Clashes in Dacca
An armed crowd wielding bamboo sticks and plastic pipes stood guard on Thursday, August 15 in Dacca, the capital of Bangladesh, to prevent supporters of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from gathering outside her childhood home.
Escalation of Protests
The former head of government, aged 76, fled in a helicopter to India on August 5 as protests demanding her resignation escalated after fifteen years of uninterrupted rule. What began as student protests against the quota system for public service recruitment quickly grew into demands for Hasina’s departure.
Significance of August 15
August 15 marks the anniversary of the 1975 assassination of her father, independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a military coup. Under Hasina’s government, this date was declared a national holiday, marked by mass demonstrations in support of the regime.
Tensions at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Residence
In recent events, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence, formerly a museum, was set ablaze and vandalized by protesters following Hasina’s escape. Despite Hasina’s call for prayers and floral tributes at the site, hundreds of men erected a human barricade on the street leading to the house, leading to violent confrontations.
Legal Actions and Human Rights Concerns
A Dhaka court launched a murder investigation against Hasina, two senior officials of the Awami League, and four police officers in connection with the government crackdown on anti-government protests. The unrest resulted in over 450 deaths, including 42 police officers, with allegations of systematic human rights violations by Hasina’s administration, such as mass arrests and extrajudicial executions of political opponents.
International Response
In her first public statement since exile, Hasina called for UN human rights official Volker Türk to investigate the situation further, as the new transitional government under Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus seeks to address the crisis with international support.
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