Protesters set fire to ex-Bangladesh PM’s family home
Protesters in Bangladesh have vandalised and set fire to the former family home of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as those of other members of her party.
The unrest was sparked by news that Hasina would address the country via social media from India, where she has been in exile since student-led protests ousted her last year.
The 77-year-old Hasina, who was in charge of Bangladesh for 20 years, was seen as an autocrat whose government ruthlessly clamped down on dissent.
On Wednesday evening, an excavator smashed down the house of Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also Bangladesh’s founding president. The structure had been repurposed into a museum.
In a Facebook livestream, Hasina condemned the attack and demanded “justice”.
“They can demolish a building, but they can’t erase history,” she said.
Hasina, once hailed as a pro-democracy icon, has seen her reputation sour after taking office. She has been accused of rigging elections and jailing her critics, and her administration was widely seen as corrupt.
She faces arrest warrants for cracking down on the student-led protests last year, which saw hundreds of people killed.
While Hasina fled to India last August, anger has not dissipated against her and her Awami League partymates.
