Published : 03 Aug 2026, 08:09 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:29 AM
Rajshahi University authorities have removed images of individuals convicted in war crimes cases from a billboard on the university's Paris Road following protests by a group of students.
The billboard itself remained in place, but the disputed images were removed on Monday morning.
The billboard, titled "Judicial Killing," was installed last Friday by Novo Culture, an organisation led by Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar, to commemorate the July Mass Uprising.
Some students objected to the inclusion of photographs of several individuals convicted in war crimes cases and demanded that the billboard be taken down.
University Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman said the administration had asked RUCSU GS Ammar to remove the billboard in response to the protesters' demands.
"He did not agree to remove it," Mahbubur said. "The university administration subsequently took the initiative to erase the objectionable images from the billboard."
The billboard featured photographs of several leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami who were convicted in war crimes cases, including Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Mir Quasem Ali, Motiur Rahman Nizami, Abdul Quader Mollah and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.
It also included a photograph of BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who was convicted and executed for war crimes, as well as retired Major Bazlul Huda, who was executed after being convicted in the assassination case of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The billboard further referred to the disappearance of prosecution witness Sukhranjan Bali during the trial of Sayedee on charges of crimes against humanity, and included a photograph of former Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik.
The billboard was later revised to retain only the photographs of Bali, former Justice Shamsuddin Manik and retired Major Huda, while the images of the other individuals were removed.
Other sections of the billboard highlighted a range of political and historical events and issues, including the Shapla Chattar incident, the July Uprising, the Logi-Boitha violence, Bangladesh-India relations, the quota reform movement and the so-called Aynaghar, among others.
On Sunday afternoon, representatives of several student organisations and other students met with Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman and demanded that the billboard be removed over the inclusion of images of convicted war criminals.
After their demand was not met, they began a sit-in protest outside the university's administrative building later in the day.
The demonstration continued until about 10:45pm, when the proctor announced that the administration had decided to remove the images of those convicted of war crimes from the billboard.
The protesters then withdrew their programme.
