Bangladesh: Clashes erupt during "Bulldozer Program" in Gazipur, 15 injured

Dhaka [Bangladesh], February 8 (ANI): Fresh clashes broke out in Bangladesh's central Gazipur district on Friday night during the "Bulldozer Program" by students opposed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Nearly 15 students were injured in this incident and were undergoing treatment in several hospitals, a local reporter told ANI.
"The clashes broke out when the locals announced on the microphone that robbers had arrived when students moved towards Sheikh Hasina's Liberation War Affairs Minister Mozammel Haq's house", a local reporter told ANI over the phone.
"Nearly 15 students were injured in this incident and they were receiving medical treatment in several hospitals. The central leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement, the group led to ouster Sheikh Hasina, have arrived in Gazipur to hold a rally to protest attacks on the students", the reporter added.
However, under the "Bulldozer Program", the houses and offices of Awami League leaders and workers continued under attacks across the country, local media reports.
Houses of former president Abdul Hamid, former Army chief Moeen U Ahmed's residence and several Awami League leaders were attacked vandalised and torched, and murals and busts of Bangladesh's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were demolished and defaced in several districts, The Daily Observer reported.
According to the report, the Awami League office has been bulldozed in Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh's former President Abdul Hamid's residence was set on fire and a sculpture was vandalised on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus called 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 Awami League party or against any citizen on any pretext, a statement from the Chief Adviser's press wing said on Friday.
The statement comes three days after the residence of Bangladesh's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Dhaka, was vandalised on February 5 during a live online address by his daughter and former Bangladesh PM, Sheikh Hasina.
The protesters, reportedly demanding a ban on the Awami League, stormed the premises after breaking open the gate, causing widespread destruction. According to the statement, "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 understands the activists' sense of outrage," the statement said, "that even from her refuge in New Delhi, Hasina continues to try to mobilise her militants to hamper Bangladesh's recovery from her years of abuse."
Yunus also emphasised the importance of respecting the rule of law, stating that it differentiates the new Bangladesh from the old one under Hasina's regime. He urged citizens to channel their energy into productive and peaceful efforts to support positive changes.
"Despite this understanding, the Government appeals to the citizens to abide by the law to show the world we are a nation that respects the rule of law. Respecting the rule of law is what differentiates the new Bangladesh we are working together to build from the old Bangladesh under the fascist regime. Let us not undermine Bangladeshis' sense of security and stability; any disregard for the law endangers the lives and property of citizens", it added.
In his statement, Yunus further urged those who had overthrown the Hasina government in July and August to stay committed to the principles of civil and human rights.
"For the citizens who rose and overthrew the Hasina regime in July and August to realise their dreams for the country, it is imperative to prove to ourselves and our friends around the world that our commitment to our principles - respecting one another's civil and human rights and acting under the law - is unshakable," the statement said.
"Champions of a just new Bangladesh must never act in ways that could support any perceived equivalence, however unjust, between the behaviour of today's institutions and those of the ousted autocrats," it added.
The statement said, "Our security forces are aware of this imperative. The Government is working with the country's security forces to preserve law and order and to protect the lives and property of all Bangladeshis. If any attempt is made to destabilise the country through any kind of provocative activities, law enforcement agencies will immediately take strict action against anyone acting to create chaos and anarchy, which emphatically includes the destruction of property. The government will bring the responsible individuals and groups to justice."
Highlighting, Hasina's regime, the Chief Adviser's press wing said, "The leaders of the fascist regime have left the country in complete ruins. They have no chance to come back as long as we remain alert and retain the moral high ground."
"Any attacks on their properties give them an excuse to draw international attention to themselves and dish out their fabricated stories. We are in the process of trying them for their crimes against humanity. The whole world is with us. Any deterioration of law and order will give a wrong message to the world", the statement added. (ANI)