Agitated demonstrators demolished Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic residence at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital along with any other buildings and establishments linked to him, ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other prominent leaders of Awami League.
It came at the wake of coordinated announcements of a "Bulldozer Procession" circulated via social media, timed to coincide with Sheikh Hasina’s virtual address to the proscribed student organisation, Chhatra League, at 9pm on Wednesday (5 February).
Simultaneously, similar incidents of destruction unfolded across several districts, including Rajshahi, Kushtia, Sylhet, Chuadanga, Barishal, Bhola, Chattogram, and Khulna.
Enraged crowds razed the residence of Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, former mayor of Barishal City Corporation in Barishal, followed by an attack on the home of Awami League stalwart and former minister Amir Hossain Amu.
In Bhola, protesters set ablaze the residence of former minister Tofail Ahmed.
By the early hours of Thursday (6 February), the demolition of Mujib’s Dhanmondi residence was ongoing and continued throughout the night.
Crowds cheered as songs blared amidst the destruction, with families gathering to witness the spectacle.
Flames continued to engulf parts of the building, with throngs showing no signs of dispersing.
Elsewhere, murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman met similar fates.
In Khulna city, members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement dismantled murals around 9:30pm, while in Sylhet, a mural outside the deputy commissioner’s office was bulldozed during a procession led by university students chanting slogans against the vestiges of Mujib's political ideology.
At Rajshahi University, protesters vandalised nameplates of halls previously dedicated to Mujib and his family, renaming them with titles evoking revolutionary symbolism.
Tensions escalated as opposing student groups clashed, exchanging projectiles and incendiary rhetoric.
In Dhaka, the once-revered Sudha Sadan, residence of Sheikh Hasina’s late husband Dr MA Wazed Miah, was also set ablaze.
Graffiti defaced Mujib's residence walls with defiant messages such as "32 No More" amidst chants of "Azadi, Azadi" and "Dhaka, Not Delhi," reflecting the fervour of the ongoing dissent.
Security forces made sporadic appearances, attempting to pacify the swelling crowds, often to no avail.
The army intervened in Barishal, engaging in tense negotiations with demonstrators as bulldozers paused momentarily.
