.com>
Subject: FW: [shahidulnews] A Flag Fails to Flutter
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:07:10 +0600
-----Original Message-----
From: shahidulnews-bounces@drik- amsterdam- 01.drik.net
[mailto:shahidulnews-bounces@ drik-amsterdam- 01.drik.net] On Behalf Of
Shahidul Alam
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 1:13 PM
To: shahidulnews@drik-amsterdam- 01.drik.net
Subject: [shahidulnews] A Flag Fails to Flutter
http://shahidul.wordpress. com/2007/ 12/22/
Stop Press: 1:40 am December 22. 2007
Emergency meeting reportedly underway at ministry of culture. Uproar
at Zia International Airport. Remaining consignment not being shipped
as it is incomplete. More than one crate may be missing.
Earlier reports state that the Air France cargo flight arrived late.
The crates were waiting for the craft. However while loading one of
the thirteen crates was found to be missing. Later the empty crate was
found outside the North Western perimeter of the airport grounds in a
residential area.
Intelligence sources wishing to be unnamed have confirmed that at
least one crate has gone missing.
Update 11:25 am. Unconfirmed
There were 13 crates containing 145 pieces. several crates were
totally empty (five are said to be empty, but this does not tally with
subsequent figures), and one crate is still missing.
When the French embassy was contacted at 1:30 in the morning, they
said the remaining 11 crates should be sent. 9 crates had already been
uploaded to the plane, the joint forces seized these remaining crates,
all Ansars (a lightly armed auxiliary force that assists the police in
maintaining law and order) were arrested. Mr. Jahangir Alam of the
National Museum and Mr. Zakaria of Varendra Research Museum and all
supervisors have also been arrested.
--------------------- --------- --------- --------- -------
It was a bad day for cows.
But the Bangladesh government had a supreme sacrifice in mind. When
the most prized of your possessions needed to be sacrificed, and when
the gods have changed to western powers, the four-legged creatures
simply wouldn't do. The nation's most prized archaeological
possessions were therefore bundled away in Homebound chariots to
distant museums. The door to heaven's gate might not have opened, but
a Schengen visa and perhaps a few trips to Paris for some, had surely
been assured.
It was well timed. The Eid holidays meant there would be no newspapers
for two days. Most reporters would be away. The streets of Dhaka would
be empty. Holidays meant there was no rush. No pesky public to worry
about at opening hours. Still one needed to be sure. Bus no Dhaka Jo
11 1767, was on standby with riot police. The police jeep Dhaka Jo 11
4364 followed behind. Then the media that got in the way. With so many
Eid events to cover, why had they gathered round the national museum?
The sanctity of sacrifice should surely have been respected.
Reinforcements in the form of another busload of riot police came in
via bus number Dhaka Jo 14 1799.
Aisha had come with her parents to visit the museum. Like many others
they were turned away. The museum was closed, at least to the public.
The Eid holidays of museum officials had however been cancelled. The
shippers were working overtime.
Police and plainclothes intelligence officials were present in
abundance, their riot gear jarring with the bright new clothes of
Dhakaites. Then it took another turn. Spitting and booing had failed
to stop the Homebound trucks earlier. This time the protesters changed
tack. Chains were put on the gate of the national museum. Visions of
the Chipko Resistance sprang to mind. In place of burglars breaking
in, the comic view of government officials breaking their way out of
the national museum to escape with museum valuables would have brought
laughter in a trirotno drama (popular Bangladeshi sitcom). In the
theatre of Bangladeshi governance, it was yet another tragedy.
"The benefits, for both countries, are cultural: it is a win-win
situation where France gains a better knowledge of Bangladeshi
heritage and Bangladesh gains a better image on the international
cultural scene," the French embassy handout had clarified.
The partially demolished Rangs building continues to be a grave for
the buried Bangladeshi workers far down the priority chain.
Presumably, that is a 'Bangladeshi heritage' the Parisians will not
get to see.
The last time round, they had been playing one of my favourite Bhupen
Hajarika songs. This time there was no music, and no one was smiling.
Even the Bangladeshi flag failed to flutter on this Eid day.
--
Shahidul Alam
Drik Picture Library Ltd.
http://shahidul.wordpress. com
www.drik.net
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