Caricature of Ghulam Azam blotted out at Chittagong University

Black ink has been used to cover the artwork

A caricature of Ghulam Azam and Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Shamim Uddin Khan, drawn by students in protest over controversial comments on Martyred Intellectuals Day, has been covered with black ink at Chittagong University.

The artwork, painted Monday outside the administrative building, was found blacked out on Tuesday morning.

Abul Hashem, a security guard stationed at the administrative building, said he was on duty until 4am.

"I went to sleep after that. When I returned around 6am, I saw the caricatures had been covered in ink. I didn’t see who did it," he added.

The incident has sparked anger among students, while criticism has continued on social media.

Sumaiya Sikdar, a student at the university, posted on Facebook: "It was predictable that this would be removed; and that is exactly what happened. They wiped it out before dawn. The administration must now bear the responsibility."

Badhon Sarkar, a student from the Department of Islamic History and Culture, however, offered a different perspective.

"While many view this negatively, I see the act of throwing black ink on the caricature as equivalent to smearing the faces of the Razakars with shame," he said.

Ayobur Rahman Tawfick, CUCSU assistant general secretary and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal joint general secretary, said: “Those who do not uphold the spirit of the Liberation War, those who believe in Ghulam Azam’s ideology, may have done this. If someone dislikes an image or portrait, they can draw another in response. Erasing it like this clearly amounts to force. The university administration should identify those involved.”

Assistant Proctor Nurul Hamid Kanan said he was not aware of the matter.

The controversy follows comments by Prof Shamim during a discussion on Martyred Intellectuals Day, titled Free Thinking, Liberation War and the 1971 Killing of Intellectuals.

He described the killing of Bangladesh’s intellectuals by Pakistani forces as “absurd”.

“When Pakistani soldiers were attempting to escape from our country, the idea that they would kill Bangladeshi intellectuals seems utterly absurd to me,” he said. “At that time, they were fearing for their own lives.”

The remarks triggered an immediate backlash on campus. On Sunday night, several student organisations, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Council and Biplobi Chhatra Maitri, staged a protest march, rejecting the comments “with hatred”.

On Monday afternoon, students under the banner of “All-Party Student Unity” padlocked all gates of the administrative building, demanding an unconditional apology and the resignation of Prof Shamim. The locks were removed at around 10:30pm in view of Victory Day celebrations.

On Tuesday, a Victory Day discussion on campus descended into chaos over the presence of the pro-vice-chancellor.

At one point, CUCSU AGS Ayobur took the stage and announced a boycott of the programme.