Rabindranath Tagore graffiti in Dhaka defaced with black ink, four held

Police in Dhaka have detained four people for questioning after a wall mural of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was smeared with black ink outside the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The defacement took place in Dhaka's Segunbagicha neighbourhood, triggering a disturbance at the site before officers intervened. Dhaka Metropolitan Police confirmed the detentions on Saturday, stating that those held were being interrogated over the vandalism and the disruption that followed.

"Police have detained four people for questioning after black ink was smeared on graffiti of Rabindranath Tagore and a disturbance occurred at the site," said Akthar Hossain, deputy commissioner and spokesperson for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Who was detained over the Tagore graffiti

Among those taken into custody was ANM Ayas, the member secretary of the Rashtra Sanglap Forum, also known as the State Dialogue Forum. According to Sub-Inspector Abdul Khaleq, a duty officer at Shahbagh Police Station, officers picked up Ayas outside the academy around midday after he allegedly attempted to erase the portrait.

Ayas was initially taken to Shahbagh Police Station before being transferred to the Detective Branch at around 1:30pm for deeper questioning. Investigators told reporters later that evening that interrogations were continuing and that authorities had not yet settled on whether formal criminal charges would be filed.

Police have not yet named the other three individuals held at the scene or detailed their specific connection to Ayas.

What was the mural project in Segunbagicha

The defaced portrait was not an isolated piece of street art. It formed part of an official public beautification drive led by the Dhaka South City Corporation, designed to reclaim pedestrian spaces along the perimeter wall of the national academy of fine and performing arts.

On 5 October, municipal workers cleared the Segunbagicha pavement of encroachments and street vendors. To prevent illegal occupations from returning, the city corporation repaired the boundary wall, installed litter bins, and put up benches for passers-by. The municipal administrator, Abdus Salam, formally opened the refreshed stretch.

As part of the project, artists painted portraits of ten prominent figures who shaped Bengali culture, literature, and art onto the boundary wall. Alongside Tagore, the wall includes national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, mystic songwriter Fakir Lalon Shah, pioneering painters Zainul Abedin and SM Sultan, film director Zahir Raihan, folk musician Shah Abdul Karim, actor Humayun Faridi, social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Authorities have not said whether the damaged portrait of Tagore has been restored or if additional security measures will be deployed along the wall to protect the remaining murals.