Jamaat-e-Islami made the same demand after the prime minister said that suggested that it be covered during prayers at the adjacent National Eidgah. Hefazat, who dubbed the statue an “anti-Islamic idol,” approached the prime minister and the chief justice with their demand on February 14. A group of religious scholars, including Hefazat chief Shah Ahmad Shafi, raised the demand at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban on April 11. The premier later said that the statue should be shifted to a different spot inside the court premises, and hoped that the chief justice would consider the matter. Several ministers and senior Awami League leaders also told the media that the chief justice was the person to take the decision.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 04, 2017 12:33 UTC