In a move laden with political symbolism, a key hall at Dhaka University has been stripped of the name of Bangladesh's founding father and renamed after a recently deceased radical Islamist leader. The decision, executed swiftly on a Saturday night, underscores the continuing political shifts in the country following last year's tumultuous change in government.
A Swift and Symbolic Change
The Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, a student dormitory established in 1988, is now known as the Shaheed Osman Hadi Hall. The physical renaming process began around 9:45 pm on Saturday night. Workers used a crane to remove the nameplate bearing Mujibur Rahman's name and installed a new one honouring Sharif Osman Hadi, a frontline figure of the 'July Uprising' who died on Thursday from critical gunshot injuries sustained six days prior.
According to Musaddiq Ibn Ali Mohammad, the cultural affairs secretary of the Islami Chhatra Shibir-led Dhaka University Central Students' Union, the change was made following a "demand from students." The hall's vice president, Muslimur Rahman, echoed this, telling reporters the action was taken based on the "students' verdict."
Erasing the Legacy of the Founding Father
The renaming represents a direct erasure of the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation's father. The university's own website notes the hall was named for him due to his close connection with the institution, where he was an active student leader during the historic Language Movement and subsequent political struggles.
Following the installation of the new nameplate, students aligned with the Islami Chhatra Shibir – the student wing of Bangladesh's largest Islamist political party, Jamaat-e-Islami – were seen removing graffiti of Mujibur Rahman from the hall's walls. They replaced it with tributes to Osman Hadi.
Political Context and Implications
This event marks the removal of the founding father's name from another place of public importance since the July Uprising last year, which led to the ouster of his daughter, Sheikh Hasina, as Prime Minister. The act is widely viewed as a significant symbolic victory for the Islamist political factions that have gained influence following the political upheaval.
The hall's renaming is not merely an administrative change but a potent political statement, reflecting the ongoing reconfiguration of national symbols and historical narratives in contemporary Bangladesh. It highlights the deepening ideological contest over the country's identity and the legacy of its liberation struggle.
