Staff Correspondent

The government will start a six-day exhibition at the National Museum Monday of the 188 artefacts that were meant for exhibition at France's Guimet Museum, a government official said.

"We have completed all preparations for the exhibition," cultural affairs secretary Sharful Alam told bdnews24.com Saturday.

The exhibition will include the 42 returned artefacts as well as the 146 relics whose shipment was cancelled to France, Alam said.

"The show will allow people the opportunity to view the valuable relics directly and there will not be any entry fee," the secretary said.

Cultural affairs adviser Rasheda K Choudhury will inaugurate the exhibition Monday at 3:00 pm, director general of the National Museum, Dr Samar Chandra Paul, told bdnews24.com.

"The exhibition will be open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, in accordance with the timings of the museum," he added.

A consignment of 42 artefacts returned home from France on Feb 23, after being sent for show at the Guimet Museum in Paris amid protests by local art lovers and conservationists who feared that replicas instead of originals would be returned to Bangladesh.

A second consignment of 146 cultural artefacts were packed ready for dispatch to Paris on Dec 21, but the government cancelled the latter shipment after two rare Vishnu statues went missing from the airport's cargo house.

The Guimet exhibition was cancelled due to the controversial events surrounding the relics for show.

The cultural affairs ministry said some 33,000 euros were spent on transportation and insurance in bringing back the relics.

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