Dhaka University embroiled in row over controversial portraits display

Dhaka University has become the center of a contentious debate after portraits of Pakistan's founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah and a former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami were displayed on campus, drawing sharp reactions from different student groups and academic circles.

The photographs, whose placement and context remain disputed, have triggered discussions about the university's institutional values and the appropriateness of certain historical figures being commemorated within the campus. Student organizations have expressed differing viewpoints on the matter, with some questioning the relevance of displaying images of these figures at the premier Bangladeshi educational institution.

The controversy reflects ongoing tensions within Bangladeshi academia regarding how historical and political figures should be remembered and represented. The incident comes at a time when universities across South Asia continue to grapple with questions of institutional memory and the portrayal of complex historical personalities.

University authorities have yet to make an official statement on the display or indicate whether the photographs will be relocated or removed. The row highlights the sensitive nature of historical commemoration in educational spaces, particularly when figures have contested legacies spanning multiple nations and ideologies.