New Delhi:
Amid the chaos in Bangladesh – where violent protests over a jobs quota have left more than 400 dead and forced the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister – a sobering video has emerged of the vandalism at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka's Dhanmondi district.
As violent riots broke out in the Bangladesh capital on Monday – shocking videos shared online showed vehicles being set alight and homes of leaders of the ruling Awami League being vandalised – a mob set fire to the cultural centre and Bangabandhu Bhaban, a museum dedicated to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ms Hasina's father and the country's supreme leader, who was assassinated in 1975.
The video, obtained by Reuters and shared online by ANI, shows the building’s charred exterior, and the contrast between the scorch marks and the green lawn paints a grim picture. On the front, where the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre sign once stood, only the letters ‘G’, ‘N’, ‘A’ now remain, with broken windows and the twisted metal bars of an awning staring mournfully.
The ground at the main entrance to the centre is covered with rubble.
The video also shows several young men — it is unclear who they are — wandering around the center's grounds. They appear to be carrying debris, including what appear to be large pipes. There are also half-burned bags on the ground, possibly items from the cultural center's gift shop.
#WATCH | Bangladesh: Aftermath of looting and arson at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Dhaka. Violent riots broke out in the national capital yesterday, August 5.
(Video source: Reuters) photo.twitter.com/yObqaEbMtp
—ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2024
The scale of the looting and destruction is made clear when the video shows a room that has been completely gutted, with paint stripped from the walls and crumbling bricks visible.
In another scene, dozens of old VHS tapes, presumably from the archives, lie broken on the ground. Someone walks over them, causing the tapes to crack under their feet.
The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre opened in March 2010, promoting bilateral cultural ties between India and Bangladesh by organising seminars and workshops and deploying India-based teachers to teach yoga, classical music and dance, such as Kathak and Manipuri.
It was run by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and had a library of over 21,000 books.
READ | Mob destroys Indira Gandhi Centre, Bangabandhu Museum in Dhaka
The violence at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre and the Bangabandhu Bhaban has spread to large parts of Dhaka in recent days, including the prime minister's residence, which was overrun and ransacked by protesters shortly after Sheikh Hasina stepped down and fled the country.
According to reports, the protesters also damaged four Hindu temples.
Ms Hasina, 76, escaped on a military plane. She is now in an undisclosed location in India. Sources said Ms Hasina expressed a desire to stay, but New Delhi made it clear it could not be a long-term host.
READ | “No provision for…”: What the UK said about Sheikh Hasina’s asylum reports
The deposed leader is said to have sought asylum in the United Kingdom.
Speaking in Parliament earlier today on the Bangladesh issue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Indian government was closely monitoring developments at the border.
READ | “Sheikh Hasina requested to come, situation still evolving”: S Jaishankar
Mr Jaishankar briefed the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the “still evolving” situation, India's response and the status of the estimated 19,000 nationals in the country. He said the government was in “close and continuous touch” with the Indian community and called on the host country to provide security.
On the issue of minorities (over 90 percent of Bengalis are Muslims), he said: “We are closely monitoring the situation regarding minorities. There are reports of initiatives to ensure their protection. We welcome this… but we remain very concerned until law and order is visibly restored.”
What is the future for Bangladesh?
A new “interim government” – likely to be advised by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus – is believed to be taking shape in the crisis-hit country, following the release from prison – ordered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin – of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who was convicted of corruption.
READ | Former prime minister, Nobel Prize winner, student leader: important faces in the new government?
In the speculation that has (inevitably) arisen since Ms Hasina stepped down, three key names or groups have come to the forefront. Two of these are the military, which took over after Ms Hasina stepped down and may have given her a 45-minute ultimatum; and her arch-enemy and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who was jailed for corruption in 2018 and whose release was ordered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
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