BANGLADESH, May 8, 2001: Bangladesh police have increased security at cultural centers connected with Rabindranath Tagore, the revered author and poet. Authorities fear the centers may be subjected to bomb attacks. Tuesday is the 140th anniversary of the birth of Tagore, whose largely secular legacy of poems and song stir great emotion in Bangladesh. The government accuses hardline Islamic groups of demonstrating their intolerance against Bengali culture by instigating a series of bomb attacks over the the last two years at cultural festivals. The recent attacks have fueled the debate about the country’s future, whether Bangladesh will assume a more overtly Islamic character or whether it will continue to take pride in secular Bengali culture and tradition.
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