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'Duronto' stays crippled

Tale of a damaged statue at Shishu Academy

SABRINA KARIM MURSHED
'Duronto,' the sculpture at Bangladesh Shishu Academy premises symbolising the exuberance and innocence of a child, has not been repaired even four months after it was damaged.
The bronze casting sculpture made through lost wax process, was already in a fragile state because of lack of maintenance, and was torn apart when a nor'wester lashed it.
It used to be a statue of a child running a ring-shaped wheel and a stick. But after the storm hit it, only a leg and the ring could be spotted on the pedestal. The remnants of the sculpture are kept on the rooftop of the academy building.
The Duronto was created in 1982 by sculptor Sultanul Islam. Originally, It was made of cement and placed at the centre of the front lawn of the academy.
In 1996, a group of fundamentalists took out their rage on it while protesting publication of a book 'Gyaner Kotha' by the Shishu Academy and completely destroyed it. The book had mentioned the names of Goutam
Buddha and Jesus Christ before Prophet Mohammed (sm) since it followed a chronological order in describing the birth of religions.
The sculpture was rebuilt in 1987 in bronze casting by Sultanul Islam and Enamul Haque.
Now, the Shishu Academy authorities want the sculptors to come forward and oversee the repair work.
"We can not do it on our own since this is a work of art," said Md. Feroz Salahuddin, Director of Shishu Academy.
Salahuddin admitted that they had hesitated at first when Islam estimated a cost of Tk. 50,000 to mend Duronto but were now prepared to go for it.
"When it was re-built in 1987, it cost us Tk 30,000. Although the expenditure will be nearly doubled this time, we are now ready to sanction the fund required by Islam and have already contacted him to start repairing Duronto," the director added.
The sculptor however contradicted Salahuddin's claim saying he hasn't received any formal letter from the academy concerning the repair work of Duronto. Islam also
informed that the bronze sculpture had cost more than Tk one lakh when it was re-built in 1987 and the academy only paid Tk 30,000 out of the total amount.
"There was a clause in the contract that said that if the expenditure exceeded Tk. 30,000, the remaining amount had to be paid by the sculptor. So I had to pay Tk. 70,000 from my pocket," said Islam.
Islam expressed his frustration at the mishandling of the sculpture by academy people. He said that they damaged it while moving Duronto from the front lawn to front of the porch.
"The hands, toe and the stick of the statue were broken. I had sent at least 30 letters to the authorities to do something about it but they never responded. Obviously, it became so weak that it broke down in the storm," said Islam.
The sculptor however said that we was willing to start mending the Duronto as soon as he received a formal letter from the Shishu Academy.