Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s photographs have become the subject of a dispute at Bangladesh’s Dhaka University after one of the images displayed at a newly renovated museum was torn down by a student.
The photograph was part of a chronological display documenting the university’s history. The display was introduced by the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), which is led by Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the country’s largest Islamist political party.
DUCSU leader SM Farhad criticized the removal, describing it as a “mob attack” and saying the photographs were included as part of the university’s historical record.
Critics, however, accused the student union of attempting to reshape the university’s historical narrative by giving greater prominence to Jinnah while reducing the presence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding leader.
The student who removed Jinnah’s photograph questioned his position on the Bengali language and said figures associated with Bangladesh’s language and independence movements should receive greater recognition.
The dispute comes amid a broader reassessment of Bangladesh’s political history following the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s rule. Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, remains a deeply contested figure, while his former residence and museum were attacked during the upheaval.
A 19-year-old student, Mahafuzur Rahman, said removing historical photographs was not the right approach, arguing that Jinnah remains part of the country’s history.
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