The ancestral home of Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, known as Rabindra Kacharibari, was attacked and damaged by a mob in Bangladesh’s Sirajganj district on Tuesday. The attack came after a fight between a visitor and staff over a motorcycle parking fee on June 8, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

The mob vandalised several parts of the historic building, including the auditorium, doors, windows, and furniture. The incident caused public anger and led to a strong response from Indian political leaders. BJP MP Sambit Patra called the attack “a premeditated attack” by radical groups Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.

After the attack, the authorities closed the museum and formed a three-member committee to investigate. A case has been filed against 50–60 people, including 10 named individuals, according to The Daily Star newspaper.

Altercation over parking fee sparks huge backlash

On June 8, Shah Newaz, a Bangladeshi expatriate visiting the Rabindra Kacharibari with his family, got into a dispute with staff at the museum gate. He had paid for an entry ticket and motorcycle parking, but he was reportedly not given a receipt. When asked to show the receipt by another staff member, an argument broke out. According to the United News of Bangladesh, Newaz was then taken into an office and allegedly beaten by staff and the museum’s custodian.

Reports in New Age claimed that Newaz was locked in a room and physically assaulted. He was later rescued by some local leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The incident angered many locals, who formed a human chain on Tuesday in protest.

Later that day, a mob attacked the Rabindra Kacharibari, ransacking its auditorium and damaging other parts of the building. The museum’s director was also reportedly assaulted during the attack.

Museum temporarily closed, probe underway

The museum, which is a popular cultural site in Shahzadpur upazila, was built as an estate home by Rabindranath Tagore’s family and was visited by the poet many times. It is now run as a memorial and museum.

Following the vandalism, the Department of Archaeology formed a committee to investigate and asked it to submit a report within five days. Museum custodian Mohammad Habibur Rahman said the site has been temporarily closed due to “unavoidable circumstances”. The situation is being monitored closely by officials.

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