“It’s the freedom of the young generation,” said student Parvez Hossain, 30, among the crowds in front of the building, which was empty of lawmakers after parliament was dissolved on Tuesday. Protesters had stormed the building on Monday, jumping on tables and setting off what appeared to be smoke bombs.
Hossain spoke of his hope for a new start and idealism for abetter future.“Now we have regained the freedom of Bangladesh. We want to build the country in a new way again.” The unrest began last month with student-led protests against govt job quotas and escalated into mass demonstrations calling for Hasina, who had been in office since 2009, to quit.
But while busy streets and open shops in Dhaka gave the initial appearance that daily life was nearly back to business as usual, at least 10 people were killed on Tuesday, and security remained a concern. The charred ruins of offices of the former governing party Awami League and looted houses of those seen loyal to Hasina showed the scale of bitter violence in the chaos at the end of her rule.
24 burnt alive, toll now 440
The death toll in the violence climbed to 440, with 100 more deaths reported after Hasina fled the country, according to local media. At least 24 people were burnt alive on Monday night in a hotel owned by a leader of Awami League of in western Joshor district, hospital sources told PTI. The victims, mostly boarders, included an Indonesian national.
Hundreds of Hindu houses, businesses and temples have been vandalised since Hasi na’s ouster, a community association said. The EU heads of mission in Dhaka appealed to all parties to exercise restraint and reject communal violence.
Prisoners flee, cops attacked
In the southwestern district of Satkhira, 596 prisoners and detainees escaped from a jail after an attack on the facility Monday. The Bangladesh Police Association said it was launching a strike across the country because of a lack of security after numerous police stations were attacked and “many” officers were killed, though it didn’t give any number of the dead. It said officers would not return to work unless their safety is assured. The association also apologised for violent police attacks on student protesters, saying officers had be en “forced to open fire” and had been cast as the “villain”.
Military reshuffle
On the first day after the fall of Hasina’s govt, a tense atmosphere prevailed at the Secretariat, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Attendance in the ministry offices was significantly low, and ministers and MPs were notably absent.
The military reshuffled several generals, demoting some seen as close to Hasina, and sacking Ziaul Ahsan, a commander of the feared and USsanctioned Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force.
Garment factories to open
The streets of Dhaka appeared calmer, with no reports of new violence as jubilant protesters thronged Hasina’s resi dence. Some posed for selfies with soldiers guarding the building, where a day earlier angry protesters had looted furniture, paintings, flowerpots and chickens. The capital’s main airport resumed operations after an 8-hour suspension.
Garment factories, which supply apparel to some of the world’s top brands and are a mainstay of the economy, will reopen on Wednesday after being shut due to the disruptions.
US visa status unknown
Meanwhile, there has been speculation that the US has revoked the visas of Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, and her ministers and officials. When asked by journalists, a spokesperson at the US embassy in Dhaka said: “Visa records are confidential under US law.”