Amid chaos in Bangladesh – where violent protests over a jobs quota has seen over 400 deaths and the enforced resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister – a sobering video has emerged of destruction wrought on the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area.
On Monday as violence raged across the Bangladeshi capital – shocking videos shared online showed vehicles set ablaze and homes of ruling Awami League leaders vandalised – a mob set fire to the cultural centre and Bangabandhu Bhaban, which is a museum dedicated to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mrs Hasina’s father and the country’s tallest leader, who was assassinated in 1975.
The video, sourced from Reuters and shared online by ANI, shows the building’s charred exterior of and the contrast between the scorch marks and verdant green of the lawns paint a stark image. On the front, where once the sign read Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, now only the letters ‘G’, ‘N’, ‘A’ remain, with broken windows and twisted metal rods from an awning staring mournfully.
The ground at the front entrance to the centre is covered with debris.
The video also shows several young men – it is unclear who they are – wandering around the centre’s grounds. They seem to be carrying away debris, including what seems to be large pipes. It also shows half-burnt bags, possibly items from the gift shop inside the cultural centre, lying on the ground.
#WATCH | Bangladesh: Aftermath of looting and arson at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Dhaka. Violent unrest erupted in the national capital yesterday, 5th August.
(Video Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/yObqaEbMtp
— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2024
The extent of the looting and destruction becomes clear when the video shows a room that has been stripped completely clean. The paint has been burnt off the walls revealing chipped bricks.
Another scene shows dozens of old-school VHS tapes, presumably from the archives section, lying broken on the ground and a person walking across them, crunching the tapes under their feet.
Inaugurated in March 2010, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre promoted bilateral cultural ties between India and Bangladesh by organising seminars, workshops and engaging India-based teachers for classes on yoga, and classical music and dances, such as Kathak and Manipuri.
Run by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, it had a library with over 21,000 books.
READ | Mob Razes Indira Gandhi Centre, Bangabandhu Museum In Dhaka
The violence that consumed the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre and Bangabandhu Bhaban extended across large parts of Dhaka over the past few days, including the Prime Minister’s residence, which was overrun and ransacked by protesters shortly after Sheikh Hasina quit and fled the nation.
Protesters reportedly also damaged four Hindu temples.
Mrs Hasina, 76, escaped on a military aircraft. She is now at an unspecified location in India. Sources said Mrs Hasina expressed a desire to stay but New Delhi made it clear it cannot be a long-term host.
READ | “No Provision For…”: What UK Said On Sheikh Hasina Asylum Reports
The ousted leader has reportedly applied to the United Kingdom for asylum.
Earlier today External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed Parliament on the Bangladesh issue and said the Indian government is keeping a close eye on developments across the border.
READ | “Sheikh Hasina Requested To Come, Situation Still Evolving”: S Jaishankar
Briefing the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the “still evolving” situation, India’s response, and the status of an estimated 19,000 nationals in that country, Mr Jaishankar said the government is in “close and continuous touch” with the Indian community and called on the host nation to provide security.
On the question of minorities (over 90 per cent of Bangladeshis are Muslims), he said, “We are monitoring the situation with regard to minorities. There are reports of initiatives to ensure their protection. We welcome that… but will remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored.”
What Next For Bangladesh?
A new “interim government” – to be advised, most likely, by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus – is believed to be taking shape in the crisis-hit country. This follows the release from jail – ordered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin – of former PM Khaleda Zia, who was convicted of corruption.
READ | Ex-PM, Nobel Winner, Student Leader: Key Faces In New Government?
In speculation that has emerged (inevitably so) since Mrs Hasina quit, three key names or groups are at the forefront, two of whom are the Army, which took charge after Mrs Hasina quit, and which may have given her a 45-minute ultimatum; and her nemesis and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who was jailed in 2018 for corruption and whose release was ordered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
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