Protesters who stormed Sheikh Hasina’s palace in Dhaka on Monday stole saris, tea cups, TV sets, paintings and several items.
Bangladeshi protests that began in July, led by students, against government recruitment rules, culminated on Monday with the prime minister’s exit and the military announcing the formation of an interim government.
At least 300 people were killed in the deadly protests that lasted more than a month and led to the end of the rule of 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The protests grew even after Bangladesh’s top court put the plan on hold.
Bangladesh’s Channel 24 broadcast images of crowds running through the campus, waving at the camera in celebration, looting furniture and books, and people resting on other people’s beds.
Happy people have taken over the Prime Minister’s official residence (Gano Bhaban) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/tjeXOOTLEF
— Sami (@ZulkarnainSaer) August 5, 2024
Pictures on social media showed jubilant protesters rummaging through drawers and its contents.
Some photos taken from the site showed protesters enjoying a feast, while others were carrying a large fish. A man was also seen wearing a sari, which allegedly belonged to the former prime minister.
The students are now having lunch at Gana Bhavan, the official residence of the Prime Minister. #Bangladesh,#quotareform #quota protest #stepdownhasina #Bangladesh #SaveBangladeshiStudents #Dhaka #quotareformmovement #Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/EDgZuO732e
— DOAM (@doamuslims) August 5, 2024
Did this brother wear Haseena’s saree? pic.twitter.com/MZE5QneVS6
— Unfiltered Muslim (@muslimbants) August 5, 2024
The protesters also vandalised the statue of Hasina’s father and the country’s independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Eyewitnesses told news agency AFP that the mob also attacked the homes of Hasina’s close aides.
Sheikh Hasina’s 15 consecutive years in power saw not only an economic revival but also mass arrests of political opponents and human rights restrictions against her security forces.
Hasina, 76, won elections in January for a fifth term as prime minister but the opposition boycotted the vote, which it said was neither free nor fair.
She promised last year to turn all of Bangladesh into a “prosperous and developed country,” but nearly 18 million young Bangladeshis remain unemployed, according to government data.
Bangladesh has a long history of coups.
Following widespread political unrest, the military declared a state of emergency in January 2007 and installed a military-backed caretaker government for two years.
