Ex-premier Hasina’s live speech from India triggers protests in Bangladesh

- Former premier says demolition of her father’s house cannot erase history, calls transitional administration ‘unconstitutional’

- Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that led ouster of former premier mulls joining politics

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Protests turned violent in Dhaka on Wednesday when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a virtual speech from India, leading to attacks on the house-turned-museum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founder of the South Asian nation.

The museum in the capital Dhaka’s Dhanmondi-32 had been a key political center for Hasina’s Awami League party, which was ousted from her 15-year-long rule last August after a student-led uprising.

She fled to India where she lives despite formal request to New Delhi from Dhaka to return her home, where she faces cases of genocide as well as crimes against humanity.

Protesters including those from the Anti-discrimination Student Movement carried out vandalism and set on fire parts of the museum soon after Hasina’s party announced her scheduled speech.

Thousands of people were seen gathering close to the house while some breaking its wallswith hammer s and sticks.

Hasnat Abdullah, the key coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement on Facebook, posted that "Tonight, Bangladesh will be free from the pilgrimage site of fascism."

“Demolishing a building can only destroy a structure but couldn’t erase the history, " Hasina said in her address.

In 1975, Rehman was assassinated along with most of his family members in a military coup in that house, which was later converted into a museum.

“History can retaliate as we see in the past,” she said, calling the attackers an anti-liberation force. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 under Rehman’s leadership.

About 1,000 people were killed and over 22,000 others injured during the uprising which led to fall of Hasina, who fled to India on Aug. 5, 2024.

Three days later, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammad Yunus was appointed as leader of transitional government.

Hasina called the transitional set up “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Information and Broadcasting adviser Nahid Islam said said India “must take responsibility for allowing Hasina giving political directions in their shelter.”

“India has given shelter to Sheikh Hasina and they have some explanation for this … We have asked India to return Hasina and this is a diplomatic matter. But if Hasina tries to do politics from there, holds political meetings in India, then the Indian government will be responsible for this,” Islam said at an event in Dhaka.

Early in the day, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Jatiya Nagorik (citizens) Committee told a news conference in Dhaka about their plans to launch a new political party to bring a “shift” in the country's politics.

“The existing political structure and political parties have failed to read the aspirations of the people in the country … they also failed to understand the youths and read their mind,” Hasnat Abdullah, a key convener of the student movement.

The leaders sought support and opinions to determine the party's name and symbol.