'We hold Rabindranath Tagore in highest esteem': Bangladesh arrests two over poet's house attack; says his contribution deeply revered

Bangladesh's foreign ministry on Friday released a statement on the recent mob attack that vandalised the ancestral home of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the Sirajganj district of Bangladesh.The ministry detailed the actions taken by the administration. "Following the incident, a criminal case had already been filed with the local police on 10th June. Two persons have also been arrested in this connection. A local inquiry board has been formed by the district administration. Appropriate legal actions are being taken by the local authorities," the statement read.The ministry further affirmed that Bangladesh honoured and respected Rabindranath Tagore for his remarkable contributions to the country’s cultural heritage.

It emphasised that both the government and the people of Bangladesh would continue to cherish his legacy. The press release also said that there was no place in the country for any attempts to stir conflict or spread negativity regarding the poet or his legacy.

A mob attacked and vandalised the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district, on Wednesday. Tagore's ancestral house is situated in Shahzadpur in Rajshahi division, Kachharibari.

It is also the revenue office of the Tagore family. Rabindranath Tagore created many of his literary works while living in this mansion.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday strongly condemned the vandalism. The MEA called it a “despicable” and “violent” act that dishonours the memory of Tagore and the inclusive values he stood for.Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal chief ministerMamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to raise the matter with Bangladesh and ask the neighbouring country to "swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous and mindless act."