Editorial
Ayub Quadri's dignified move
A thorough investigation into the scandal must go on
The resignation of Education and Culture Adviser Ayub Quadri in the face of an outcry over the theft of two archaeological artefacts from ZIA is surely a welcome response to public sentiment. By acknowledging his overall responsibility, as the man at the top of the culture ministry, for the scandal and deciding to send in his resignation to the president, Quadri has done a commendable deed. In a country where voluntary resignation from high office is a rare occurrence, indeed where individuals in positions of power and privilege are generally all too ready to pass the buck on to someone else, Quadri's decision to quit reinforces our belief in the ability and moral courage of some, if not all, of our influential men to act in the larger interest of the nation without any thought to their own short term welfare. There was dignity in his action.
We have now been informed that the Rapid Action Battalion has managed to track down the artefact thieves. The confessions of the men to the effect that they may have destroyed the antiques and dumped them at different spots only make us sadder. We hope that despite this bad news, efforts will be made to collect the fragments of the artefacts and return them to the national museum. The theft of the precious artefacts, so integral a part of Bangladesh's history, even before they were shipped to France as part of a cultural exhibition came as a rude shock to all of us. That should make the authorities bear in mind that despite the resignation of the adviser, who should have been more responsive to public concerns on the issue, it is extremely important that the investigation into the scandal go on. How the artefacts were registered as general cargo is a question to which we all need an answer. The parties involved should be taken to task. At the same time, the matter of lax security at the cargo park at ZIA, where the artefacts lay prior to their scheduled flight to Paris, quite boggles the mind.
It has now become obvious how precarious our administrative measures are regarding the security of historical artefacts. It is small wonder then that allegations of the theft of other artefacts in the past now appear to have much credibility about them, that indeed corruption has been instrumental in the smuggling out of such items.
Finally, we are constrained to say that the government did a bungling job of the whole affair. Of course, the deal on the Guimet exhibition was made by the previous government, but it was the responsibility of the incumbent administration to uphold public interests. It ought not to have sent off the first consignment of artefacts in what amounted to secrecy. This time round too, as has now become apparent, the authorities handled the matter in equal secrecy and so ended up in a bad mess. We trust a lesson has been learnt and that a thorough investigation will be held revealing how we came to this mess.
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