Who harmed Novera's figure?

Test report submitted in 2020, however no activity taken against the people who destroyed well known show-stopper

Over three years have passed since a conspicuous figure by eminent stone worker Novera Ahmed was harmed inside Bangladesh National Museum. Be that as it may, despite the fact that such a lot of time has elapsed, culprits behind the occurrence are yet to be brought under regulation.

Fighting the public authority's inaction, individuals from a preservation panel entrusted with safeguarding Novera's models have kept their works suspended from that point forward.

In the midst of such a circumstance, voices of Novera's admirers are getting stronger, requesting prompt strides from the public authority to end the stop.

Considered one of the primary pioneer stone workers of the country, Novera Ahmed has 43 of her manifestations safeguarded at Bangladesh National Museum. Of them, 41 are very old.

With an intend to save these figures, specialists of the exhibition hall framed a four-part preservation board of trustees in 2015, with Prof Lala Rukh Selim of Dhaka University's Department of Sculpture in charge.

Photograph: Collected

That very year, the advisory group kicked off the venture and finished works for 35 models by 2018.

"The excess six models are very enormous in size, with various breaks on them that created throughout the long term," said panel part Nasimul Khabir, right hand teacher of the office.

"We figured the breaks could escalate assuming we lead the works under the open sky," he said, adding that to this end they were taken to the exhibition hall's protection research facility.

"Temperature should be kept at a specific level to deal with figures like this. Be that as it may, one day in June, 2018, the climate control system of the research facility abruptly left request," said Nasimul.

"Notwithstanding rehashed demands, the historical center specialists didn't fix it, and we would not work without forced air systems," he informed.

A couple of months after the fact, council individuals went to the research facility and figured out one specific model - - named Poribar - - was misshaped and harmed, as somebody or a gathering led unsanctioned preservation work on the significant piece.

Recently known as "Cow and Two Figures", the model is a huge creation throughout the entire existence of the country's innovator chiseling, Nasimul said.

"We don't have the foggiest idea who got it done. It was managed without assent from the preservation panel, and we've chosen to suspend our work from that point onward. We request discipline of those included, and we won't continue our work until this is done," said council head Lala Rukh.

"In the event that the culprits are saved, they might harm more figures thusly," she told The Daily Star as of late.

To explore the issue, the historical center specialists framed a test body, headed by the gallery's then legal administrator expansive president Hasem Khan.

The test body began examinations in January 2019 and presented its report in January 2020.

It observed the redesign chips away at the "Poribar" mold was finished disregarding rules, which prompted causing harm to the figure, said Prof Nisar Hosain, an individual from the test board.

The test panel additionally suggested making a move against those liable for the occurrence, said Nisar, likewise senior member of DU's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Nonetheless, the report and its proposals are yet to appear, as no move has been made up to this point, claimed protection board part Nasimul.

In the interim, conversing with The Daily Star, numerous individuals from Dhaka University Sculpture Alumni Association requested that the public authority make a quick move against those included.

Reached, exhibition hall chief General Khondoker Mostafizur Rahman said he has hardly any insight into the issue quite well, as it occurred before he joined the post.

He additionally guaranteed to promptly investigate the matter.