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Missing statues: Bangladesh seeks Interpol probe

DHAKA: The Bangladesh police have requested Interpol to enquire into the two stolen rare terracotta statues of Hindu God Vishnu as the authorities ordered transfer of 143 invaluable artefacts to the national museum from the Dhaka airport where they were taken for airlifting to France.

Interpol was already contacted about the stolen statues, said a top police official as a massive hunt continued for the last three days to recover the rare cultural items. The statues were found missing from the airport’s high-security zone on Saturday as they were about to be airlifted to Paris.

An Air France aircraft was waiting in the airport to transport the artefacts through the Homebound Courier Services which trucked 145 relics in 13 cartons to the airport to be put on display at the Guimet Museum in the French capital early next year. The artefacts were part of 188 rare cultural items being sent for an exhibition on Bangladesh history and culture. There was a major national protest that the artefacts might not be returned in original.

In the face of persistent protest by senior citizens and art lovers and a legal battle, the Bangladesh authorities earlier sent 42 artefacts to Paris for the exhibition. The second consignment of 147 artefacts was on their way after the Supreme Court cleared the legal roadblocks.

The Bangladesh National Museum authorities said that some unidentified thieves stole the two statues from the airport early Saturday from the custody of French officials.

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