Janice R. Andrews
Armed protestors attacked supporters of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, marking a major uptick in the country’s instability. The supporters were attempting to go to Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, former Dhaka mansion when they got into the violent altercation. Armed with bamboo clubs, iron rods, and pipes, the demonstrators obstructed Hasina’s supporters’ march, denying them the opportunity to honor Rahman on the anniversary of his death.
On August 15, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a prominent figure who was instrumental in Bangladesh’s attainment of independence, was slain, along with the majority of his family. Since then, his home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi neighborhood has been transformed into the historically significant Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. However, after Hasina was removed from office, demonstrators set fire to the museum earlier this month, turning it into a target for violence.
Under Hasina’s leadership, the anniversary of Rahman’s murder was previously marked as a public holiday and a day of grief. Tensions have grown as a result of this practice’s discontinuation by the new temporary government. Hasina, who is currently living in self-imposed exile in India, has urged her followers to pay tribute to her father by going to the museum.
Many of Hasina’s supporters were reportedly attacked by the demonstrators, according to witnesses, and journalists covering the event were threatened if they recorded the actions on camera. The violence highlights Bangladesh’s worsening political unrest, which has already claimed over 300 lives in recent weeks.
The United Nations is scheduled to dispatch a fact-finding team to Dhaka the next week in reaction to the escalating unrest. The UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, reaffirmed that the mission will look into claims of crimes that occurred during the demonstrations in an unbiased manner. In order to guarantee an unbiased and trustworthy probe, the interim administration has promised to work closely with the UN.
