New Delhi: Famous Hindu Bangladeshi Singer Rahul Ananda's house, which was seen as a vibrant cultural hub has been torched by the protestors and looted. The incident happened amid mass uprising in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. The violent mob attacked the musician's residence in Dhaka on Monday afternoon (August 5, 2024).
One of Joler Gaan's founding members, Saiful Islam Jarnal told The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper, "Rahul Da and his family are shaken and take shelter to a secret place known to only a few. We could not contact him yet. It was not even his house, it was a rental he was living in for decades. I came to know the incident happened around 4 pm. From what I have heard, a group of goons attacked the residence and as Rahul Da, Shukla Di (Rahul's wife), Tota (his son) and other family members somehow got out."
Welcome to the taste of "newly independent" Bangladesh. It’s not just Rahul Anand’s house; many minority assets, homes, businesses, and farms are being looted and vandalized.
pic.twitter.com/xRgLSjXREU— 47Sha (@47Sha_) August 7, 2024
Singer's wife, and son managed to escape the attack unharmed but the attackers looted the house, reportedly.
"Rahul Da owned a collection of over 3000 musical instruments which he designed and made over the years. I can say that he might have suffered a loss of Tk 10 lakh over the household things, but how could you put a price on the instruments which he so lovingly built?" said Jarnal, a musician himself.
In Bangladesh, protests escalated in recent weeks, with students protesting over job quotas, and calling for Sheikh Hasina's resignation.
