HISTORY has shown that unless states deliver development and equal rights to all, disenfranchised people can target even supposedly cherished symbols of the state to vent their frustration. A recent example of this was seen in Bangladesh, when enraged mobs set fire on Wednesday to the Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founder and maker of that country. Though Mujibur Rahman’s residence was also torched last year during protests against Sheikh Hasina’s government, this time the edifice was demolished after Ms Hasina made a controversial speech online. The ex-PM, who is also the Sheikh’s daughter, is currently in India, and tensions were inflamed in Bangladesh when she called on people to resist the interim administration. Dhaka has lodged a strong protest with New Delhi over Sheikh Hasina’s speech.

It is sobering that to many Bangladeshis, the Sheikh’s residence now represents a “fascist stronghold”. Unfortunately, Ms Hasina and the Awami League have mostly themselves to blame, as her authoritarian rule excluded many Bangladeshis from equitably partaking in the fruits of economic progress, while political freedoms were also curtailed. It is also true that after separating from Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib would, in January 1975, create a one-party state in Bangladesh, stunting the country’s democratic development. In a dark turn of events, in August 1975 the Sheikh and most of his family members would be brutally massacred in the same Dhanmondi house by mutineers. Bangladesh needs to move on from the Awami League’s heavy-handed rule and return to full democratic rule. Dr Muhammad Yunus’s administration should stick to the timeline announced for elections — late 2025 or early 2026 — to ensure a proper democratic transition. Both the interim set-up and the future elected government must prioritise justice and inclusivity over vengeance. Moreover, the recent events at Dhanmondi offer a lesson for all regional states: when the population is pushed to the edge through exclusionary policies, one can expect an explosion of public anger.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2025