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Dhanmondi 32 residence demolished with bulldozer
Dhanmandi No 32 house demolished with bulldozer on Wednesday night. Photo collected
The Dhanmondi-32 house in Dhaka began to collapse under bulldozer impact late Wednesday night, following a fire set on its third floor earlier that evening.
The demolition began at 11:30 pm on Wednesday (Jan 5), following an arson attack on the third floor at around 9:00 pm.
Earlier in the night, at approximately 10:30 pm, a crane was brought to the site, followed shortly by a bulldozer. Flames could be seen engulfing part of the building as the crowd watched.
As the crane was positioned, many onlookers climbed onto it, cheering and chanting slogans such as "Tear down Sheikh Mujib's house, raze it to the ground." Some protesters called for the execution of Sheikh Hasina.
Demolition Marks Six Months Since Sheikh Hasina's Exile
The incident coincided with the six-month anniversary of Sheikh Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh following her ousting by a mass movement, reports UNB.
From 8:00 pm onwards, large crowds began gathering outside the residence. As their numbers swelled, tensions escalated, leading to the forced entry of protestors who broke the gates and stormed inside. Armed with sticks and crowbars, they actively participated in the destruction.
Student activists and online campaigners who had played a role in the July uprising declared that the demolition would commence precisely when Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to deliver a speech. But the attack began ahead of schedule, at approximately 8:00 pm.
At 7:00 pm, Hasnat Abdullah, the convenor of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, posted on Facebook: "Tonight, Bangladesh will be free from the shrine of fascism."
Dhanmondi 32 is historically significant as the home where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman played a key role in guiding the nation before the Liberation War.
On 15 August 1975, Mujib, along with his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, and other family members, was assassinated within this residence. The site was later converted into a memorial museum.
Following the overthrow of the Awami League government in July’s mass uprising, protesters had attacked and set fire to the house on 5 August.