Fri Feb 07 06:46:03 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh Rocked by Violent Protests Targeting Awami League Leaders

**DHAKA, BANGLADESH (February 7, 2025)** – Widespread violence erupted across Bangladesh following a live online address by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resulting in the attack and torching of numerous properties belonging to leaders of her Awami League party. Murals depicting the country’s founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were also vandalized and demolished in nearly two dozen districts.

The unrest began Thursday and continued into Friday, with reports of arson and vandalism targeting homes and offices of prominent Awami League figures. Among the targets were the residences of Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Selim in Dhaka, whose house was set ablaze despite delays in fire service response due to security concerns; Obaidul Quader, the party’s general secretary, whose house in Noakhali was ransacked and burned; and former state minister Shahriar Alam, whose home in Rajshahi was also set on fire. Several other Awami League leaders’ homes were attacked and destroyed across the country, including that of Abu Sayeed in Pabna.

Furthermore, numerous murals and a bust of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were destroyed in several cities, including Cumilla, Narayanganj, and Bagerhat, with protesters using bulldozers and other heavy machinery in some instances. The Feni district AL office was also set ablaze.

The attacks come amid a rising student movement advocating for the scrapping of Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution and the replacement of the national anthem, both adopted by the Mujibur Rahman-led government. Some far-right groups have also voiced support for these changes.

Police have yet to issue an official statement on the scale of the damage or the number of arrests made. The violence underscores the deep political divisions within Bangladesh and raises concerns about the stability of the country.

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