[Reader-list] BREAKING: Bangladesh Court Blocks Second Shipment To France

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

France-bound relics run into legal snags
	
Thu, Dec 6th, 2007 11:40 pm BdST
Dhaka, Dec 6 (bdnews24.com) – The High Court Thursday asked the
government to keep up the restrictions until Jan 15 on sending
archeological relics to France for display in a museum.

The HC bench of justices SK Sinha and ATM Fazle Kabir made the ruling
after an appeal filed by archeologist Nurul Islam.

Nurul Islam filed a case in October with the Joint District Judges'
Court for Dhaka against the decision of sending Bangladeshi artifacts
Bangladesh to France.

On Nov 29, he appealed to the same court seeking a ban on sending the
relics. The court, however, did not hear the appeal, prompting Nurul
Islam to file a revision case with the HC.

The artifacts were due to be sent for an exhibition at Guimet Museum
in France that started on Oct 24. The show ends in March.

Barrister Amir-ul Islam who joined the hearing of the case on behalf
of Nurul Islam said the state is responsible for protection of
national assets in line with the constitution.

"The assets cannot be destroyed. According to law, the sender of such
assets must hold a licence, but the cultural affairs ministry does not
have one," he said.

Barrister Moniruzaman Asad assisted Amir-ul Islam in the hearing.

He told bdnews24.com that the government had already sent a shipment
of artifacts. A second consignment was waiting for shipment, which now
ran to legal hurdles because of the fresh court order.