Staff Reporter:
President Mohammed Shahabuddin has expressed deep dismay over the removal of his portraits from different Bangladeshi embassies and consulates worldwide, describing the move as humiliating and poorly handled.
“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 president wrote in a letter to Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday.
The letter, made public on Wednesday by investigative journalist Zulkarnain Saer on his verified Facebook page, questioned whether the decision could have been executed more tactfully.
“Could there not have been a more prudent way to implement this, so that the sitting president of the country was not made to appear humiliated?” Shahabuddin asked, noting that he had always carried out his constitutional duties sincerely and extended full cooperation to the government.
“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 president wrote.
Since taking office, he wrote, he has issued nearly 50 ordinances to provide the government with legal backing, supported it during crises—including the national emergency of August 2024—and endorsed the “zero-portrait policy” that removed photographs of heads of state from government offices.
“I never demanded immunity for my portraits,” the president clarified. “If the policy had been enforced strategically, unnecessary media controversy could have been avoided.”
He lamented that the sudden decision not only triggered media debate but also spread across social media platforms worldwide, leaving him feeling dishonoured.
“As a conscious citizen and a freedom fighter who contributed to the Liberation War, I now feel insulted,” he wrote.
Concluding the letter, Shahabuddin stated, “There is no complaint, but there is a cry of my anguish.”
