Agitators torched and partially demolished the historic Dhanmondi-32 residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, following social media calls to destroy what was described as a "pilgrimage site of fascism."
A demonstration titled the "Bulldozer Procession" had been scheduled for 9:00pm to coincide with a virtual address by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, announced by the now-banned Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League on Wednesday (5 February).
However, events spiralled out of control an hour prior when hundreds of demonstrators stormed the premises armed with shovels and hammers.
Witnesses reported the destruction of a prominent mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before the building was set ablaze around 9:30pm.
By midnight, heavy machinery, including a crane and an excavator, arrived at the scene.
As of 8am on Thursday (6 February), significant portions of the building had been reduced to rubble.
The protest, according to social media posts, was a reaction to "Hasina's anti-Bangladesh activities from Delhi," where she fled on 5 August.
Demonstrators chanted incendiary slogans, including "Hang Sheikh Hasina!", "Bury Mujibism!", and "Long Live the Revolution!"
A protester declared that the Awami League should be banned from participating in any future elections.
Law enforcement officers maintained a presence nearby but refrained from intervening directly.
Around 12:40am, police were positioned near Metro Shopping Mall, close to the incident site.
No firefighting units were observed at the scene by midnight. Army personnel appeared around 9:30pm but reportedly withdrew shortly thereafter.
“We reject the memory of murderers in Bangladesh. We don’t need security forces here,” one protester stated.
Simultaneously, demonstrators set fire to Sudha Sadan, the Dhanmondi residence of Hasina's late husband, nuclear scientist MA Wazed Miah, around 11pm.
Rakibul Hasan, a fire service duty officer, confirmed receiving reports of the blaze around 11:30pm and acknowledged similar reports from Dhanmondi-32, adding, “We are responding according to the situation.”
Earlier, Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, claimed to have no knowledge of any planned attack on Dhanmondi-32.
DMP Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam echoed this statement.
Social media played a pivotal role in mobilising the protesters.
A poster shared in the Facebook group "Basherkella" depicted a bulldozer in front of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's portrait.
Hasnat Abdullah, convener of Students Against Discrimination, wrote on Facebook, "Tonight, Bangladesh will be freed from the grip of fascism." He also warned media outlets against broadcasting Hasina's speech, equating such coverage with endorsing her agenda.
At a press conference earlier in the day, Hasnat accused Hasina of ordering the deaths of 2,000 people to maintain power, criticising media outlets for what he described as their failure to condemn her actions unequivocally.
“If any media outlet broadcasts Hasina's speech, it will be assumed that they support her and stand against the people’s aspirations,” he declared.
