Thousands of demonstrators in Bangladesh on Monday looted and vandalized the official residence of Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, destroyed a statue of her father, Mujibur Rahman, and set fire to the offices of her party as they marked her resignation as Prime Minister. Social media videos depicted protesters toppling a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a hero of the 1971 Liberation War, in Dhaka, hammering it to pieces. Visuals of the statue of Bangladesh's father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of former PM Hasina being torn down being shown on Live TV.
Footage revealed the chaos at Hasina's official residence, 'Ganabhaban', with protesters ransacking the premises and leaving with items from the building. The Awami League's offices in Dhanmondi and Dhaka were torched by demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans, and the residence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also targeted and damaged, with smoke seen billowing from the property.
A protestor in Bangladesh hours after PM Hasina leaves the country pic.twitter.com/hPHTPTRZBx
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 5, 2024
Celebrations erupted nationwide as Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced Hasina's resignation, ending her 15-year tenure. Despite a military-imposed curfew, thousands breached the Ganabhaban, although Hasina was not present. The protests began last month over a demand to abolish a quota system reserving 30% of government jobs for families of 1971 war veterans, escalating into broader anti-government unrest.
Storming of the residence of Bangladesh PM Hasina in Dhaka pic.twitter.com/5lXHOPQZbX
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 5, 2024
In a significant turn of events, the Army Chief declared Hasina's resignation during the extensive protests against her government, which resulted in over 100 deaths in the past two days. The unrest led to the implementation of an indefinite nationwide curfew, with six fatalities reported in renewed violence on Monday.
In the morning, the government ordered a complete internet shutdown as protestors called for the public to join the "Long March to Dhaka." Later, a government agency verbally authorized the restoration of broadband internet around 1:15 PM on Monday.
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The people of Bangladesh have taken down the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. pic.twitter.com/toZnexVSPk
— South Asia Times (@SATimes_TV) August 5, 2024
As protesters convened in the capital for Monday's march, police and military presence was notable on the streets. The day started with an unsettling quietude but escalated into violence when Awami League supporters confronted the anti-government protestors, who had defied the curfew to participate in the "Long March to Dhaka." The clashes on Sunday resulted in at least 101 fatalities, including 14 police officers.
