As Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule comes to end in Bangladesh after deadly protests, her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statue in the country was vandalized, and the museum dedicated to him was set ablaze.
According to some experts, the Awami League has been long centered around a group of personalities focused on Mujibur, while others opine that the development has come at the cost of public anger towards the Father of the Nation.
“It’s unfortunate that the change in Bangladesh has come at the cost of this, where a man is hitting the statue of its founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, with a shoe. I hope this revolution doesn’t turn into a space for religious extremism — a case in point is that of Pakistan. said Pakistani journalist Bilal Farooqi.
Who was Sheikh Mujibur Rehman?
Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, father of Sheikh Hasina, was the first Prime Minister of Independent Bangladesh. He, along with his mother and three brothers, were assassinated on August 15, 1975. He served as prime minister for three years after the country gained independence.
Revered as ‘Bangabandhu’ , he was assassinated by a group of Bangladesh Army personnel who stormed his Dhanmondi 32 residence. The assassination marks the first direct military intervention in Bangladesh’s civilian politics since Commerce Minister Khondarker Mostaq Ahmad seized power, declaring himself head of the interim government.
Political Career
Born in Tungipara, British India (now Bangladesh), Mujib pursued higher education in Calcutta, studying liberal arts and political science at Islamia College. His political activism commenced during his college years, where he became involved with the Bengal Provincial Muslim League and the All India Muslim Students Federation, advocating for the rights of Muslims in British India.
In 1949, Sheikh Mujib co-founded the Awami League, a political party aimed at advocating for the autonomy of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). His leadership within the party got stronger as he became a significant voice for Bengali rights.
However, the surge in Mujib’s political career came during the 1970 general elections, when the Awami League won by securing the majority of seats in the National Assembly. On March 25, 1971, Mujib declared Bangladesh’s independence, but he was arrested by Pakistani forces the same night, which started the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, resulted in the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The war lasted for 8 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days (March 26–December 16, 1971) and was driven by a combination of political, economic, and cultural grievances faced by the people of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) against the West Pakistani government.
Following the war, Mujib was released from prison and returned to Bangladesh. He became the country’s first Prime Minister in January 1972 and later assumed the presidency in January 1975. However, on August 15, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in a military coup along with his mother and three brothers.
His political career is highlighted by these services, either as president or prime minister of Bangladesh, from April 1971 until his assassination.
In the 1970 general election of undivided Pakistan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League achieved a sweeping victory, securing nearly all the seats in East Pakistan. This remarkable win set the stage for the region’s eventual transformation into Bangladesh.
Despite delays by the Pakistani military in transferring power, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman effectively governed East Pakistan. As the Bangladesh Liberation War commenced in 1971, he was arrested by Pakistani forces on March 25, shortly after declaring Bangladesh’s independence.
Why are the Protestors vandalizing his statue?
Protesters in Bangladesh vandalized the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding father, on Monday during an escalating anti-government protest, which led to the deaths of many protesting students and several police officers. With Sheikh Hasina reportedly resigning as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fleeing the country amid the protest, the protesting crowd was seen happily waving flags on the streets of Dhaka.
A section of the crowd also vandalized a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. According to the local media, as many as 4 lakh protesters were on the streets of Dhaka, though the exact numbers were yet to be ascertained.
The vandalism of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statue appears to be a symbolic act reflecting broader frustrations with the current government. As the protests intensified, demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Hasina’s administration, which has faced accusations of authoritarianism and mismanagement.
