Protests Erupt in Bangladesh as Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's Family Home is Demolished

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In a dramatic display of dissent, thousands of protesters in Dhaka targeted the family home of exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, symbolizing the country’s independence. The demolition on February 5 was prompted by Hasina’s recent speech from exile in India, where she addressed supporters after fleeing due to a violent student-led uprising against her 15-year rule, which critics allege involved suppression of dissent.

The building, associated with Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who declared Bangladesh's independence in 1971, was turned into a museum after his assassination there in 1975. During the protests, demonstrators voiced their demands for Hasina's execution, linking her to hundreds of deaths during the previous year's unrest. As Hasina addressed the crowd, protestors began dismantling the structure, later employing a crane for demolition, despite her assertions that they could not erase the nation’s history.

The unrest reflects ongoing tensions within Bangladesh, where the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has accused Hasina of corruption and human rights abuses, while her supporters claim the new leadership is infringing on minority rights.

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