Fire on DU campus destroys 'face of fascism', 'dove of peace' motifs for Pohela Boishakh parade

Several motifs prepared for the "Barshabaran Ananda Shobhajatra", the traditional Bengali New Year’s parade, have been damaged after a fire broke out at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Dhaka University.

The fire, which broke out on Saturday morning, burnt down multiple symbolic art pieces, including the motif of the “face of fascism” and the “dove of peace”.

Azharul Islam, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, said that an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.

“The fire broke out at dawn, possibly around the time of Fajr prayers. We cannot comment on the cause yet. We’ll investigate and then share details. A meeting is scheduled at the university shortly.”

Organisers had earlier announced on Friday that this year’s parade would feature large, medium, and small motifs. Among the six large motifs, the “face of fascism” was planned to lead the parade. The female-faced effigy featured prominent fangs and two sharp horns atop its head.