Dhaka – Defending the removal of the statue from the Supreme Court premises, Law Minister Anisul Huq on Saturday said it was not the real representation of Greek goddess Themis. UNB news reported
“This was not the real copy of Greek goddess Themis. It’ll be a distortion if it is represented to the next generation. We don’t want to distort any history,” Anisul said.
The minister was talking to reporters after attending a programme arranged by Progya, a non-government organisation, at Cirdap auditorium in the city, marking World No Tobacco Day.
“Actually, respect was shown to Islam and other religions by removing the statue from the Supreme Court premises,” he said.
Asked whether the country’s image has got tarnished with the removal of the statue, the minister said, “No, it didn’t.”
“We had earlier said it was the Chief Justice (CJ) who has the authority to remove the statue. The removal process was done according to the CJ’s decision,” Anisul said.
Earlier, the minister handed over prizes to journalists for their anti-tobacco reporting.
Mentioning that tobacco and smoking are severely endangering the public health, Anisul said Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a convention of World Health Organisation (WHO) to control tobacco, has to be implemented to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh.
“We’re committed to building a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040 as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s declaration,” Anisul added.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique and executive director of Progga ABM Jubayer were, among others, present at the programme.
