The mural of poet Rabindranath Tagore in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia district has been restored after miscreants blotted it with black ink.

In addition to cleaning the mural, the name’s spelling has also been fixed.

An artist worked on the restoration from noon until the afternoon on Friday, according to Assistant Commissioner (Land) of the Upazila Vijay Kumar Joardar.

Upon receiving the information, a team, including an artist, visited the site that morning, and started the restoration efforts in the afternoon, Joardar added.

"After receiving the information, we visited the site that same night. No written complaint has been filed so far," said Md Solaiman Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali Police Station.

"The act may have occurred during the Eid holiday. The image and writing have now been restored. A thorough investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken," said SM Mikail Islam, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer.

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The incident came to light on Thursday night when a photo of the defaced mural, showing the black ink, spread on social media, sparking outrage among Tagore’s followers.

But, the identities of those responsible for the act and the exact time and place of occurrence have not yet been determined.

The mural is located at the entrance to Kumarkhali in the Zilapitala area along the Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway.

Local residents expressed concerns that the mural had been neglected for some time, with its paint faded and CCTV cameras non-functional.

They pointed out the lack of administrative oversight, which they believe contributed to the incident.

Liton Abbas, a local poet and writer, commented, "Erasing the ink alone isn’t enough. We need to uncover who did this and why. The real culprits must be identified and held accountable."