Portraits of President Mohammed Shahabuddin have been removed from Bangladesh’s embassies abroad, though the foreign ministry has issued no formal order or explanation. At a briefing on Sunday evening, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam declined to comment when asked, while ministry spokesperson Shah Asif Rahman also sidestepped questions. Senior officers, however, said that after the Aug 5 change of government, most embassies abroad had already taken down portraits of the president and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, alongside images of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Asking not to be named, one senior officer said the Constitution mandates displaying Bangabandhu’s portrait, but photos of presidents and prime ministers were only a “tradition”. Despite the removals abroad, Shahabuddin’s portrait remained on display at the ministry’s cafeteria in Dhaka until Sunday afternoon.
