Thousands of demonstrators set fire to the residence of Bangladesh‘s founding leader as his daughter, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, delivered a passionate speech on social media urging her supporters to oppose the interim government.

According to witnesses, several thousand protesters, some wielding sticks, hammers, and various tools, gathered around the historic house and the independence monument. Others brought heavy machinery, including a crane and excavator, to demolish the structure.

The protest was part of a larger initiative called the “Bulldozer Procession,” aimed at disrupting Hasina’s scheduled online address at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Many of the demonstrators, affiliated with the “Students Against Discrimination” group, expressed their outrage over Hasina’s remarks, perceiving them as a direct challenge to the newly established interim government.

Tensions in Bangladesh have been rising since August 2024, when widespread protests forced Hasina to seek refuge in neighboring India. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has faced difficulties in maintaining order as protests and civil unrest persist. Demonstrators have targeted symbols of Hasina’s administration, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence, which was first set on fire in August. This house is a significant symbol of the nation, as it is where Bangabandhu, as he is affectionately known, proclaimed Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Several years later, the location became the scene of a national tragedy. In 1975, Mujibur Rahman and the majority of his family were killed at their residence. Hasina, who survived the attack, subsequently converted the house into a museum honoring her father’s legacy.

“They may destroy a building, but they cannot erase history. History will seek its retribution,” Hasina stated in her address on Wednesday.

She called upon the citizens of Bangladesh to oppose the interim government, accusing them of unlawfully seizing power.

The student-led movement driving the protests has expressed intentions to abolish the 1972 Constitution, which they believe reflects the legacy of her father’s administration.