A mob in Dhaka, Bangladesh, vandalized and set fire to the historic home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Wednesday (5 February). The attack took place while his daughter, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was addressing the nation online from India, urging her supporters to resist the interim government.
The house in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi-32 area, which had been converted into a memorial museum, was stormed by protesters carrying hammers, crowbars, and wooden planks. Social media posts had called for a “Bulldozer Procession,” leading demonstrators to break through the main gate, damage portraits of Rahman, and set parts of the house ablaze.
Protesters claimed the house symbolized “authoritarianism and fascism” and vowed to eliminate traces of “Mujibism” from Bangladesh. Hasina, visibly emotional, expressed deep sorrow over the destruction, recalling the memories her family shared in the house. She warned that history would take its revenge on those responsible for the attack.
In response to the unrest, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former officials, accusing them of “crimes against humanity and genocide.” Additionally, the tribunal revoked the passports of 97 individuals linked to her administration, intensifying the political crisis in the country.
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