Protesters set fire to ex-Bangladesh PM's family home

Protests have erupted in Bangladesh, with demonstrators vandalizing and setting fire to the ancestral homes of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and members of her political party. This incident marks a further deterioration of the country's political situation and reflects the long-standing grievances of the public against Hasina and her government.

The trigger for the unrest was the news of Hasina's planned address to the nation from India via social media. Hasina has been in exile in India since being overthrown by student-led protests last year. The 77-year-old former Prime Minister, who ruled Bangladesh for 20 years, is seen by many as an autocratic ruler whose government ruthlessly suppressed dissenting voices.

On Wednesday evening, an excavator destroyed the ancestral home of Hasina's late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which had been converted into a museum. Rahman was the founding president of Bangladesh and is widely regarded as a national hero, but his daughter Hasina's actions in power have, in the eyes of critics, tarnished his reputation.

Hasina condemned the attack in a Facebook live broadcast and demanded "justice." She said, "They can destroy a building, but they cannot erase history." Hasina was once hailed as a pro-democracy icon, but her reputation plummeted after taking office. She has been accused of rigging elections, imprisoning critics, and her government is widely believed to be corrupt. She also faces the risk of arrest for the deadly crackdown on student-led protests last year, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Despite Hasina's flight to India in August last year, public anger towards her and members of her Awami League party has not subsided. On Wednesday, protesters also vandalized and burned the homes and businesses of senior Awami League leaders. Calls have emerged on social media for the cleansing of the country's "fascist pilgrimage sites." Police told the BBC Bengali service that around 700 protesters appeared near the residences on Wednesday evening, and dozens of police officers were deployed.

Since Hasina's overthrow, a caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been running the country, but it has struggled to quell the ongoing unrest. In recent months, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets demanding the prosecution of Hasina for the deadly suppression of student protesters. Yunus's government is attempting to extradite Hasina from India while also dealing with an impending economic crisis. Yunus has accused Hasina of falsifying Bangladesh's economic growth and laundering billions of dollars during her rule. Yunus has promised to hold elections in late 2025 or early 2026.