World · India Bureau
Dhaka University removes Mujib portraits, replaces with Jinnah images
Bangladesh's premier university has replaced photographs of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with images of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in a museum display, sparking protests and raising questions about the nation's political trajectory.
LSN India ·
The controversial swap occurred at the DUCSU (Dhaka University Central Students' Union) museum, where portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, revered as the founding father of Bangladesh, were taken down and substituted with photographs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.
The replacement has triggered significant student protests on the Dhaka University campus, with demonstrators expressing concern about the symbolic shift and what it may signify about the country's political direction. The incident has become a focal point for broader discussions regarding Bangladesh's national identity and historical narrative.
The move marks a notable departure from the established veneration of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose leadership was instrumental in Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971. The decision to display images of Jinnah instead has prompted questions about institutional priorities and political orientation at one of South Asia's most influential educational institutions.
Should this represent a deliberate policy shift, it would signal a significant realignment in how Bangladesh presents its foundational history and national identity to students and the public.