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Published : 11 Oct 2025, 04:55 PM
The Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) has raised objections to the National Consensus Commission’s move to seek opinions on whether portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman should be displayed in government and private institutions, calling it a politically motivated initiative.
In a letter to the commission’s Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz on Saturday, Bangladesh JaSaD chief Sharif Nurul Ambia said the request for opinions appeared to stem from “malicious intent” and violated the panel's earlier pledge that no new issues would be added to the draft July Charter.
The party said the commission’s latest step contradicted its own decision from a Sept 17 meeting, where members had agreed that “no further changes” would be made to the draft charter.
“Yet the commission is now seeking opinions on a new issue,” JaSaD said in the letter, a copy of which was also shared with the media. “This violates the consensus decision and appears to be driven by ill motives.”
On Thursday, the commission had asked political parties to submit written opinions by 4pm on Saturday, either in person, by email, or through WhatsApp, on whether Bangabandhu’s portraits should be displayed in state and private offices.
Bangladesh JaSaD said the matter was “political” and therefore should be decided by an elected parliament, citing a previous court ruling on the issue.
Under the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, the Cabinet Division issued a circular in July 2011 requiring the display of portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in all government and private offices.
In a recent letter to political parties, signed by Riaz, the commission said it was considering including in the July Charter a proposal to repeal Article 4(A) of the Constitution, which contains the provision.
Bangladesh JaSaD strongly opposed the move, saying: “We support the constitutional provision under Article 4(A) that mandates the preservation and display of the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of a Bangladeshi state. We oppose any proposal to abolish it.”
