A major controversy has engulfed Dhaka University after a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding figure of Pakistan, appeared in place of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman inside one of the university's campus museums. The change, discovered by students and faculty, triggered immediate outrage and led to the Jinnah portrait being shredded during protests that followed.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, widely revered in Bangladesh as the father of the nation, led theAwami League in the struggle for independence from Pakistan and declared Bangladesh's sovereignty in March 1971. Jinnah, by contrast, is seen by many in Bangladesh as the architect of the partition that originally separated East and West Pakistan — a division that ultimately produced the bloodied birth of Bangladesh after an eight-month war of liberation.
Students and activist groups quickly condemned the replacement as an insult to the memory of the freedom fighters who sacrificed millions of lives during the 1971 war. The incident reopened deep historical wounds and reignited political tensions over how Bangladesh's modern identity is presented in public institutions.
University authorities have yet to issue a formal statement explaining how the swap occurred. Critics have called for a thorough inquiry into the museum's administrative practices, warning that such incidents risk normalising narratives that downplay the trauma of the liberation war. The episode also reflects a broader cultural contest in Bangladesh, where political factions continue to clash over the symbolism embedded in monuments, curricula, and institutional displays.
