Dhaka, May 28 (PTI): Bangladesh today reinstalled the statue of a Greek goddess clad in a sari, taken down from outside the Supreme Court building after religious hardliners deemed it "un-Islamic", at a different location on the premises.

The sculpture of Themis - the goddess of justice - had been in place for less than six months when it was removed on Friday after Islamist groups claimed it hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Sculptor Mrinal Haque, who had engraved the statue, supervised the reinstallation process that began yesterday and was completed today.

Hifazat-e Islam, Olama League and several other Islamist organisations have been demanding the removal of the statue. Radical Islamist group Hifazat-e-Islam had targeted the statue since its erection in December, saying it did not reflect the culture of the Muslims in Bangladesh, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

"I wasn't given any clarification but was only ordered to relocate it," Haque had said.

The statue, which is not of the Greek goddess but a Bengali woman, has ruffled feathers in Bangladesh, with hardliners staging massive protests in recent months. According to the hardliners, the statue, a variation on the Greek goddess Themis, goes against Islam, the report had said.

Police had used tear gas and water cannons as protests mounted after the statue was removed two days ago.