Several people, including actor Rokeya Prachi, were assaulted while paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32.
National award-winning actress Prachi took part in a demonstration near Bangabandhu’s house, demanding that justice be given to all victims of the violence. A candle-bearing crowd had gathered by around 7.30 pm on Wednesday.
Commemorating August 15, 1975, hundreds of people gathered at Shaheed Bedi in front of Bangabandhu Bhavan on Wednesday evening to honour his memory by lighting candles.
They paid tribute by placing a large portrait of Bangabandhu on the altar in place of an earlier vandalised memorial sculpture.
The crowd held candles and shouted slogans in memory of Sheikh Mujib.
Soon after, a group of young men arrived armed with sticks and attacked several attendees, including Prachi, who was then seen forcibly removed from the venue.
Earlier, Prachi had said, “We are gathered here today because our Bangladesh is burning, our 1971 is burning.”
“We have come because effigies of Bangabandhu have been burnt. Dhanmondi 32 has been burnt. We are here because Bangladesh is burning. We are not here to have political debates. Bangladesh is ours.”
She added: “We have come to pay our respects peacefully. We respect Bangabandhu. He gave this gift to Bangladesh. We are standing at Dhanmondi 32 to apologise to this great hero.”
The attack came after the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government fell on August 5, when the Dhanmondi house that the Awami League government had set up as a memorial museum for Bangabandhu was attacked.
Looting and arson left only the walls standing, while an earlier shrine and memorial dedicated to Bangabandhu were destroyed.
Moreover, almost all statues, murals and other memorials of Bangabandhu across the country have been affected. Efforts are on to demolish almost all Independence War memorials, including the statue of Saat Bir Sureshtoo. Over 600 Independence War sculptures at Mujibnagar in Meherpur have also been vandalised.
“Today, the people of Bengal are ashamed of these incidents. We will maintain silence for a minute here,” Prachi said.
“Photos and murals of Bangabandhu have been destroyed but we will emerge as soldiers of Bangabandhu and will emerge with thousands of his portraits.”
Bangabandhu and his family were killed in this house on the night of August 15, 1975. Since the Awami League came to power in 1996, the date has been celebrated as a national day of mourning and declared a public holiday.
The BNP-Jamaat coalition abolished the holiday when it came to power in 2001, but it was reinstated in 2008 following a High Court directive.
However, after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government, the National Mourning Day holiday was cancelled at the first meeting of the Interim Government Advisory Committee led by Muhammad Yunus.
Prachi had earlier announced her intention to visit Bangabandhu’s residence at Dhanmondi 32. Awami League supporters were also planning to pay their respects there. India’s Sheikh Hasina had called for the day to be observed with respect.
The rally planned for August 15 is highly anticipated. The anti-discrimination student movement, which played a key role in toppling the government, is currently taking to the streets in a four-day “Resistance Week” that began on August 14.
