Political violence in Bangladesh
2024 Bangladesh post-resignation violence took place after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina, during the clashes between the protesters and opposition activists on one side, and the Awami League supporters, government and security officials on the other. On the day of the resignation, 25 police officers were killed. According to the "Daily Sun", at least 119, including both the students and Awami League activists, were killed that day. According to "Prothom Alo", 1,494 sculptures and monuments were vandalized across Bangladesh after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina.
The violence also affected the religious minority communities. According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, there have been over 2,010 attacks on Hindus or their properties spread over 45 districts and 5 Hindus have been killed in these attacks, 2 have been confirmed as Awami League members. Ahmadiyyas in Bangladesh were also attacked by violent groups damaging mosques and homes. The minority ethnic groups were also attacked. Mobs attacked and vandalized five to nine private television channels. The office of Shyamal Dutta of the Jatiya Press Club, National Press Club of Bangladesh, was vandalized and he was prevented from leaving Bangladesh.
Background.
During the 2006–2008 political crisis, Sheikh Hasina was detained on extortion charges. After she was released from jail, she won the 2008 election. In 2014, she was re-elected for a third term in an election that was boycotted by the BNP and criticised by international observers. In 2017, after nearly a million Rohingya entered the country, fleeing from genocide in Myanmar, Hasina received credit and praise for giving them refuge and assistance. She won a fourth and a fifth term after the 2018 and 2024 elections, which was marred by violence and widely criticized as being fraudulent.
It is widely believed that Bangladesh experienced democratic backsliding under her premiership. Human Rights Watch documented widespread enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings under her government. Numerous politicians and journalists were systematically and judicially punished for challenging her views.
The Student–People's uprising, also known as July Revolution, was a series of anti-government and pro-democracy protests in Bangladesh, spearheaded primarily by university students. Initially focused on restructuring quota-based systems for government job recruitment, the movement expanded against what many perceive as an authoritarian government when hundreds of protestors and civilians, most of whom were students, were killed. The majority of the fatalities were caused by gunshots fired by the police and other government forces, using lethal and deadly weapons, against unarmed protestors and non-protesting civilians, including children and pedestrians.
Hasina resigned on 5 August 2024, as large crowds of demonstrators surrounded the prime minister's residence. Her resignation was announced by Waker-uz-Zaman, the Chief of the Army Staff. Later that day, Hasina fled to India in a chaotic departure, first by car, then by helicopter, and finally by plane. She left no written resignation letter and gave no resignation speech.
Arts and cultural sites.
On 5 August, the 140-year old home of folk singer Rahul Ananda in Dhanmondi locality of the capital city of Dhaka was torched along with 3,000 handmade musical instruments due to the fire set on Bangabandhu's residence near the home by agitated people shortly after Hasina's resignation. The statue of justice at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, source of the Bangladesh Statue of Justice controversy, was completely destroyed. Statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bijoy Sarani was destroyed. National Sculpture Gallery was looted and illegally occupied on 5 August. A statue of Sheikh Russel, youngest son of Sheikh Mujib, was vandalized along with a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Sculptures at Mujibnagar Memorial Complex were vandalized. The Venus statue, built more than 200 years ago, at Shashi Lodge was destroyed.
Star Cineplex branch in Rajshahi was looted and vandalized. The Independence Museum at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka was vandalized. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, an institution of the Indian High Commission to Bangladesh, was vandalized and burned down.
Awami League.
The home of Ragebul Ahsan Ripu and Md. Mujibur Rahman Majnu, members of parliament, was vandalized. The office of R. A. M. Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, member of parliament, was vandalized. The residence of Anisul Haque, Minister of Law, was vandalized and burned down. The residence of Golam Sarwar Tuku, former member of parliament, was vandalized and burned down. The residence of Zaheed Farooque, former minister, was vandalized. The residence of Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, former mayor of Barisal, was burned down killing three people inside. The home of Amir Hossain Amu was vandalized, and burned down. The home of former Minister Dipu Moni was vandalized. The residence of Mohammad Abdul Wadud, member of parliament, was vandalized and burned down. The home of Chanuar Hossain Chanu, member of parliament, was vandalized. The Awami League office at Raiganj Upazila was burned down and Awami League men were assaulted. Some Awami League men ran to the press club where they were assaulted again. A mob vandalized and set fire to the office of Habibur Rahman Habib, member of parliament. The residence of Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, President of Sylhet District Awami League, was vandalized and burned down. The home of Ranjit Chandra Sarkar, Awami League member of parliament, was vandalized.
The home of Ushwe Sing, former Minister, was vandalized in Bandarban District and burned down. The homes of Solaiman Haque Joarder and Md. Ali Azgar, members of parliament, were vandalized and burned down. Following the resignation 11 people were killed in Comilla including six who were burned to death after the residence of Md Shah Alam, a former councilor, was burned down. Five of the dead were from ages 12 to 17. The home of A. K. M. Bahauddin Bahar, member of parliament, was burned down. The residence of Minister of Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan, was vandalized in Dhanmondi. The home of Iqbalur Rahim, member of parliament, was vandalized, looted, and burned to the ground. Four people died after the home of Shafiqul Islam Shimul, member of parliament, was burned down. The mob also set fire to his brother's house and his former residence. The mob vandalized the residence of Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
Mobs attacked, looted, and burned down the homes of Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury and Nizam Uddin Hazari. Nizam Uddin Hazari's former residence and farm house were also attacked and looted. The office of Shusen Chandra Sheel, chairman of Feni Sadar Upazila Parishad, and the houses of Amir Hossain Bahar and Md Manik, Feni municipality councilors, were looted and burned down. Cars parked near or at the budlings were also destroyed. The home of Md Abu Zahir, member of parliament, was burned to the ground after a mob laid seize to it for four hours. The office Bakshiganj upazila unit of Awami League was burned down. The car of the chairman of Bagarchar union parishad was burned down. The residence of Mirza Azam, member of parliament and former Minister, was vandalized. A car owned by the Awami League organizing secretary of Pabna Sadar Upazila unit, Abu Sayeed, was burned down. An office of the Jubo League near Bulbul College was burned down. Protestors set fire to 36 motorcycles throughout the day. Awami League men set fire to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party office. The home of Shamsul Hoque Tuku, deputy speaker of Bangladesh Parliament, was vandalized.
The home of Hosne Ara, a Member of Parliament, was burned and looted during the violence.
Two Jubo League leaders were murdered in Bogura District. A Chattra League activist was killed after refusing to pay extortionists on 17 August in Gournadi Upazila. Salim Khan, Chairman of Lakshmipur Model Union Parishad, and his son, actor Shanto Khan, were killed by a mob. A UP chairman of Anwara Upazila was assaulted and chased from his office on 18 August. The Sayeman Beach Resort was vandalized Cox's Bazar District. The chairman of Bochaganj Upazila Parishad Afsar Ali went to file a case about his house being vandalized instead he was forced to resign by students and arrested by the police. The Faridpur District offices of Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League were vandalized. Two members of Jubo League were killed in Feni. Jessore District Awami League office was vandalized. The Awami League office in Nilphamari town was vandalized. Awami League men attacked the office of Alamgir Sarder, President of Nilphamari District unit of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The homes of Shahjahan Khan, former Minister, and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former member of parliament, were vandalized. The home of Mohit Ur Rahman Shanto, member of parliament for Mymensingh-4, was vandalized. The residence of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, former captain of Bangladesh National Cricket Team and member of parliament, was burned down. The home of Subash Chandra Bose, President of Narail District Awami League was vandalized. The Narail District Awami League office was burned down. The residence of Nizam Uddin Khan Nilu, General Secretary of Narail District Awami League, was burned down. The homes of Shamim Osman and Salim Osman was attacked and burned down. The home of Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Minister of Food, was vandalized and burned down. The residence of Nizam Uddin Jalil, member of parliament, was vandalized and burned down.
Talimul Islam Khan, Ganganandpur union parshad member was burned alive in Jhikargacha Upazila after his house was barricaded and set on fire. His wife and three-year-old child were injured in the fire. Hiron, chairman of Porahati Union Parishad and his chauffeur, Asad, were beaten to death and their bodies hung from a statue. The house of Jewel Hossain, a local leader of the Awami League in Jhenaidah, was burned down killing two people inside. In Khulna, the home of Sheikh Helal and Sheikh Salauddin Jewel, both members of parliament and relatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, were vandalized and burned down. The Khulna District Awami League office and the office of the Khulna District magistrate was vandalized. The residence of Asaduzzaman Noor was vandalized. The residence of Rezia Islam, women member of parliament, was burned down along with two of her vehicles. The home of Naimuzzaman Bhuiyan, member of parliament, was vandalized. The home of Mayor Zakia Khatun of Panchagarh Municipality was burned down along with former chairman Amirul Islam and former councilor Shafiqul Islam.
Koyra upazila chairman GM Mohsin Reza, his bodyguard, and chauffeur were beaten to death by a mob. His house was burned down. The homes of Monnujan Sufian, former Minister, and SM Kamal Hossain, member of parliament, were vandalized. An Awami League office and a police box was vandalized near Saddam Bazar intersection in Kushtia. The home of Suman Khan, Joint General Secretary of Lalmonirhat District Awami League was burned down killing six people inside. The residence of Nuruddin Chowdhury Noyon, member of parliament, was vandalized. The Magura District Awami League office and DC office were vandalized. Awami League men also vandalized the district Bangladesh Nationalist Party office. The home of Farhad Hossain, Minister of Public Administration, was vandalized. The Thakurgaon District Awami League office was burned down and several stores nearby were vandalized.
Bangabandhu Memorial Museum was burned to the ground. The office of Dhaka District Awami League in Tejgaon, and the office of the chairperson of Awami League in Dhanmondi were burned down. The personal residence of Sheikh Hasina, Sudha Sadan, was burned down. On 15 August, anniversary of the murder of former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family, mourners were prevented from reaching Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. They were assaulted on the streets, and the car of Kader Siddique was vandalized. The mob was checking the ID cards and cell phones of pedestrians. One of the mob was a lecturer at the Alhaz Mockbul Hossain College, Abu Sufiyan, who said he was there to protect the "Independence" and another was the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal activist who was dancing to Hindi music. Some Awami activists and others were detained by the mob and handed over to the police who released them as there were no specific allegations against them. Rokeya Prachi was assaulted at the site when she went to pay her respects. The violence caused death of one and over a hundred were reported to be hospitalised.
A Jubo League leader, Monirul Islam Shaheen, was beaten to death. The chairman and vice-chairman of Bauphal Upazila Parishad were assaulted and forced to flee their office on 18 August. The Awami League office in Rajshahi City was vandalized. On 18 August, a Chhatra League activist was tied to a tree for two hours and handed