Dhaka, Bangladesh – Six months after a mass uprising toppled former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a mob set the house of her late father and the country’s independence hero, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on fire on Wednesday night.Along with Rahman’s Dhanmondi 32 residence, protesters also set the homes of exiled leaders of Hasina’s party, the Awami League, on fire.
The mob gathered after Hasina delivered a fiery online speech on Wednesday evening from exile in India, in which she called on her supporters to stand against the interim government led by Nobel laureate, Muhammad Yunus.
The Dhanmondi 32 house was also attacked during the July-August protests against Hasina that culminated in her ousting after 15 years of rule. The protests, led largely by students and young people, began over a controversial government job quota system and transformed into nationwide unrest following a harsh crackdown by authorities, where at least 834 people were killed and 20,000 were injured in clashes with the police. Advertisement
Who was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and what does the Dhanmondi 32 residence signify?
Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – widely known as “Bangabandhu” (Friend of Bengal) and “Mujib” – led the nation’s liberation struggle against Pakistan that led to its independence in 1971.
As the new nation’s first president and later prime minister, Rahman’s leadership shaped the country’s early years. On January 24, 1975, he introduced a controversial one-party state system, known as Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL), which eliminated political opposition. This system gave the state complete control over the media; merged state …
