Bangladesh: Interim Govt Expresses Concern Over Attempts Of Vandalism, Arson Attacks

Bangladesh’s interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed its concern over “attempts of vandalism and arson” attacks nationwide, hours after it said deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks caused unwanted demolition of the country’s founding father’s residence in Dhaka.

Chief Adviser Yunus’s press wing issued the latest statement on Thursday saying, “the interim government observes with deep concern that some people and quarters are trying to vandalize and set on fire different institutions and establishments throughout the country”.

"The government will prevent such activities with a strong hand. The interim government is ready to protect the life and property of the citizens,” it said and promised stern punitive actions against the persons and quarters concerned by law enforcement agencies.

Chief Adviser’s press wing released the statement hours after the interim government said the Wednesday demolition of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 32 Dhanmondi residence was undesirable but was caused by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s provocative speech from India.

“The vandalism at 32 Dhanmondi residence was unintended and unwanted . . . (But) the inflammatory statements made by fugitive Sheikh Hasina from India against the July Uprising created deep anger among the people, which was manifested in this incident,” the press wing said in the statement.

It said Hasina had insulted and disdained those who sacrificed themselves in the July Uprising. She spoke in the same tone she used to speak when she was in power by threatening everyone involved in the mass uprising, it added.

A large group of protesters demolished 32 Dhanmondi, Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana’s ancestral residence using excavators after setting it ablaze and throughout Thursday damaged it further with manually operated tools.

Sheikh Mujib largely led the pre-independence autonomy movement and subsequent independence struggle from this house and was killed along with most of his family members in a military coup carried out by a group of relatively junior military officers on August 15, 1975.

Hasina and Rehana survived the putsch as they were on a tour in Germany at that time and later they donated the house which was run by a trust as museum.

The mob set the structure on fire first on August 5, 2024, when Hasina’s Awami League regime was toppled and demolished on Wednesday night coinciding with an online speech by the deposed premier.

A group of army troops emerged at the house to persuade the attackers to leave the scene but responded with boos and then left the site.

Bangladesh on Thursday lodged a formal protest against Hasina’s activities staying in India handing over a protest note to the country’s acting high commissioner in Dhaka.

“We called India’s deputy high commissioner, as the high commissioner was not here, and handed over him our protest note,” foreign affairs adviser or de facto foreign minister M Touhid Hossain told reporters at a briefing at his office here.

He said Dhaka previously urged New Delhi to prevent Hasina from engaging in such activities, “but we did not receive any response” but once again Bangladesh conveyed its objections through the Indian acting envoy Pawan Badhe and “we will observe what actions India takes”.