As the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections approach, controversy has arisen over a social media post by Joyen Uddin Sarker Tonmoy, a candidate for Executive Member under the Chhatra Shibir panel. In his Facebook post, Tonmoy glorified Rashid Minhaj while misrepresenting the heroic actions of Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman, Bangladesh’s highest military honor recipient.
Tonmoy’s post falsely portrayed Matiur Rahman, then a Flight Lieutenant in the Pakistan Air Force, as attempting to hijack the aircraft. In reality, Matiur Rahman planned to use the plane for the Bangladesh Liberation War. Recognizing this, Rashid Minhaj deliberately crashed the aircraft, sacrificing Matiur Rahman’s opportunity to join the liberation effort. Tonmoy’s narrative reversed the historical truth, glorifying Minhaj while implicitly questioning Matiur Rahman’s patriotism.
When a commentator pointed out the historical inaccuracy, asking if he was portraying Matiur Rahman as a hijacker, Tonmoy responded, “Sorry, it should have been called a plane hijack,” further cementing the misrepresentation.
Critics argue that this incident reflects a broader pattern within Chhatra Shibir, whose members have historically opposed Bangladesh’s independence, to distort liberation war narratives. Such posts risk disrespecting national heroes, spreading historical misinformation, and polarizing the student community during critical campus elections.
Observers have expressed concern that candidates endorsing distorted versions of 1971 history may undermine democratic values and the remembrance of liberation war sacrifices on university campuses.
