Lady Justice statue removed from Bangladesh court complex
NEW DELHI — A statue of Lady Justice was removed from Bangladesh’s Supreme Court premises under tight security after Islamist hard-liners pressed for its removal, the sculptor said Friday.
The statue of a woman holding a scale and sword in her hands was installed in December outside the court building. The woman is wrapped in a sari, a Bangladeshi revision of the usual representation, the Greek goddess Themis blindfolded and clad in a gown.
Some people protested late Thursday night near the court premises when workers removed the sculpture. The statue was covered and was kept nearby afterward.
Islamists oppose idol worship and consider the Lady Justice statue anti-Islamic. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a recent meeting with Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam that she did not like the statue.