Bangladesh: Protesters Set Fire to Historic Residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman During Sheikh Hasina's Live Address

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic residence in Dhaka was vandalized and set on fire on Wednesday during a live address by his daughter, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh. The house, located in the Dhanmondi area, had been converted into a memorial museum and became the focal point of a large protest after a call for a “Bulldozer Procession” spread on social media ahead of Hasina's speech at 9 pm (BST).

The protesters, numbering in the thousands, gathered outside the residence while Hasina's address, organized by the Awami League's disbanded student wing, Chhatra League, called for resistance against the current regime. Hasina said, “They are yet to have the strength to destroy the national flag, the constitution, and the independence that we earned at the cost of lives of millions of martyrs with a bulldozer.” Her remarks appeared to target the government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which she claimed had been installed by the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement.

In her speech, Hasina also remarked, “They can demolish a building, but not the history … but they must also remember that the history takes its revenge.” The student movement had previously expressed plans to abolish Bangladesh's 1972 Constitution, with some far-right factions proposing changes to the national anthem adopted by the post-independence government led by Sheikh Mujib.

The residence at 32 Dhanmondi is an iconic symbol in Bangladesh's history, as it was from there that Sheikh Mujib led the movement for autonomy for decades. After the country's independence, the house was turned into a museum, often visited by foreign dignitaries. However, it was set ablaze in August last year following the downfall of Hasina’s 16-year regime. She and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, secretly fled the country on a Bangladesh Air Force flight to India.

With a choked voice, Hasina recalled how Pakistani troops looted the house during the 1971 Liberation War but did not destroy it. She asked, “What crime had it committed? Why were they so afraid of the house… I seek justice from the people of the country. Didn’t I do anything for you?”

The protesters damaged a mural of Sheikh Mujib on the house’s boundary wall and wrote, “There won’t be 32 anymore,” a reference to the address. Abdul Hannan Masud, a leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, called for the demolition of all residences belonging to former Awami League MPs and ministers, proposing that new buildings be constructed in their place.

Earlier, Hasnat Abdullah, the convenor of the student movement, warned Bangladesh’s media outlets not to broadcast Hasina’s speech, accusing them of facilitating her agenda.

In her address, Hasina criticized Yunus’s movement for using students to seize political power. She urged the students to return to their studies and focus on building a future for the country.

Meanwhile, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury confirmed that the interim government is working to extradite Hasina and others from India under the extradition treaty. Hasina has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5 last year following a massive student-led protest that led to the collapse of her government. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former officials on charges of “crimes against humanity and genocide.”Protesters Set Fire to Historic Residence of Sheikh Mujib During Hasina's Live Address​