[MSN] The Musee Guimet affair: Part Deux. (Last week we reported about the bloggers reactions on the controversies surrounding the exhibition of the masterpieces of Ganges in Musée Guimet of France from the collections of the Bangladesh museums.)

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The Musee Guimet affair: Part Deux
a small portrait of this author
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 @ 16:51 UTC
by Rezwan

Links and images: 
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/01/03/the-musee-guimet-affair-part-de
ux/

Last week we reported about the bloggers reactions on the controversies
surrounding the exhibition of the masterpieces of Ganges in Musée Guimet of
France from the collections of the Bangladesh museums.

The apprehensions of the art lovers who were protesting the unclear
processes of sending the artifacts including their fear of loss, theft,
replication, even accident (on the way) came true as on Dec 22, one of the
13 crates in the 2nd shipment of artifacts to Musée Guimet in Paris vanished
from the tarmac of ZIA International Airport, Dhaka.

Today we bring to you latest on the issue.

Shafiur of Imperfect | world | 2008 reports:

    Ah yes the bumbling and incompetent Inspector Clouseau must have been in
charge of the precious bits and pieces at Zia Airport the other day when the
nation’s heritage was under the care of Air France. Two priceless pieces
have gone walkies. And the rest have been returned to the national museum as
the powers that be finally resolved to not send the stuff to the Guimet in
Paris. As I said in an earlier post, this whole thing at the Guimet lacked
process even apparently the final decision to send them according to the New
Nation.

    And amazingly, Ayub Quadri, the education and cultural adviser to the
inappropriately named “caretaker” government, is mulling resignation. I
guess he is hoping Monsieur Clouseau will find the priceless Vishnu
artefacts and save his skin.

    Meanwhile I reckon Inspector Clouseau’s spokesman has started the damage
limitation exercise at the French embassy in Dhaka. They reckon the whole
thing was “highly suspicious.” Mon dieu! Yes it gets better. And they are
effectively blaming those people who objected to the exhibition for the
theft! This is a quote from their press release:

    ‘’… could also be the result of a conspiracy by a very small nexus of
people to embarass France and Bangladesh.'’

Although according to the agreement the transport of the artefacts were
responsibility of borrower (i.e. the French authorities) there were lapses
in securities as a local news source reports:

    Homebound, the shipping agent hired by France, had declared the 145
artefacts awaiting shipment to Paris as ‘general cargo’, leading to the
crates being left unattended for three hours on the tarmac and the theft of
two Vishnu statues.

Meanwhile grapevines (as not supported by a second source) kept appearing in
the media:

    A confirmed source told Weekly Blitz that the authorities of Guimet
Museum is now looking into legal aspects of holding the whole batch of first
consignment of artifacts sent from Bangladesh for, what Guimet says, non
performance of the contractual obligation of the authorities in Dhaka in
sending the second consignment of artifacts.

Further reports in a Bangla blog (Chemical Ali) quoting a museum official
suggest [bn]:

    “the French officials requested Bangladesh national museum officials to
quote the value of the artifacts lower so that insurance value becomes lower
and promised that they will carefully handle them. The Bangladeshi museum
officials were also lured with the chance to visit France along with the
artifacts which made them co-operate.”

Arup at Sachalayatan posts an interview which tells that the French
authorities have opened the first lot of the artifacts without the presence
of the accompanying Bangladeshi officials, which is the due process.


And finally everybody loses as broken pieces of the two 1500 year old relics
were found in a dump yard in the outskirts of Dhaka city. Apparently the
petty thieves were trying to cover up their crime and could not handle the
hunt on them.

   …
    That day you showed your outburst of anger to the media and some
protestors ignoring diplomatic etiquettes. Because we are a poor country,
does that give you the right to say anything at your will and we should
digest that?

    No I have not come to talk about that. Keeling down before a hated man
like you, I want to say something… Please take away all the archaeological
artifacts from Bangladesh as soon as possible. Please keep those which were
already sent to you. We have protested a lot on the apprehension of theft.
But what good it did to us? Some people of this country had stolen a 300
Year BC artifact on the notion that its a consignment of mobile phones and
later broke them into pieces and dumped them. The people of this country do
not deserve to protect their priceless assets. We are condemned sons and
daughters of this country. So let these objects go to you, the colonialists.
You can be colonialist, but can value and respect the history and tradition.
Please take them away, still we will be happy to know that they are safe.

A French Blog Rue89 reports the incident in their post titled “Vishnu
disparu au Bangladesh, le musée Guimet ébranlé” (Vishnu disappeared in
Bangladesh, the Musée Guimet shaken ). A commenter -”Illusion
(archaeologist)” aptly points out [fr]:

    Si la situation a escaladé ces derniers mois, c’est aussi parce que les
organisateurs n’ont pas réagi avec doigté aux remarques qui leur étaient
faites, forts qu’ils étaient d’avoir le support du gouvernement bangladais
(et probablement surpris qu’on puisse contester l’organisation d’une telle
exposition), mais il serait faux, comme on a tenté de le faire croire, que
ce mouvement est uniquement une critique exercée par des opposants au
gouvernement en place à Dhaka. Parmi les opposants, il y a des archéologues,
..

    Machine Translation:
    If the situation has escalated in recent months, it is also because the
organizers did not react sensitively to the comments that were made, they
were strong to have the support of the government of Bangladesh (and
probably surprised that we can challenge the organization of such an
exhibition), but it would be wrong, as it tried to have us believe that this
movement is only a review carried out by government opponents in place in
Dhaka. Among the opponents, there are archaeologists, art historians,
university professors and it is insulting them than to eliminate out of hand
the criticism they have made. It's true that the government of Bangladesh
has made mistakes, but France took advantage. The opposition is not an
opposition to the principle of the exhibition but is based fundamentally on
the choice of objects.
    …..
    Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, it is true, but nevertheless,
it is the Bengalis' countries (Bangladesh), and they are extremely aware of
their past and their culture. They are respectful of their ancestors and
their achievements and do not expect the West to shed light on this matter,
but it might actually help by supporting educational projects, or training
(what Guimet tried to offering training museology), or by sharing our
knowledge on the restoration, conservation, and so on. — But only if they
apply: nothing is worse than being allowed to believe “help” when in fact,
it does impose its own vision of the world.

    And finally, knowing also retire at the right time: we are no longer the
“blessed time of the settlements”, but unfortunately have bad habits die
hard. Exhibitions of this kind we are happy, but we must not forget that we
eat at this time of the culture that is not ours, and for which we do often
than condescension. Let's hear another on the spot and accept that his
vision of the world can be radically different from ours.

Since the beginning of the process French diplomatic pressure was acute on
Bangladesh. The adviser (minister equivalent) of the cultural ministry had
taken responsibility and resigned. Times Online reports that it had created
a diplomatic rift between Bangladesh and France. The president of the Musée
Guimet had expressed his opinion in “Le Monde” as “écœuré” (nauseating) and
ofcourse blamed the Bangladeshi authorities keeping mum about their lack of
processes.

Today's latest news is that the Bangladesh ambassador to France has died of
Brain hemorrhage. Close acquaintances say he was under a tremendous pressure
for this affair. France may have had lost some amount of money in this
debacle but Bangladesh had to pay dearly, all in priceless objects.


Links and images: 
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/01/03/the-musee-guimet-affair-part-de
ux/