Protesters in Bangladesh vandalised and set fire to the former family house of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as the homes of other members of her party.
The upheaval was spurred by reports that Hasina would address the nation via social media from India, where she has been in exile since student-led rallies ousted her last year.
Hasina, 77, who led Bangladesh for 20 years, was viewed as an autocrat whose administration brutally suppressed dissent.
On Wednesday evening, an excavator ploughed into the home of Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also Bangladesh’s founding president. The building had been converted into a museum.
Hasina’s father is widely regarded as an independence hero, but his anger at his daughter has tarnished his reputation among Hasina’s detractors.
In a Facebook video, Hasina condemned the attack and demanded “justice.”.
“They can demolish a building, but they can’t erase history,” she said.
Hasina, previously lauded as a pro-democracy champion, has seen her reputation deteriorate since gaining government. She has been accused of rigging elections and imprisoning her opponents, and her administration was widely seen as corrupt.
She faces arrest warrants for cracking down on student-led protests last year, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people.
While Hasina escaped to India in August, resentment against her and her Awami League colleagues has not subsided.
On Wednesday, demonstrators vandalised and burnt down the homes and businesses of key Awami League officials. There have been requests on social media to remove the country’s “fascist pilgrimage sites.”
According to authorities, some 700 demonstrators arrived at the apartment on Wednesday night, prompting the deployment of dozens of police officers.
Since Hasina’s removal, a caretaker government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has kept the country operating.
However, it has struggled to contain simmering unrest. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent months, demanding that Hasina be jailed for her fatal crackdown on student protesters.
While Yunus’ government attempts to extradite Hasina from India, it is simultaneously coping with an impending economic crisis; Yunus has accused Hasina of fabricating Bangladesh’s economic prosperity and laundering billions of dollars during her tenure.
Yunus promised to hold elections in late 2025 or early 2026.
