Yesterday, 05 February, marked six months since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government following a Jamaat-backed militant uprising in Bangladesh. Amid this political turmoil, the Awami League suddenly announced that Sheikh Hasina would deliver a speech at 9 PM on Wednesday via a virtual event on the Facebook page of the party’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League. This announcement was particularly significant because Hasina has been residing in India since August 5.
The so-called “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement” reacted sharply to this news. The leader of this militant group, Hasnat Abdullah, posted on Facebook: “Tonight, Bangladesh will be liberated from the shrine of fascism.” Earlier that afternoon, the controversial fugitive content creator Elias Hossain and the notorious Pakistan-backed propagandist Pinaki Bhattacharya called for a “Bulldozer Rally Towards Dhanmondi 32” via Facebook.
A Dark Chapter in History: The Destruction of Dhanmondi 32
The house at 32 Dhanmondi, a historic site tied to the Bengali independence movement, the Liberation War, and the birth of Bangladesh, had already witnessed a tragic chapter in 1975. Now, in 2024, a new dark chapter unfolded around this 63-year-old house. Following acts of vandalism and arson, militants—backed by Bangladesh’s interim government—completely demolished the structure using bulldozers.
On the same Wednesday night, Hasina’s residence, Sudha Sadan, was also set on fire. Beyond Dhaka, acts of arson and destruction targeted properties linked to Hasina’s relatives and Awami League leaders in Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, Bhola, and Pirojpur. Numerous sculptures and murals were vandalized and burned. The name plaques of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were forcefully removed from various university campuses.
Bongbondhu Sheikh Mujib’s House Turned to Rubble
The announcement of Hasina’s speech from India ignited tensions across the country. Using this as a pretext, militants launched a large-scale attack on Dhanmondi 32, home to the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. By Wednesday night, the house was severely vandalized before being set on fire. Finally, with the help of a crane, an excavator, and two bulldozers, the house—rich with memories of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—was completely razed to the ground.
A house that had stood as a witness to history was reduced to ruins in an instant. Only a small portion of the three-story structure remains standing. The surrounding buildings and structures were also leveled.
On Thursday morning, a visit to the site revealed a grim scene. Some people were seen trying to collect iron rods from the collapsed roof and shattered railings. Others were using hammers to break apart the debris. Scattered around the area, some were picking up pieces of iron and steel from the rubble.
Attack at Sudha Sadan
As the acts of vandalism were taking place at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic residence at 32 Dhanmondi, Sheikh Hasina’s private residence, Sudha Sadan, at Dhanmondi-5 was set on fire. Witnesses reported that between 10:30 PM and 10:45 PM, a group of young men arrived and set fire to the locked house. This was the second attack on Sudha Sadan, as an earlier assault had occurred on August 5. Following that attack, military personnel had sealed off the residence. However, on Wednesday night, militants broke the lock and set the house ablaze.
Despite the fire burning for several hours, no firefighting units were seen responding to the incident. Locals noted that Sheikh Hasina had briefly stayed at Sudha Sadan during the tenure of a previous caretaker government. She conducted her 2008 election campaign from this house and, after winning the election and becoming Prime Minister, moved to the official state residence, Gonobhaban.
During her tenure, Sheikh Hasina would occasionally visit Sudha Sadan, and the house remained under heavy security at all times.
Narayanganj: Destruction of Murals
On Thursday (February 6), at 1 PM, BNP-Jamaat-backed lawyers first destroyed the mural in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Shortly after, they attacked the murals in front of the Police Superintendent’s office and the District & Sessions Judge’s Court. Eventually, BNP-Jamat activists stormed the ground floor of the District Administration Building, vandalizing the Bangabandhu Corner.
Kishoreganj: Attack on Awami League Office
The so-called “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement” carried out an attack on the Kishoreganj District Awami League office. At approximately 10:45 PM on Wednesday (February 5), they vandalized the abandoned office building and then set it on fire. Later, at around 11 PM, militants stormed the Kishoreganj District Freedom Fighter Complex and demolished a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, she fled the country. As this news spread, BJP, Jamaat, and Shibir activists launched attacks on the Awami League district office, vandalizing the premises.
Due to the presence of militant groups and the widespread violence, shops and businesses in Kishoreganj city and surrounding areas shut down immediately. At one point, road traffic in the area became severely restricted.
Rangpur: Destruction of Bangabandhu’s Mural at Carmichael College
At Carmichael College in Rangpur, Shibir-affiliated students vandalized a mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. They also defaced the inscriptions on the mural.
At approximately 9:45 PM on Wednesday (February 5), Shibir-linked members of the so-called “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement”, along with local supporters and students from various dormitories, gathered at the college entrance. The group, armed with hammers, axes, and sticks, attacked the mural at the main gate, chanting anti-government slogans.
Begum Rokeya University: Renaming of Structures Named After Bangabandhu and His Family
Meanwhile, at Begum Rokeya University (BRU), students have erased the names of structures named after Bangabandhu and his family.
On Wednesday night, around 9:30 PM, students gathered and erased the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, renaming it Bijoy 24 Hall. In support of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, students erased the name of the Bangabandhu Mural in front of the university’s administrative building and renamed it Muktomoncho (Open Stage).
Additionally, at 10:15 PM, students removed the nameplate of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall on campus and renamed the hall Bijoy 24.
Rangpur: Three Murals of Sheikh Mujib Demolished in One Night
In Rangpur, three murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were demolished with a bulldozer in one night by activists of the so-called Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, affiliated with Shibir. Along with the plaques, the inscriptions of Sheikh Mujib’s quotes on the murals were also erased.
At around 9:30 PM on Wednesday, the first mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vandalized on the Begum Rokeya University campus. Around 9:45 PM, members and supporters of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered from College Road, Lalbagh, and entered the Carmichael College campus. They demolished the mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of the main gate using hammers, axes, and sticks while chanting slogans. Later, at around 12:45 AM, the mural of Bangabandhu located at the Rangpur Zilla School intersection was demolished with a bulldozer.
Khulna: ‘Sheikh Bari’ Demolished and Set on Fire
The BNP-Jamaat-Shibir coalition set fire to Sheikh Bari (Sheikh House), considered the center of power in Khulna and the southern region, after demolishing it with bulldozers. Late on Wednesday night, fire was seen burning inside the house. People were seen dismantling the house, removing bricks and rods using rickshaws and vans.
Mural Vandalized at Khulna University
At Khulna University’s main entrance, a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vandalized by Jamaat-Shibir activists. At midnight on Wednesday, a bulldozer was used to demolish it. Additionally, Jamaat-Shibir members attacked and set fire to the residence of Awami League leader Delwar at Dolkhola Mor in the city. According to Khulna University sources, Shibir activists carried out protests throughout the night, and the vandalism continued until midnight. Furthermore, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Shibir-affiliated students threw shoes at and vandalized the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sculpture located in front of Bangabandhu Hall.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing external individuals entering the campus before the Shibir-aligned students moved toward the main entrance. They brought in an excavator (bulldozer), but after facing student resistance, they left. Later, Shibir members attempted to use the excavator to destroy the Kaljoyi Mujib (Immortal Mujib) mural, but it was not fully demolished. As of now, the destruction of the mural has been halted.
Kushtia: House of Former MP Hanif Demolished
Mustafizur Rahman, the Kushtia District Secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, stated, “The autocrats are trying to return to politics. They are attempting to rise again. There is no place for them in this Bangladesh.”
Following Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country on August 5, the protesters, outraged, vandalized and set fire to the luxurious mansion of former MP Hanif in Kushtia Sadar. Looting incidents also occurred during the unrest.
Satkhira: Vandalism of Bangabandhu’s Mural
The protesters initially gathered in front of the mural to voice their protest. They raised slogans against the policies of the Awami League. Eventually, they began removing the mural of Bangabandhu at the Khulna Road intersection. Additionally, they destroyed murals in the district council area and the freedom fighters’ complex of the Sadar Upazila, carried out by the agitated leaders and activists of the student camp.
Jessore: Destruction of Sheikh Mujib’s Mural
Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP have vandalized Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s sculpture and at least eight nameplates in Jessore district council, Sadar Upazila, Jessore Municipality, and Victory Tower in Monihar area.
On Wednesday at around 10 PM, a group of students initially came with hammers and smashed the sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the city’s Freedom Fighters’ Complex. Between 10-12 motorcycles, carrying 25-30 young people, arrived at the spot. They started the vandalism with iron pipes, hammers, and shovels.
Vandalism in Jessore Continues: Destruction of Various Sculptures
They later destroyed Bangabandhu’s mural at the district council area. The protesters then went to the Old Kasba Central Shaheed Minar, where they vandalized the nameplate of Sheikh Hasina, the inaugural figure.
During this time, they also completely destroyed the half-destroyed sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Jessore Municipality premises. They also destroyed the inauguration nameplate of the Jessore Fire Service Civil Defense Office. The group continued their rampage, demolishing at least eight other government establishments’ nameplates and murals, including those of Sheikh Hasina and Bangabandhu at the ‘Victory Tower’ commemorating the Liberation War.
Vandalism in Chuadanga: Murals of Sheikh Mujib and Sheikh Hasina Destroyed
Leaders and activists of the student camp and BNP in Chuadanga have destroyed the murals of Sheikh Mujib and Sheikh Hasina at the District Commissioner’s office and Sadar Upazila premises. Additionally, they demolished the main gate of the district Awami League office with a bulldozer. This incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday.
Comilla: House of Former MP Bahar Attacked
As part of the nationwide bulldozer campaign, the house of former Member of Parliament AKM Baharul in the Comilla Sadar constituency was vandalized and set on fire.
On Wednesday night, around 1 AM, militant protestors stormed Baharul’s three-story house in Munsefe. They tried to break down the doors and windows and threw bricks. Though there were no bulldozers or machines, they destroyed the property using axes, iron rods, and other tools. Eventually, they set the house on fire by pouring octane and petrol on it.
Brahmanbaria: Vandalism of Bongobondhu’s Mural
On Thursday (February 6) afternoon, a procession started from the college campus. The procession circled the main campus before ending at the South Campus, where the mural of Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was destroyed with hammers, shovels, and other tools.
Noakhali: Attack on Obaidul Quader’s House
Members of the so-called anti-discrimination student movement from Noakhali district attacked the house of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.
On Thursday (February 6), at 1 PM, they stormed his residence in the Rajapur village of Basurhat Union, Companyganj Upazila.
When the protesters arrived at the house, some stood on the roof, others inside, and some in front. They shouted slogans such as “Naraye Takbeer, Allahu Akbar” and set fire to various household items, the railing on the roof, and a burned car outside.
Rajshahi: Burning of Former MP Shimul’s House
Before this, at around 11:30 PM, members of the National Citizens Committee and the so-called anti-discrimination movement gathered at the old bus station area and started a procession with microphones. They reached Shimul’s residence, where they set fire to an already burned car and the porch, dancing to music and raising slogans.
This house had been the site of protests following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, and on the following day, four bodies were recovered from the charred remains of the house.
Barishal: Destruction of Serniabat Sadik Abdullah’s House
Initially, the army set up a barricade to ask the public to remain calm, but despite the army’s intervention, the protestors broke the barricade and entered the compound with the bulldozer. Various anti-Awami League slogans were heard during the attack.
This house belonged to Abdur Rab Serniabat, the first council minister of Bangladesh, who died with Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975. Since then, his son, Abul Hasanat Abdullah, who later became involved in politics, had lived there.
The protests continued as they vandalized Sadik Abdullah’s house, which had been vacant since August 5, 2020, when his father fled.
Chuadanga: Destruction of Murals and Property by Militants
The protesters first marched to the District Commissioner’s office premises, where they destroyed the murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Begum Fazilatunnessa. The remaining structures were vandalized with hammers, axes, and sticks as they continued to shout various slogans. Later, they used a bulldozer to destroy the entire structure.
They then moved to the district Awami League’s party office at the city’s municipal corner. Here too, they destroyed the sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with a bulldozer. They also entered the building, where they vandalized images of Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders. Subsequently, they went to the Sadar Upazila and district council areas, continuing to destroy Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujib’s murals.