Bangladesh drops Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 'Father of the Nation' title

Bangladesh's interim government removes Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's title and name from key legislation, currency, and textbooks, signalling major revisionism in national narrative

Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh’s interim government on Tuesday amended legislation to eliminate the "Father of the Nation" title for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to reports by the Press Trust of India, citing local media.

 

The move comes days after the removal of Rahman’s image from banknotes, replacing it with natural landscapes and traditional landmarks. Rahman was the country’s first prime minister and a central figure in its independence movement.

 

Key changes to National Freedom Fighters Council Act 

The ordinance amending the National Freedom Fighters Council Act was issued by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs late Tuesday, according to Dhaka Tribune. The amended act introduces several changes to the legal framework around Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

 

The major amendments include:

 

• Removal of the title “Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman” from the act
• Deletion of all references to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s name
• Revision of the definition of the Liberation War as an armed struggle to establish a sovereign democratic state, with no reference to Mujibur Rahman
• Reclassification of national and provincial assembly members linked to the Mujibnagar government as associates of the Liberation War, rather than freedom fighters

Redefinition of freedom fighters to include:

 

• Civilians trained or engaged in combat between 26 March and 16 December 1971 in Bangladesh or India
• Members of the armed forces, East Pakistan Rifles, police, Mukti Bahini, naval commandos, Kilo Force, Ansar, and recognised wartime units
• Women tortured by Pakistani forces and collaborators (Birangona)
• Medical personnel who treated injured fighters during the war

Series of removals signal broader shift 

The deletion of Rahman’s portrait from banknotes and his name from legislation is part of a broader effort by the interim administration to revise national symbols and narratives associated with the ousted Awami League government.

 

Earlier this year, newly introduced textbooks attributed the 1971 declaration of independence to Ziaur Rahman, an army major at the time, replacing earlier references to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Ziaur Rahman later became a sector commander during the Liberation War and subsequently Bangladesh’s president.

 

In another move, the government cancelled the national holiday on 15 August, which had previously marked the assassination of Mujibur Rahman.

 

Rahman’s daughter and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 following mass student-led protests that ended her 16-year rule.