- विज्ञापन -
Dhaka: A large group of protesters vandalised and set fire to the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, in Dhaka on Wednesday during a live online speech by his daughter, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The mob attacked the memorial and home of Sheikh Hasina’s father, located at Dhanmondi 32, demanding a ban on the Awami League party he established. They broke through the gate and launched a destructive rampage, climbing the structure and igniting the top floor.
Hasina, speaking during an event organized by the now-disbanded student wing of the Awami League, Chhatra League, urged citizens to resist the current government. She stated, “They may have the power to demolish a building, but not the history… history will take its revenge.”
The student movement has previously vowed to abolish Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution, which they refer to as the “Mujibist constitution,” while some far-right groups have called for changing the national anthem established under Sheikh Mujib’s post-Independence government.
The Dhanmondi 32 residence is an iconic site in Bangladesh’s history, having served as a base for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s autonomy movement prior to Independence. It was later transformed into a museum, visited by foreign dignitaries during the Awami League’s governance.
This incident marks the second attack on the house; it was also set ablaze on August 5 of the previous year when Hasina’s nearly 16-year regime was overthrown, prompting her and her sister Sheikh Rehana to flee to India.
In her online address, Hasina expressed sorrow over the destruction of her childhood memories, asserting that while the house may be damaged, her family’s history cannot be erased. Tearfully, she remarked, “They can break this house, but they will not succeed in removing history.”
Hasina, now 77, has been residing in India since her departure from Bangladesh following the large-scale student protests that led to the fall of her government.
