There is tense peace in Bangladesh after the coup and former PM Sheikh Hasina taking refuge in India. But the protesters are still adamant against the Awami League which has been in power for 15 years. On Thursday, on the occasion of 15 August, Awami League leaders wanted to go to room number 32 of Dhanmandi in Dhaka, where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed. He was murdered along with 4 members of his family on this day. In such a situation, this day has been celebrated as Martyrdom Day in Bangladesh till now. But now the atmosphere is bad after the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh National Party have come close to power.
The interim government led by Mohammad Yunus first cancelled the holiday on Sheikh Mujibur’s martyrdom day. Apart from this, when the leaders were about to reach there to pay tribute on Thursday, their way was blocked. A large number of protesters stood there and the Awami League leaders were not allowed to go to room number 32 of Dhanmondi. There is no news of any leader reaching there till now. According to the Dhaka Tribune, these people were sitting here since midnight to put data so that the Awami League leaders could not come there.
A large number of police and army personnel have also been deployed here. On one hand, Awami League leaders were hunted down and killed for about a week and their property was damaged, while on the other hand, Mujib’s legacy is also being harmed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is considered the creator of Bangladesh. But incidents ranging from breaking Banga Bandhu’s statue to preventing people from paying tribute have raised serious questions. Bangladeshi nationalists believe that this is a time when even Sheikh Mujib, who laid the foundation of the country, is not being spared.
A vehicle was also badly vandalised on Dhanmondi Road. The protesters suspected that Awami League leaders were travelling in the car. There was a museum in the name of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi 32. He was assassinated here. So was this memorial. But it was not spared in the violence that took place during the coup. The current situation is that the memorial has virtually ceased to exist.
