August 5 marked a turning point in the nation’s political landscape, as a mass uprising led to the downfall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.
On that day, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic house at Dhanmondi 32 was attacked, vandalized, and set on fire by angry mobs. Six months later, the tension reignited, leading to the final demolition of the house in a series of dramatic events over two days, beginning on Wednesday evening and continuing on Thursday morning.
Here is a detailed timeline of what transpired.
Announcement of Hasina’s live speech
The tension began when the Chhatra League, the banned student wing of Hasina's Awami League, posted on Facebook that a speech by the ousted prime minister would be broadcast at 9pm on Wednesday.
The announcement spread like wildfire across social media, sparking unrest. Throughout the afternoon, Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inquilab Mancha and a member of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, issued multiple posts warning that Dhanmondi 32 would be demolished.
Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, posted a message on Facebook: "Tonight (Wednesday), Bangladesh will be freed from the shrine of fascism."
'Bulldozer' procession
In response to the broadcast announcement, activists, students, and online protesters began organizing a "Bulldozer March" through social media. A large gathering was planned at Shahbagh, where demonstrators would begin a march toward Dhanmondi 32, symbolically carrying out the "bulldozing" of what they viewed as the remnants of fascism.
Vandalism at Dhanmondi 32
Before the clock struck 8pm on Wednesday, a sea of protesters flooded the streets surrounding Dhanmondi 32. They arrived from various parts of the city, driven by rage and a sense of rebellion. Within moments, the protest turned violent.
The entrance to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house was broken, and the protesters began vandalizing not only the house but also the mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of it.
The protest had crossed from a symbolic demonstration.
Fire
The situation spiralled further out of control when a fire started on the second floor of the house at Dhanmondi 32. The flames intensified as the clock ticked toward 9pm.
Protesters, undeterred by the blaze, continued breaking through the boundary walls with sticks and spades. A military team arrived at the scene, but the chanting protesters forced them to retreat.
Call for demolition
Protestors called for the complete bulldozing of the house at Dhanmondi 32. Armed with whatever tools they could find, they began demolishing parts of the house.
Meanwhile, near Dhanmondi Lake, a documentary chronicling the July mass uprising was projected onto a screen for the public to witness.
A second blaze
While chaos engulfed Dhanmondi 32, Sheikh Hasina’s residence, Sudha Sadan, located in Dhanmondi 5, was set afire. The flames quickly engulfed the building.
By 11:30pm on Wednesday, the fire had spread significantly, but the Fire Service could not intervene, citing security concerns. The fire raged unchecked, adding a dramatic and destructive element to an already explosive night.
The midnight demolition
As the clock neared midnight on Wednesday, the protesters escalated their actions further. A crane was brought to the scene, soon followed by an excavator.
The mechanical destruction of Dhanmondi 32 had begun. By 2am on Thursday, a significant portion of the house had been torn down, with the heavy machinery continuing its work into the early hours of the morning.
The night was punctuated by anti-authoritarian, anti-Mujibism, and anti-Awami League slogans as the house fell to pieces under the weight of the machinery.
Demolition continues
As the sun rose on Thursday, a crowd gathered at Dhanmondi 32 to witness the aftermath.
Many expressed joy at the sight of the nearly demolished house, which stood as a remnant of a political era they wished to see erased.
Heavy machinery continued its work throughout the morning, reducing more of the building to rubble.
By 11am the house was largely destroyed.
Another building demolished
The destruction was not confined to that house. At 10am on Thursday, the six-storey building adjacent to the northern side of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house also began to crumble.
People swarmed the building, removing books, steel, wood, and other materials from inside, while the sound of hammers echoed through the air.
Fire still burns
Meanwhile, the fire at Sudha Sadan continued to rage. Before noon, the first floor of the building was still alight.
Charred furniture lay scattered outside, and signs of heavy vandalism were evident throughout the structure, from the ground floor to the fourth.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and a crowd of onlookers gathered to witness the smouldering ruins.
What started with a speech announcement escalated into widespread protests, fires, and the ultimate demolition of Bangabandhu's house.