Mujibur out, Hindu temple targeted by Islamists to be on Bangladesh banknotes
The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, is not only trying to reform the administration, but also steering it away from the legacy of Mujibur Rahman, one of the country's founding fathers and Awami League co-founder. Bangladesh is introducing banknotes replacing Mujib's portrait with images, including that of a Hindu temple. It is the 18th century Kantajew temple, which survived a bomb attack in 2015 and has a rich history, that will be embossed on the new 20-taka notes.advertisementA mosque was also coming up on the premises of the centuries-old Kantajew temple and saw strong protests by the Hindu community of Bangladesh in 2024.The 20-taka currency note was issued on June 1, and on the obverse has the "picture of the historical architecture of Kantajew temple, Dinajpur on the leftside", according to information on the website of Bangla Bank, which is the central bank of the country.
Like all the new currency notes, the 20-taka one also features a picture of Bangladesh's national flower -- water lily with leaf and bud -- in light colour in the background.Interestingly, on the reverse, the 20-taka note has the Paharpur Buddhist Monastery located in Naogaon district of Rajshahi division. In 1985, the monastery was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of the three such sites in Bangladesh.advertisementThe Paharpur Buddhist Vihara is the best-known Buddhist monastery not just in Bangladesh, but in the Indian Subcontinent. Dating back to the 8th century, the Paharpur Buddhist Vihara was built during the reign of the Pal dynasty, and is one of the finest specimens of intricate terracotta art and architecture in the region of Bengal.Other than the temple and monastery, there are three Islamic places of worship -- Shait-Gumbuz Masjid on Taka 100, Tara Masjid on taka 50 and Baitul Mukarram Mosque on taka 10 -- on the new series of currency notes.In the days following the fall of the Hasina regime, reports of hundreds of attacks on religious minorities emerged from Bangladesh. The interim government has also been accused of remaining a mute spectator to these attacks.
The newly issued 20-taka note features the historic 18th-century Kantajew Hindu temple on the obverse, in place of the earlier Sheikh Mujibur Rahman portrait. (Image: Bangladesh Bank)
HISTORY OF KANTAJEW TEMPLE OF DINAJPUR ON BANGLADESH CURRENCY NOTEThe Kantajew temple, which is on the 20-taka note, is a magnificent terracotta monument and one of the most-visited temples in Bangladesh.advertisementThe Kantajew Temple is also known as Kantaji Temple or Kantanagar Temple.The name is derived from Kantaji, a form of Kanta or Krishna, according to a United News of Bangladesh (UNB) report. Built in the 18th century, the Kantajew Temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and his queen, Rukmini, according to UNB.The construction of the temple was started by Maharaja Prannath of Dinajpur in 1704 and was completed by his son, Maharaja Ramnath, in 1752.In the region of undivided Bengal known for Vaishnavite influence, the Kantajew Temple holds special significance.TERRORIST ATTACK, MOSQUE BUILDING ON KANTAJEW TEMPLE PREMISESThe Kantajew Temple was attacked by terrorists of New Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) who hurled three bombs as devotees were celebrating Rash Mela in December 2015, according to a report in Dhaka Tribune in 2017.The New JMB is an affiliate of the Syria-based terrorist organisation, Islamic State or ISIS, and is a banned terror outfit in India and Australia among other countries.Though three terrorists of the JMB were caught right after the attack and two more in 2017, the terror organisation didn't admit to the temple attack.advertisementThe attack came after recent threats to the temple's priest, urging him not to organise any religious gatherings, Abdul Mazid, the officer-in-charge of Kahalur Police Station, said.Reports also emerged of the construction of a mosque on the Kantajew Temple land, triggering "tension and frustration among the local Hindu community", according to a Dhaka Tribune report from March 2024.Member of Parliament of Dinajpur-1 constituency, Md Zakaria Zaka, inaugurated the mosque's construction, according to the report.This was during the Hasina government.On reports about attempts to build the mosque, Religious Affairs Advisor to the Yunus government, AFM Khalid Hossain in September 2024, said: "There is government land next to the mosque; let the mosque expansion take place on that leased land, while the temple property remains with the temple."It is the same Kantajew Temple that is now on the 20-taka Bangladesh currency notes.THE JOURNEY OF THE 20-TAKA NOTE OF BANGLADESHThe changing portraits on the currency notes, in fact, reflect Bangladesh's political journey.The 20-taka note was last changed in 2012 with the "portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation", on the obverse, according to the Bangladesh Bank website.advertisementThe note was changed in 2012 with the portrait of Mujib, the father of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The previous version of the 20-taka currency note featured a portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which has now been removed by the interim government of Bangladesh. (Image: Bangladesh Bank)
Hasina and her Awami League came to power in Bangladesh in the 2009 election, and remained till her ouster in a protest movement in July-August 2024.Hasina ran an authoritarian regime, and any remark against Mujib was considered blasphemy. That went to such extremes that protesters vented their anger at Mujibur Rahman's statues after Hasina was forced to flee on August 5.Before the Hasina government changed the face of the 20-taka note with Mujib's portrait on the obverse, it was the Choto Sona Mosque that was featured on both sides of the currency note.The 15-16th century mosque located in Nawabganj district was featured on the note issued in 2002, just a year after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh combine came to power.advertisementThe 2012 change got the Choto Sona Mosque shifted to the reverse of the 20-taka currency note.Now, with Mujibur Rahman losing currency, at least with the leaders of the interim government, the 20-taka note features new images. It is the 18th century Kantajew temple, a target of Islamists, and the Paharpur Buddhist Monastery that are on the two sides of the 20-taka note.
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