Violence erupted again in several cities of Bangladeshlate Wednesday night ahead of the Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League’s proposed nationwide protest.
Demonstrators stormed and vandalized the Dhanmondi-32 residence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s father and Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ‘Bangabandhu’ in Dhaka. They accused Sheikh Hasina of conspiring while sitting in India.
Sheikh Hasina’s opponents set fire to her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Dhanmondi-32 house in Dhaka on Wednesday night and demolished it. On the other hand, in Khulna, the houses of Sheikh Hasina’s cousins Sheikh Sohail and Sheikh Jewelwere razed with two bulldozers.
Sheikh Hasina’s uncle had fled the country in August. His house was also razed by protesters. The leaders of the student movement called 2 bulldozers from the Municipal Corporation and demolished the house.
The violence took place after the announcement of a ‘bulldozer procession’ on social media. Security forces were also present when the attack took place. Thet tried to convince the crowd to leave, but all efforts failed.
In fact, Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League had appealed to its workers and leaders to take to the streets on February 6. The party had called for a march to protest against the alleged cases filed against former PM Hasina and the attack on minorities.
As part of the protest, the student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s party, Chhatra League, had organized an online program, in which Sheikh Hasina was to speak through Facebook. The time for the program was fixed at 9 pm.
As soon as the news of this program was received, Hasina’s opponents called for a ‘bulldozer demonstration‘. Its time was also fixed at 9 pm.
On the appeal of Hasnat Abdullah, the convener of the anti-discrimination movement, hundreds of protesters entered Dhanmondi-32 with shovels and hammers at 8 pm.
The Daily Star quoted eyewitnesses as saying that they defaced the murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman installed there.
According to the newspaper, the building was set on fire at 9.30 pm. And a little before midnight, a crane and an excavator reached there. After this, a part of the building was demolished around 2 am.
