Bangladesh govt appeals for peace; urges citizens to stop attack on properties of Hasina's family, Awami leaders

Violence erupts in Bangladesh targeting Hasina supporters, prompting interim government to restore law and order immediately.

Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Friday (February 7, 2025) called for peace and urged citizens to immediately restore law and order, putting an end to the three-day mayhem of attacks on properties belonging to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's family and leaders of her party Awami League.

Violence has erupted in Bangladesh since Wednesday night with mobs targeting supporters of Ms. Hasina, vandalizing their homes and businesses across the country. Thousands of protesters also set fire to the 32 Dhanmondi residence of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Mr. Rahman had spearheaded the country's autonomy movement and independence struggle from this residence, which was later transformed into a memorial. This historic residence was where Mr. Rahman proclaimed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.

The interim government on Thursday blamed Ms. Hasina's "provocative" speech for sparking "unintended and unexpected" violence.

A press statement issued by Mr. Yunus' office said that the Chief Adviser "calls on all citizens to immediately restore complete law and order and to ensure there will be no further attacks on properties associated with the family of Sheikh Hasina and politicians of the fascist Awami League party or against any citizen on any pretext”.

The statement said despite its understanding of the activists' anger against the ousted premier, the “government appeals to the citizens to abide by the law to show the world we are a nation that respects of the rule of law”.

“The anger of the activists who have attacked properties is understandable because they and their relatives and friends lived through years of tyranny under Hasina... The government also understand the activists' sense of outrage that even from her refuge in New Delhi, Ms. Hasina continues to try to mobilise her militants to hamper Bangladesh’s recovery from her years of abuse,” the statement said.