Rabindranath Tagore mural defaced at Khulna Railway Station

A mural of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was defaced with black ink on the boundary wall of the Khulna Railway Station in Bangladesh. The incident occurred on a Friday afternoon, though local police noted that closed businesses nearby made it difficult to determine the exact timing or identity of the perpetrators.

The murals, which were commissioned by the Khulna City Corporation ahead of a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, featured various cultural and historical themes, including the Sundarbans and the 2024 July uprising. While the wall included portraits of several prominent figures, such as Kazi Nazrul Islam and Fakir Lalon Shah, only the portrait of Tagore was targeted.

Local authorities and cultural activists have expressed outrage. KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju condemned the act, while cultural activist Shariful Islam Salim suggested the vandalism might be the work of an organized group, noting similar incidents have reportedly occurred in Dhaka.