Tension at Dhanmondi 32: Army charge batons, sound grenades thrown

Tense scenes were reported at Dhanmondi 32. When a group tried to advance with an excavator, the army and police used batons to stop them. Angered, the group began throwing bricks. Suddenly, with back-and-forth chasing, the entire area became chaotic.

Security forces have taken strict positions to bring the situation under control. The army is on alert. Police fired sound grenades.

Earlier, on Monday November 17, at around 12pm, the two bulldozers were brought to Dhanmondi 32 on trucks.

The army stopped two bulldozers from entering Dhanmondi 32. They said that under the country’s prevailing laws, such actions are not allowed.

Meanwhile, a group with an excavator shouted various anti-Awami League slogans. Their slogans included: ‘mujib-baad will not be in this Bangladesh’ and ‘destroy house of 32, crush it’ among others.

Nahid Hasan, identifying himself as coordinator of the July Memory Preservation Council, said, “The first time Sheikh Hasina spoke and fled, we were the first to break Dhanmondi 32. We could not completely destroy it then. Today, since it is Sheikh Hasina’s verdict, through today’s verdict we hope that Sheikh Hasina’s or the Awami League’s politics will be wiped out.”

At the same time, some of them said, “No matter what obstacles come, after Sheikh Hasina’s verdict we want to crush the 32 no house. From here, instructions were given to shoot our brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. We do not want to keep any memory of this house.”

It may be noted that earlier, on February 5 this year, a bulldozer destroyed house of Dhanmondi 32. On that day, an excavator was also present. Before that, on August 5 last year, after the fall of the Awami League government, the historic house at 32 was set on fire.