Consensus Commission invites views on removal of Bangabandhu’s portrait in institutions

The National Consensus Commission has said it is “considering” a proposal to remove Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s portraits from public and private institutions. To that end, the commission has sent letters to political parties, seeking their views by Saturday. The letter, signed by the commission’s Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz, was sent on Thursday. According to the 15th amendment to the Constitution, the Cabinet Division issued a directive on Jul 10, 2011, instructing that portraits of Bangabandhu must be displayed in the offices of the president, prime minister, speaker, and chief justice, as well as in all government and semi-government offices, autonomous bodies, statutory authorities, public and private educational institutions, and Bangladesh’s embassies and missions abroad. Referring to clause...