Fazlul Haque, a 63-year-old businessman from Narayanganj, travelled to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on the morning of February 6 to witness the demolition of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondhi-32, which began the previous night.
Recalling the moment he heard the news, he said, “When I saw the demolition of Dhanmondi-32 on Facebook on Wednesday (February 5) , I couldn’t stay back. I immediately decided to come to Dhaka. I have seen the wrongdoings of the Awami League for years, and I wanted to witness their downfall with the demolition of this house.”
Not only Mr. Haque, but thousands of people gathered at Dhanmondi-32 — the iconic residence where the father of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the leader of Bangladesh’s liberation war lived and was assassinated. The building, which also housed the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, became the focal point of a historic moment as crowds gathered to witness its demolition. Many came simply to watch, while others arrived with the intent of taking part in the vandalisation.
Abrar Hamim, a student activist, said: “Shortly after I saw a Facebook post calling for the demolition of Dhanmondi-32 residence, I left my house for Shahbagh and joined the student march. We walked nearly four kilometres in protest, but by the time we arrived, people had already begun vandalising the house in anger. I returned home at dawn when a significant section of the building had already been destroyed. Everyone, including the protesting students of the July uprising, agreed to demolish it — because, to us, it is the pilgrimage site of fascism.”
February 5 marked six months since the mass uprising that toppled the 16-year regime of Ms. Hasina in Bangladesh. The ousted leader had announced a speech to be broadcast on the Facebook page of banned student outfit Bangladesh Chhatra League that night. In response, protesters, including students from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and online activists, announced an event titled “Bulldozer March”, scheduled to coincide with the online programme of Ms. Hasina, calling for a demonstration against the speech broadcast.
They planned to gather at Shahbagh before marching to Dhanmondi-32. However, by 8:00 p.m., enraged students and people from different walks of live had already started assembling at the site, chanting slogans. At one point, protesters forcefully broke the gates of Sheikh Mujibur’s residence and stormed inside, vandalising the property. Demonstrators began tearing down the boundary walls of the residence using sticks and crowbars when a military team arrived at the residence but withdrew after a brief presence. By 10:30 p.m., the protest escalated further as Ms. Hasina’s residence, Sudha Sadan, was set on fire. The Fire Service was informed of the fire at Sudha Sadan but did not intervene, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, by 11:00 p.m., protesters brought a crane to Dhanmondi-32, soon followed by an excavator. Around midnight, the protesters began to use heavy machinery to demolish large sections of the building, with the destruction continuing until around 2:00 in the morning. Protesters remained on-site throughout the night. Law enforcers were also seen nearby since the beginning.
More people began to gather at Dhanmondi-32 in the morning of February 6, cheering as they saw most of the building reduced to rubble. The excavators left the scene by 10:30 a.m., leaving the house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to be torn apart by hands. A large crowd remained in front of the site, while some individuals entered the building to take books, steel, iron, tin, and wood.
The enraged crowd had also attacked two individuals, a woman among them, in front of the residence in the morning. The attack occurred after the individuals chanted Joy Bangla slogans and spoke in favour of the Awami League.
At around 11:00 a.m., fires were still burning on the second floor of Sudha Sadan. Household items such as refrigerators, beds, wardrobes, and sofas were scattered outside. Signs of fire and vandalism were visible throughout the building, from the ground floor to the fourth floor, with tiles removed in several places. Thousands of people were seen coming to visit the site but the actual demolition work was being done by a smaller group of people. Parts of the building were razed to the ground by 2:00 p. m. on Thursday.
An enraged crowd had earlier stormed, vandalised, and set fire to Sheikh Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi-32 on August 5 last year during the mass uprising which resulted in Ms. Hasina’s government being overthrown. Since then, the house had remained largely abandoned.
However, vandalism was not confined to Dhanmondi-32 residence. Similar incidents have since erupted across various districts outside the capital, where murals of Sheikh Rahman and his family members have been defaced, and homes of Awami League leaders, along with party offices, have been attacked and set on fire.
Acts of vandalism and arson erupted across multiple districts in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Barishal, and Sylhet divisions. The destruction outside Dhaka started in Khulna with the demolition of the ‘Sheikh Bari’ — the residence of Sheikh Hasina’s uncle. The ancestral home of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader was attacked, ransacked, torched, and looted by enraged students and protesters in Noakhali.
Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel, organising secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, said to The Hindu: “History does not fade with time and under bullets. From House No. 32, history of Bangladesh was written. House No. 32 will stand unshaken, because it is built not just with bricks, but with the indomitable spirit of the Bengali nation. The defeated forces may still try to rewrite history, to silence the truth, to erase our struggle. But they will fail. Because House No. 32 is not just a house — it is Bangladesh itself.”
Ahsanul Mahbub Jubair, a central committee member of The Jatiya Nagorik Committee, a political platform that has been formed by youth who were at the forefront of the student-led uprising said: “Through vandalising the pilgrimage site of fascism, protesters sent a clear message that the people of this country will never tolerate a fascist and a mass murderer like Sheikh Hasina. We, the youth, pledge to dismantle all elements of fascism, reform the state, and build our nation anew.”
Awami League’s response
The Awami League has strongly condemned the demolition of Sheikh Rahman’s historic residence, calling it an attack on Bangladesh’s history and independence.
AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Joint Secretary of the Awami League, told The Hindu: “We are deeply startled and disappointed by the vandalism and demolition of the Dhanmondi-32 residence and houses of Awami League leaders across the country. Dhanmondi-32 residence is not just a building; it holds immense historical significance. The government-backed protesters cannot erase Bangladesh’s history by demolishing it. It is naive to think that by vandalising a house, they can erase the contributions of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League in achieving an independent Bangladesh.”
“This demolition was carried out under the instructions of the unelected, Yunus-led interim government. The protesters had announced their vandalism programme in advance, and the bulldozer was sent by the government itself. Thus, it is clear that the government orchestrated this attack under the guise of public protest. The people will not forget these actions, and one day, this government will be held accountable.”, Mr. Nasim added.
However, the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus on February 6 blamed Ms. Hasina for her provocative statements for the attacks on the Dhanmondhi-32 residence.
“The vandalism at House No. 32 in Dhanmondi is unfortunate and unexpected. For the past six months, House No. 32 has not been subjected to any attacks or destruction. The deep public outrage that led to this incident was triggered by Sheikh Hasina’s provocative statements against the July Uprising while she remains in hiding in India. The interim government remains fully committed to protecting the lives and property of the people. Law enforcement agencies are making every effort to restore order and maintain stability”, the interim government said in a statement.
“The government expects that India will not allow its territory to be used for actions that incite instability in Bangladesh and will prevent Sheikh Hasina from making such statements. The interim government does not want a repeat of such incidents,” it added.
Protest note
Bangladesh handed over a protest note to the Indian acting high commissioner calling him to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohammed Touhid Hossain.
“We asked (summon) Indian deputy High Commissioner, as the high commissioner was not here, and handed over him our protest note. Dhaka had previously urged New Delhi to prevent Hasina from engaging in such activities, but we did not receive any response. We will observe what actions India takes,”
When asked why Dhanmondi-32 was targeted, Nazmul Islam, a political analyst and Head of Türkiye, Asia, and Indo-Pacific Studies at Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, told The Hindu: “For the student-led masses, this house symbolises ‘fascism,’ particularly due to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s rule from 1972 to 1975. Beyond that, it serves as an opportunity for student-led protesters to unite and demonstrate their collective opposition to the previous regime.”
“Whatever things happened, the incident has created a strong unity with the students-led masses for the short time, however, in the long run, if the current interim government fails to address the situation effectively, then the unrest could escalate into widespread chaos.”, he added.
Published – February 12, 2025 05:00 am IST
