Security forces used batons, tear gas and sound grenades on Monday to push back crowds attempting to demolish the Dhanmondi 32 residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the founding leader of Bangladesh.
Violence erupted hours before a special tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s crackdown on student-led protests last year.
According to The Daily Star, Deputy Commissioner of Ramna Division Police Masud Alam confirmed that “several sound grenades were used to disperse the protesters” as hundreds converged near the historic home, which was partly levelled after Hasina’s ouster last year.
Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in a military coup in 1975 along with most of his family, including his 10-year-old son, Sheikh Russell.
Tensions spiked shortly before noon when a large procession reached Dhanmondi 32, shouting slogans against Hasina.
A group attempted to push two excavators towards the compound, apparently intending to pull down the remaining structure. Security personnel blocked them, triggering a series of baton charges and brick-hurling clashes.
Protesters repeatedly regrouped despite dispersal attempts. Tear gas was fired near Square Hospital on Panthapath as crowds fractured and reassembled in the surrounding lanes. Mirpur Road and adjoining neighbourhoods were effectively shut down, with traffic suspended and most shops shuttered.
By 2.45pm, police briefly retreated under intense pressure, only for joint forces — army, police and the Rapid Action Battalion — to re-enter minutes later. Waves of baton charges and sound grenades finally restored control over the area.
Clashes flared again around 6pm near Bank Asia and Russell Square, where protesters hurled bricks and chanted, “Catch league and send them to jail,” in reference to the Awami League. Army personnel forced them back, though the crowds returned repeatedly.
Police have since erected barricades around the premises and sealed off entry. “We will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands under any circumstances,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhanmondi Division Zisanul Haque told Prothom Alo.
Monday’s violence mirrored scenes from February, when a Facebook-organised “Bulldozer March” led to parts of the house being set ablaze.
This time too, protesters said their actions were symbolic of resistance against Hasina, who fled the country following her government’s fall last year.
“Today, the tribunal will deliver its verdict against Hasina. We hope she receives the highest punishment,” Md Saeed, a protester from Jatrabari, told The Daily Star. “We came here to remove what we consider the remnants of fascist Sheikh Hasina.”
Several protesters and security personnel were injured through the day as chase-and-counter-chase unfolded along Mirpur Road. Vehicular movement remained suspended since noon, and authorities maintained strict restrictions around the neighbourhood late into the evening.