Bangladesh launches hunt for stolen antiques

DHAKA (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh have begun a massive search to recover two rare archaeological artifacts stolen from Dhaka airport, officials said on Monday.

The two statues of Hindu God Vishnu, sculpted some 1,500 years ago, were stolen while being loaded on a Paris bound flight on Saturday, amid a protest by art lovers and conservers of rare artifacts.

The stolen objects were among items being sent to France under an agreement for exhibition at the Guimet Museum in Paris, officials said.

The shipment was stopped after detection of the theft.

Police said they detained 12 suspects and were interrogating them.

"Law enforcing agencies including police and the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have launched a coordinated drive to recover the artifacts," Hassan Mahmood Khandker, director-general of RAB, told Reuters.

The art lovers had protested against the shipment as they were worried artifacts might be stolen.

"Our suspicion has come true," said Serajul Islam Choudhury, a former professor of Dhaka University.

"We still believe we are going to be cheated if we send those artifacts," he said.

The exhibition is due to be held in Paris early next year.

"France condemns such acts of stealing the valuable masterpieces in the strongest terms," Jean Romnicianu, Charge d'affaires of the France embassy in Dhaka, told Reuters on Monday.

"It is obviously an important loss and we have no doubt that fast, decisive and efficient measures will lead to finding the criminals," he said.

One consignment was already shipped to Paris and the theft occurred when a second was being loaded for the flight.

(Reporting by Masud Karim; Writing by Nizam Ahmed; Editing by Jerry Norton)