President Voices Anguish Over Removal of His Portraits

President Mohammed Shahabuddin

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has expressed deep anguish over the sudden removal of his portraits from Bangladeshi embassies and consulates worldwide, calling the move humiliating and poorly managed.

In a letter to Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday, the president wrote: “Overnight, my photograph was removed…and it became not only a subject of the media but also a reason for my honour to be tarnished worldwide through social media. I have no complaint, but there is a cry of anguish.”

The letter, made public on Wednesday, questioned whether the decision could have been carried out more tactfully. “Could there not have been a more prudent way to implement this, so that the sitting president was not made to appear humiliated?” Shahabuddin asked.

He noted that during his tenure he had issued nearly 50 ordinances to provide legal support to the government, extended cooperation during crises—including the national emergency of August 2024—and even endorsed the “zero-portrait policy” removing leaders’ photographs from government offices.

“I never demanded immunity for my portraits,” he clarified, stressing that a strategic approach could have prevented unnecessary media controversy.

The president lamented that the abrupt decision not only stirred media debate but also spread across social media globally, leaving him feeling dishonoured. “As a conscious citizen and a freedom fighter, I now feel insulted,” he wrote.

Concluding his letter, Shahabuddin stated: “There is no complaint, but there is a cry of my anguish.”