Bangabandhu’s Dhanmondi house now lays ruined after vandalism, arson
Bangabandhu Memorial in Dhanmondi-32 on the morning of 6 August 2024. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain
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Bangabandhu Memorial in Dhanmondi-32 on the morning of 6 August 2024. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain
No trace of the 15 August 1975 massacre remains at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house at Dhanmondi-32. With almost every room vandalised, looted and torched, only charred walls stand.
After Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country in the face of student movement and mass uprising, a group of mobs wreaked havoc on the historic site.
Visiting the spot this afternoon (6 August), it was seen that the fire was extinguished, but smoke and burnt smell were still there. Many people came to see the ruins, taking pictures and making videos. Some parents brought their children with them.
There was nothing left to loot from the building. However, some street children were seen removing nuts and bolts from the windows.
The stair in which Bangabandhu’s body was found after the 15 August massacre used to be surrounded by glass and visitors could only watch from a distance. Now, anyone can step on those stairs.
Photo: Jahir Rayhan
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Photo: Jahir Rayhan
A recently built extension building next to the main building housed a library on the sixth floor with thousands of books and historical photographs. Students at the spot are not allowing anyone to enter there.
“We have been here since 9am. We are collecting the books and various documents that were not looted,” said Mohammad Sultan, a student.
Another student, Taufiq Riaz, said, “We have asked the National Library to take whatever books we can collect. There were about 20,000 to 25,000 books. We will recover as many books as we can.”
