The people of Bangladesh, alongside India, have once again rejected the conspiracy of 1971. The public stormed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s memorial and residence, demanding a ban on the Awami League.
On the night of February 5, the Bangladeshi public attacked the memorial and residence of Sheikh Mujib in Dhanmondi 32. Videos surfaced showing flames engulfing a floor of the house. Local media reported that protests against the Awami League erupted after an online speech by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On social media, a call was made for a “bulldozer procession” to be taken to Sheikh Mujib’s residence if Sheikh Hasina delivered an online speech. Around 8 p.m., protesters arrived at the residence in a rally, broke through the main gate, and forcibly entered. They set fire to portraits of Sheikh Mujib displayed inside the residence.
Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, posted on Facebook saying that the night marked the liberation of Bangladesh from fascism. Protesters declared that the Mujib family symbolized dictatorship and fascism, and they vowed to erase every trace of Mujibism in Bangladesh.
The protesters also demanded the return and execution of Sheikh Hasina. Other figures, including the convener of the Inqilab Mancha and member of the Jatiyo Nagorik Committee, Sharif Usman Hadi, also posted warnings of further attacks.
This incident follows an attack on the house last year on August 5, where protesters set parts of the building on fire. The residence holds symbolic importance in Bangladesh’s history, as it was from here that Sheikh Mujib led the so-called independence movement. Under Sheikh Hasina’s government, it was turned into a museum where global leaders visited with official protocol.
Since the revolution and change of government in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League remains under fire, and public anger against her persists, with ongoing protests. Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh for India in August of the previous year.
