The student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir has come under fire after displaying portraits of convicted war criminals during an event at Dhaka University’s Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) marking the anniversary of the July Uprising.

Tuesday’s exhibition, titled Judicial Killings, was part of Shibir’s programme “July 36: We Will Not Stop”.

The exhibition initially featured portraits of former Jamaat and BNP leaders who were executed or jailed for committing crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s War of Independence from Pakistan.

Set up under the banner, the display included images of:

· Jamaat ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami

· Secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid

· Assistant secretaries general Abdul Quader Molla and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman

· Shura member Mir Quasem Ali

· Nayeb-e-ameer Delawar Hossain Sayeedi

· BNP Standing Committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury

All were tried and convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal during the then Awami League government, “found guilty” of wartime atrocities such as mass killings, rape, and torture.

After students protested the exhibition, the photos were taken down in the evening.

In a statement late Tuesday, Dhaka University’s unit of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal issued a condemnation, calling the display “an outrageous and disgraceful act”.

They alleged that Shibir was “attempting to forcibly insert the image of recognised genocidal collaborators into the heart of the Liberation War’s birthplace, Dhaka University, where Bangladesh’s first national flag was hoisted.”

The statement also accused Shibir of attempting to “falsely equate the 2024 Uprising with the 1971 Liberation War”, branding it a “vile distortion of history”.

In response, Shibir’s Dhaka University President SM Farhad said on Facebook that only part of the exhibition was being sensationalised.

“A mob and a debate were manufactured around a few photo frames. Our stance on this is clear,” he wrote.

He defended the display by claiming, “The Liberation War of 1971 is a proud chapter in our history. But the precursors of Shahbagh first questioned it by establishing BAKSAL. Later, the 2013 Shahbagh movement turned the Awami League into a fascist regime. We oppose the criminals of Shahbagh and BAKSAL alike.”

Farhad claimed the individuals displayed were victims of “judicial killings” under the Awami League.

“We highlighted extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and other crimes committed during Hasina’s 16-year fascist rule, including the Shapla Square massacre and military officer killings,” he added.

He cited past remarks from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and others who have questioned the legitimacy of the war crimes trials.

Farhad also claimed that witnesses for the defence were forcibly disappeared.

“A Hindu man who was to testify for Sayeedi was abducted and trafficked to India. Mir Quasem’s son, lawyer Arman, was also disappeared. So was Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s son, Hummam.”

He referenced the infamous Skype leaks from the war crimes tribunal, alleging the verdicts were pre-ordered and the trials politically motivated.

“Every major international human rights group and war crimes expert has raised concerns about the fairness of these trials,” he claimed. “Even the judges knew the evidence wasn’t sufficient.”

Farhad concluded by saying, “In a democracy, the right to question and critically assess such state-led executions must be preserved.”