Protests in Bangladesh: House of exiled leader Hasina attacked

Protests in Bangladesh: House of exiled leader Hasina attacked

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh expressed their displeasure with the exiled former prime minister on Wednesday Sheikh Hasina by destroying a family home that symbolizes the country's independence - and now the authoritarianism they believe she led.

The origin of the protest

The attack was triggered by a planned speech by Hasina, who brought her from exile in neighboring India wanted to keep. Hasina fled last year during a student-led uprising against her 15-year rule. Critics accuse her of suppressing dissenting voices.

The meaning of the house

The house in the capital Dhaka was the home of Hasina's late father and the independence leader of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who made the formal break with him there in 1971 Pakistan exclaimed. Rahman was assassinated in this house in 1975. Hasina later converted the building into a museum.

Disruptions and escalations

Since Hasina left the country, some of her supporters have tried to rally there but have been attacked by Hasina's critics, who have also attacked other symbols of her government and party since the uprising. These attacks have resulted in destruction and arson attacks in several buildings.

The reaction of the former Prime Minister

On Wednesday, some protesters threatened to "demolish" the building with excavators if Hasina continued with her speech, which marked the start of a month-long protest program by her political party, the Awami League. The party is trying to win support amid allegations of attacks on its members and other Hasina supporters.

As Hasina began speaking, the protesters stormed the house and began tearing down the brick walls. They later brought a crane and an excavator to demolish the building. Amid the destruction, Hasina expressed: "They do not have the power to destroy the country's independence with excavators. They may destroy a building, but they will not erase history."

Accusations and backlash

Hasina called on the people of Bangladesh to resist the new rulers, claiming they had gained power through "unconstitutional" means. Student leader Hasnat Abdullah warned the media about Hasina's speech and announced on Facebook: "Tonight Bangladesh will be liberated from the pilgrimage site of fascism."

Many of the protesters called for Hasina's execution because of the hundreds of deaths during the last year in the uprising against her, one of the worst unrest since independence. Hasina called for a UN investigation into these deaths.

The influence of India and the current situation

The protesters also raised slogans criticizing India. An interim government in Bangladesh led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has called for Hasina's extradition, but India has not yet responded.

Early reports from the leading English-language newspaper Daily Star said waves of attacks were targeted overnight at several homes and businesses of Awami League supporters. The interim government is desperately trying to maintain order and prevent mob violence against Hasina's supporters, but has accused Hasina of widespread corruption and human rights abuses during her reign, which began in 2009.

Criticism of the interim government

The Awami League, in turn, accuses the Yunus-led government of violating human rights and oppressing Bangladesh's minorities, something the authorities deny. While New York-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch has praised the interim government's reform measures, it criticized a "worrying pattern of abuses by security forces" that appears to have repeated itself after Hasina's ouster, but this time targeting Awami League supporters, including journalists.

In a new report last month, the group found that police are again making arbitrary arrests and filing mass criminal complaints against unnamed people, giving police the ability to threaten almost anyone with arrest.