Only those blinded by conventional party politics could do this: Porwar on tearing of Jinnah’s photos
Porwar criticises removal of Jinnah photographs from Ducsu archive
Bdbusinessdaily.com – Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has criticised the tearing of three photographs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union archive, arguing that the incident reflected a limited understanding of Bangladesh’s political history.
The photographs were torn by student Abu Toiyob Habildar, who said Jinnah should not be represented in Ducsu because of his opposition to Bengali language demands and the 1948 arrests of students at Dhaka University’s Curzon Hall.
Speaking to journalists in Dhaka on 14 September, Porwar said the episode should be viewed through a broader historical lens. He maintained that people unfamiliar with the political developments surrounding the creation of Bangladesh and the struggles that shaped the region could take such actions.
“Only those blinded by conventional party politics can do such things.”
Porwar said Jinnah’s political movement and role in the history of the subcontinent required careful study, even where his legacy remains contested. He argued that political maturity involves engaging with historical context rather than dismissing figures solely through present-day partisan views.
Jinnah was Pakistan’s first governor-general after the 1947 partition of British India. His relationship with the Bengali language movement remains a deeply significant part of Bangladesh’s national history. In 1948, his position on Urdu as Pakistan’s state language became a focal point of opposition among Bengali-speaking students and political activists. The language movement later became one of the defining foundations of Bengali national consciousness.
For many Bangladeshis, the language movement is inseparable from the country’s eventual independence struggle. The debate over Jinnah’s place in an archive connected to Dhaka University therefore carries both historical and emotional weight. Dhaka University students played a central role in political activism during the language movement and in later democratic and national movements.
Porwar said that understanding history did not mean ignoring disagreements or difficult episodes. Instead, he suggested that political figures and past movements should be assessed with knowledge of their circumstances and consequences.
Comments made after Seerat-un-Nabi conference
The Jamaat leader made the remarks after attending a Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH) conference organised by the Dhaka South unit of the National Doctors Forum. The event was held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in Kakrail.
Mufti Mahmudul Hasan attended as chief discussant. Maruf Shahriar, president of the National Doctors Forum’s Dhaka South unit, chaired the programme. Jamaat’s Dhaka South Secretary Shafiqul Islam Masud and National Doctors Forum Secretary Mahmud Hossain also spoke.
Alongside the Ducsu archive controversy, Porwar addressed the opposition’s planned long march towards Rangpur. He alleged that some members of the government were unhappy that the programme had proceeded without violence.
He said the authorities had anticipated unrest, including vandalism, arson and sabotage, and had made remarks that he believed were intended to provoke opposition supporters.
“The opposition will not fall into any provocation.”
Porwar said the long march was intended to remain peaceful and appealed to the government, police administration and political parties to help ensure that it could proceed without disruption. He said participants expected the same level of cooperation that had enabled earlier programmes to remain peaceful.
Long march and opposition demands
Porwar argued that the opposition would not have needed to organise the long march if its demands had been accepted by the government. He described such marches as an established form of political activity in democratic systems.
He referred to Jamaat’s earlier participation in BNP-led long marches when Khaleda Zia, the current prime minister’s mother, was in opposition. His comments framed the issue as part of Bangladesh’s wider tradition of opposition mobilisation, where marches, rallies and public campaigns have often been used to press political demands.
“Why a long march is needed and when it is needed cannot be understood when one is in government. It becomes clear only when one is in opposition.”
Porwar also objected to a remark by the prime minister suggesting that the government would have adopted the same route if the matter could have been resolved through a long march. He said the opposition did not receive that statement positively and argued that it was unsuitable given the prime minister’s position.
The comments highlight two separate but politically sensitive debates: how Bangladesh’s complex past should be represented in public institutions, and how competing political groups should engage during periods of opposition activity. The Ducsu archive incident has revived discussion over historical memory, while the long march has focused attention on the responsibilities of both organisers and authorities in maintaining peaceful political space.
Porwar’s call for historical awareness and non-violent political engagement came as Jamaat continued to emphasise that its opposition programme towards Rangpur would be conducted peacefully.
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