Mujib-Hasina Images Hung in Rajbari Office

Fresh controversy has emerged in Rajbari after portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina were reportedly hung inside the district office of the Bangladesh Awami League, despite the party’s activities in the area remaining officially suspended.

According to local sources, the portraits were installed at dawn on Wednesday, alongside a banner bearing the inscription “Bangladesh Awami League, Rajbari District Office”. The banner prominently featured a photograph of Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu, Joint General Secretary of the district Awami League unit.

This development follows a similar incident on Tuesday morning, when the national flag was raised at the same premises and a banner displaying the name and photograph of Nuruzzaman Mia Sohel, General Secretary of the Rajbari District Jubo League, was hung at the entrance. Observers note that these actions mark the first visible political activity at the office in approximately 18 months.

Sequence of Events

While no one has publicly claimed responsibility, images circulating on social media show several masked young men holding portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina inside the building. The lighting in the images suggests the photographs were taken in the early hours of the morning.

However, when reporters visited the office around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, they found no portraits of either leader displayed inside. Instead, a banner featuring Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu remained visible at the front of the building. On the second floor, the phrase “Sheikh Hasina CDI” was seen written in English letters on a pillar. Several election-related posters bearing the image of Sajeeb Wazed Joy were also affixed to the interior walls. A previously installed Jubo League banner was found discarded and crumpled on the rooftop.

A local businessman, Russell Mia, stated:

“At around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, only the national flag was there. Nothing else. When I opened my shop this morning, I saw a new banner hanging in front of the office. It must have been put up at dawn.”

Summary of Developments

Police Response

Tapos Kumar Pal, Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) in Rajbari, confirmed that law enforcement agencies were aware of the matter. He stated that both district police and detective branch officers had visited the scene to investigate.

“We have learned about the flag hoisting, the installation of new banners and the hanging of portraits at the Awami League office,” he said. “The matter is under examination, and appropriate legal action will be taken if necessary.”

Since 5 August last year, no overt organisational activities had been observed at the Rajbari Awami League office. The sudden reappearance of political symbols and leadership imagery after a prolonged period of inactivity has sparked renewed public discussion in the district.

Local residents remain divided, with some interpreting the actions as a symbolic reassertion of political presence, while others view them as a provocative move amid ongoing administrative scrutiny. Authorities have yet to clarify who authorised the installations or whether they were conducted with official party approval.