DUCSU museum: Wrong photos used for 6 literary figures, removed after criticism - Prothom Alo English

Wrong photographs were initially displayed alongside the names of six literary figures at the DUCSU museum. Following criticism, the photographs were replaced with those in this frame.CollectedMost of the photographs displayed alongside the names of six poets and writers under the heading ‘Some renowned poets and writers of Dhaka University’ at the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) museum were allegedly not of the individuals concerned.

Following criticism over the matter, the photographs were removed and replaced with new ones yesterday, Thursday.

Earlier, a frame at the museum displayed the names and photographs of Palli Kabi Jasimuddin, former Dhaka University Bangla department teacher Shaheed Munier Chowdhury, former president of Bangla Academy Abul Quasem Fazlul Haq, poet Asad Chowdhury, former vice-chancellor of Chittagong University Abul Fazal and linguist Muhammad Enamul Haq.

Of the six, the photographs used under the names of Jasimuddin, Munier Chowdhury, Abul Quasem Fazlul Haq and Asad Chowdhury were not of them, said Dhaka University Bangla department professor Tariq Manzoor.

He also believes that the photograph used alongside Abul Fazal’s name was not of him. Only the photograph of Muhammad Enamul Haq bore some resemblance to him, he said.

Professor Tariq Manzoor said, “The photographs placed above the names of Jasimuddin, Munier Chowdhury, Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq and Asad Chowdhury are not of these individuals at all. The photograph of Abul Fazal is unlikely to be his either. We know Abul Fazal as a different, bearded person. Only the photograph of Muhammad Enamul Haq bears some resemblance to him.”

The professor also said the photographs appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). He also questioned the selection of the six literary figures.

Tariq Manzoor said, “The list under the heading ‘Some renowned poets and writers’ is incomplete. The list of renowned poets and writers is so large that it would not be possible to accommodate everyone on one wall. Therefore, it would not have been appropriate to put up photographs of just a few selected individuals.”

Most of the photographs initially displayed alongside the names of six literary figures at the DUCSU museum did not match the individuals they represented.CollectedHowever, DUCSU said the photographs had been collected from the internet. While designing the display, the faces in some of the photographs changed when their quality was enhanced.

DUCSU Liberation War and Democratic Movements Affairs Secretary Fatima Tasnim Zuma said that after the photographs were handed over to the designer, the faces in two or three of them became similar while their quality was being enhanced.

When asked whether AI had been used to generate the photographs, Fatima Tasnim said, “They were not generated using AI. Everyone’s photographs were taken from the internet. This happened while enhancing the quality of the photographs.”

Fatima Tasnim further said that as there were many photographs together, they did not notice the issue initially. She later noticed it and informed the designer. After new photographs were sent, they were printed yesterday and put up at the museum in place of the previous ones.

The museum was reopened on 13 September after renovation. Following the renovation, changes were made to the arrangement of photographs and artefacts relating to various movements and struggles in Bangladesh’s history.

Among the changes, some of the previous photographs of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were removed. Three photographs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah were added. Information about a speech he delivered at Dhaka’s Racecourse Maidan on 21 March 1948 was also displayed alongside one of the photographs. A photograph of former Chhatra Sangha leader Abdul Malek was also put up.

Later, on 14 September, a student tore down the three photographs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah displayed at the museum in protest.

Meanwhile, protesting the display of Jinnah’s photographs, activists of the Dhaka University unit of the Chhatra Federation put up at the museum a photograph showing former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Ghulam Azam being beaten with shoes. Ghulam Azam had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a case of crimes against humanity and later died.

The university administration formed a five-member committee on 14 September to investigate the display of photographs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and former Chhatra Sangha leader Abdul Malek at the DUCSU museum.

The committee, headed by Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Mohammad Almujaddade Alfasane, is investigating the matter.