DHAKA: Bangladesh’s newly appointed interim govt adviser Mahfuj Alam has removed the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Darbar Hall of Banga Bhaban, in what critics said was “complete and utter disrespect” of the country’s first president and the constitution.
Banga Bhaban is the residence and main workplace of the President of Bangladesh.
Posting a photo of himself at Darbar Hall after taking oath on Sunday, Mahfuj on Monday wrote on Facebook: “It is a shame for us that we couldn’t remove his pictures from Banga Bhaban after the 5th of August. Apologies.”
A political activist, who wished to remain unnamed, suggested that the removal of Mujib’s portrait from Darbar Hall might be linked to a desire to alter the constitution and erase the spirit of 1971 Liberation War, “promoting a Pakistani ideology in Bangladesh”.
The Bangladesh constitution mandates that the portrait of Mujibur be preserved and displayed at the offices of the president, PM, speaker, and chief justice, as well as at all govt and semi-govt offices.
Mujibur is also the father of deposed PM Sheikh Hasina.
“No individual should change it (the constitution) with the stroke of a pen,” Kamal Hossain, one of the framers of the current constitution said, adding, “reforms should be carried out only after taking people’s opinions into account”.
BNP worried interim govt may extend tenure
Suspecting that Bangladesh’s interim govt may be thinking of extending its tenure, the BNP has reminded the Muhammad Yunus-led dispensation that its primary duty is to promptly transfer power to elected representatives after conducting a fair election.
On Monday, senior BNP politician Hafizuddin Ahmed claimed several individuals with pro-Awami League affiliations had been appointed to the interim govt’s advisory council.
Two leading coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have also criticised the new govt additions.
The interim govt was expanded Sunday with the addition of three new advisers. Two of them — businessman Sk Bashir Uddin and popular filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki — are perceived to be linked to the deposed Sheikh Hasina govt.
