Vandals flee Dhanmondi 32 amid baton strikes, stun grenades

The Army and police have foiled an attempt by a group of people to demolish the ruins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence on Dhanmondi's Road No. 32.

Around 12pm on Monday, two excavators were brought to the area by an organisation named "Red July".

Police and later the Army dispersed them using batons and stun grenades.

Law-enforcers at the scene said a group of students hurled an unexploded stun grenade back towards them, and it detonated on impact, injuring an Army officer. Blood was seen dripping from the soldier's foot.

One excavator remained loaded on the truck used to transport it, while the driver of the unloaded one fled the scene, leaving the machine behind.

The "Red July" regrouped after being chased away by police, blocking Mirpur Road to shout slogans, prompting police to fire several astun grenades to disperse the crowd once more.

Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna Division Police, said: "They came to demolish the building. We tried to stop them by reasoning with them."

After Hasina fled the country on Aug 5 last year, the residence of her father at Dhanmondi 32 was attacked, looted, and set on fire. Marking six months since the incident, a "excavator march" was held on Feb 5, during which more than half of the house on Road 32 was torn down. After Hasina fled the country on Aug 5 last year, the residence of her father at Dhanmondi 32 was attacked, looted, and set on fire.

Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, also known as Bangabandhu Bhaban or Dhanmondi 32, was a museum located in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh, which was once the personal residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh.

The flag of Bangladesh was officially hoisted for the first time there before Bangladesh Liberation War.

In 1975, Mujib was assassinated with most members of his family in this residence. The museum was listed as a national heritage site in 2009 by RAJUK. It was partially damaged on 5 August 2024 after the fall of Sheikh Hasina and was later largely demolished on 5 February 2025 in a series of events.

In 1956, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the industry minister of East Pakistan, applied to the government through his private secretary to be allotted a plot in the Dhanmondi residential project in Dhaka, the administrative capital. A year later, the government allotted him a plot in Dhanmondi for Rs. 6,000. Until 12 October 1958, Sheikh Rahman and his family lived in a government building in Shegunbagicha, Dhaka. Martial law had been declared a few days earlier, and on 11 October Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested. His family was evicted from the property, after which they rented a house in Siddheshwari, Dhaka.

As a result of government threats, the family had to vacate the house in Siddheshwari and move to a rented one in Segunbagicha with help from Sufia Kamal. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was imprisoned until 1960; after his release, he constructed a one-storey house there. He began living in the two-room, unfinished house with his family, having secured a loan from House Building Finance Corporation, from 1 August 1961. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had to pay Rs. 1,000 advance to get the plot.

>Agency