Bangladesh News

The government has decided to close three galleries of the National Museum to visitors till further notice, as they do not reflect the true history of Liberation War.

An official announcement late on Saturday night said the decision to shut down the galleries 38, 39 and 40 was taken at a meeting at the National Museum auditorium.

“A correct and objective history of the Liberation War will be put on the galleries soon which was manipulated during the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government,” the handout said.

The review meeting on “correct reflection of the history of Liberation War” was held on Saturday chaired by Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad in the chair.

Gallery 38 has 75 portraits of eminent people including seven Bir Shresthas, said Prof Kabir Chowdhury who was present at the meeting.

Ziaur Rahman Corner (38 B) would also be removed immediately, he said.

The gallery 38(B) titled ‘Ziaur Rahman Corner’ was established in 2002 during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.

“We will set the history of Liberation War right as there was an attempt to draw a parallel between Bangabandhu and Zia,” Kabir Chowdhury added.

The museum will have no Bangabandhu corner but a large portion of it will portray the true history of Liberation War and Bangabandhu, he said.

The gallery 39 titled “Language Movement Memorial Corner (Basha Andolon Smrity Corner)” and the entrance to the gallery 40 have portraits of Bangabandhu and Zia.

Medals of Independence Day Award given to Bangabandhu and Zia are also on display at the entrance.

Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University Prof Rafiqun Nabi, also the trustee board member of the museum, said, “The attempt to draw a parallel between Bangabandhu and Zia is aimed at undermining Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”

He also expressed his doubt whether the artefacts, brought back home after exhibiting in Giyme Museum in France, are original or duplicate.

AAMS Arefin Siddique, vice chancellor of Dhaka University, demanded an investigation in this regard.

Talking to The Daily Star, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam said the meeting had directed the trustee board of the museum to draft a long-term policy to run the museum and to review its activities.

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Cultural Affairs Secretary Sharful Alam, Information Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Secretary Samar Chandra Pal, Prof AFM Salahuddin Ahmed, Prof Kazi Saleh Ahmed, Prof ASM Nazrul Islam, Director General of Bangla Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan, Prof Syed Monjurul Islam of DU English Department, Prof Ashit Baral Pal of Archaeology Department and Prof Farzana Islam of Anthropology Department of Jahangirnagar University, Engineer Rabiul Hossain, Artists Quayum Chowdhury and Hashem Khan, and Director General of National Museum Shafiqul Azam, among others, attended the meeting.