Portrait: Mujibur Rahman

On 15 August 1975, two days after the overthrow of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman government in Bangladesh, the Weltspiegel magazine broadcast this portrait of the assassinated head of state by Navina Sundaram. While showing material she had shot two years earlier for her feature, Freedom and Its Price, the commentary reflects the disappointment of Bangladeshi citizens as well as the world sympathizing with the young republic, for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had failed to achieve the high democratic goals he had set for himself during three years in office. Sundaram criticises the personality cult, nepotism and growing isolation of the charismatic politician that ultimately led to his fall.