Bulldozing Legacy

Thousands of protesters demolished the family home of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the capital Dhaka this week, as the ousted leader delivered a political speech condemning the country’s new interim government, the Independent reported Thursday.

Demonstrators carrying sticks, hammers, and other tools, marched to the house of Hasina’s father and the country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Wednesday night. Other protesters brought a crane and excavator to demolish the building – a rally that was dubbed “bulldozer procession.”

Photos and videos published later showed some parts of the home leveled to the ground, while other sections were burned. Local media reported that protesters also launched attacks on houses and businesses connected to Hasina’s Awami League supporters.

Many of them also chanted calls for Hasina’s execution, while others described Rahman’s home as a “symbol of fascism.”

Rahman led Bangladesh when it became independent from Pakistan in 1971 but was assassinated in his home four years later. His daughter later turned the home into a museum.

The demolition is the latest outburst of rage directed at Hasina, who has been accused of cracking down on dissent and overseeing extrajudicial killings during her 15-year rule.

Hasina was ousted last year following student-led protests that ignited over a proposal to change public sector job quotas but later evolved into large-scale anti-government protests. Her administration launched a crackdown against demonstrators that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

In August, she fled to neighboring India and has been living there in exile, Al Jazeera wrote.

Wednesday’s violence erupted just before a planned speech by Hasina on social media, which demonstrators viewed as a challenge to the interim government of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

In her speech, Hasina accused protesters of “erasing history” and alleged that the new government took power in an “unconstitutional” manner. She urged her supporters to stand up against the interim administration.

The new government has sought Hasina’s extradition, but Indian authorities have not responded to the request. The Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal has already banned the publication or airing of her speeches in the country.

Meanwhile, the student-led movement behind last year’s demonstrations has been calling for abolishing the country’s constitution which dates from 1972, which they claim preserves the legacy of her father’s regime.