Bangabandhu (Friend of Bangladesh) – the name by which Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was known, what is happening there seems quite ironic, as the country now recognizes him as an enemy. Bangladesh is preparing to erase the image of the country’s iconic founder Rahman from its currency notes.
“We aim to issue the new notes within the next six months,” said Husnera Shikha, executive editor of Bangladesh Bank.
This is a big decision taken by the Bangladesh government as Rahman has been a part of the currency since the country’s establishment on March 4, 1972.
As Hasina fled Bangladesh following student-led protests, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as chief advisor to the interim government.
Months after Sheikh Hasina was removed as Prime Minister, Bangladesh is set to remove her father from the Bangladesh currency and print new notes of Rs 20, 100, 500 and 1,000 rupees – as Bangladesh Bank has confirmed. This comes just weeks after Rehman’s photograph was removed from Yunus’ office as a “concession” to student protesters by the caretaker government.
Government advisor Mahfuz Alam said, “The photograph of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the post-’71 fascist, has been removed from the Durbar Hall. It is a matter of shame for us that we could not remove his photograph from the Bangabhaban after August 5. Sorry.” But, he will be nowhere to be seen as long as the July spirit of the people remains alive.
The central bank further said that “graffiti” drawn with some religious structures and Bengali traditions during the July protests will be included in the design of the new notes.
This move can be seen as an attempt by the country to make a change from its identity and the legacy of Bangabandhu. It is also interesting to know that August 15 has been canceled as a national holiday because Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on that day. Along with this, the names of many institutions have been changed, removing Hasina and Rahman from their legacy.
In her recent remarks, Hasina accused Yunus of being “involved in genocide” and failing to protect minorities in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh’s International Criminal Tribunal has labeled his comments as “hate speech”, and the country’s leaders said a smear campaign is underway against the Yunus government.
