Rangpur: Agitated students and people, including leaders and activists of the anti-discrimination student movement, demolished three murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Rangpur city on Wednesday night. The incident began at 9:30 pm when the mural on the Begum Rokeya University campus was first vandalized and demolished using a bulldozer. Leaders and students from the anti-discrimination movement declared the site as Mukta Mancha.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, students were heard chanting slogans such as ‘Jone Jone Khabar De, Mujibabad Kobor De’, ‘Chhatra Leaguer Thikana, Ei Banglay Hobena’, and ‘Mujibabad Murdabad, Inqilab Zindabad’. Protesters Aminur Rahman, Mushfikur Rahim, and others claimed that thousands of students’ blood was stained on the hands of the ousted leader, Hasina. They declared that the presence of Hasina, her party Awami League, and its affiliates would no longer be tolerated at Begum Rokeya University.
The name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall was changed to ‘Bijoy 24’ Hall, and the plaque of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall was also demolished on campus. Celebrating, students burned a caricature of Hasina in front of the destroyed mural of Sheikh Mujib.
Later, at around 10:45 pm, leaders and supporters of the anti-discrimination student movement and common people entered the Carmichael College campus. They vandalized the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman mural in front of the main gate with tools and continued their protest with slogans.
Another incident occurred at around 1:45 am when a mural at the Rangpur Zilla School intersection was demolished using a bulldozer. Previously, in a mass uprising on August 5, the Bangabandhu mural was demolished, replaced by a banner of martyr Abu Sayeed, and renamed Swadhinata Chattar.
Rajimuzzaman Hridoy, a leader of the movement, stated that students and people have created a grave of Sheikh Mujib murals at the two educational institutions. Nahid Hasan Khandaker, another spokesperson, shared a picture on social media, commenting on the symbolic burial of fascism.
The protest extended into a march through significant streets in Rangpur city, demanding the removal of symbols of what they termed as fascism, accountability for the July-August genocide, and the banning of the Awami League. Imtiaz Ahmed Imti, convener of the movement, expressed their protest against Hasina addressing the public virtually from India, questioning her audacity to do so.
Rahamat Ali, member-secretary of the Rangpur Metropolitan Committee, articulated their collective resolve to eradicate the remnants of what they described as fascist rule by Hasina. The movement will continue until justice is achieved, Rahamat added.