DHAKA:Thousands of demonstrators set fire to the home of Bangladesh’s founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a show of defiance against the interim government. The protest took place after Sheikh Hasina, the ousted former prime minister and daughter of Sheikh Mujib, urged her supporters to resist the interim administration.
The nation of 170 million has faced significant political turmoil since Hasina was forced to flee to India in August following weeks of violent protests that resulted in over 1,000 deaths.
Witnesses reported that thousands of protesters, armed with sticks, hammers, and other tools, gathered at the historic house and independence monument. Some even brought machinery, such as cranes and excavators, to demolish parts of the building. By Thursday, much of the house’s front had been destroyed, with many protesters looting the building for steel, wood, and books. The protest, part of a larger movement called the “Bulldozer Procession,” aimed to disrupt Hasina’s planned online address.
The protesters, primarily members of the “Students Against Discrimination” group, were outraged by Hasina’s speech, which they viewed as a challenge to the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The government has struggled to maintain order amidst ongoing unrest, with protesters targeting symbols of Hasina’s rule, including her father’s house.
The house, a symbol of the country’s founding, was where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. He and most of his family were killed there in 1975. Hasina, who survived the attack, turned the house into a museum honoring her father’s legacy.
