Protesters in Bangladesh Demolish Family Home of Exiled PM Sheikh Hasina

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Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh have stormed and demolished the family home of exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, which has become a symbol of the nation’s independence. The violence erupted following a speech Hasina delivered from India, where she has been living since fleeing amid a violent student-led uprising against her 15-year rule, with critics asserting she suppressed dissent (Associated Press).

The home, a site where Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971, was attacked as demonstrators attempted to dismantle its walls and even brought heavy machinery to aid the destruction. In her speech, Hasina urged the public to resist what she labeled as unconstitutional new leadership.

Protesters demanded Hasina's execution for alleged crimes during the uprising, which has been characterized as one of the country’s worst periods of unrest since gaining independence. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has accused Hasina of corruption and human rights abuses, with retaliation against her supporters escalating in the wake of her ousting (Daily Star).

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