Twenty-six eminent citizens, including human rights activists, lawyers and academics, in a joint statement on Friday聽 condemned the demolition of the residence of the country鈥檚 founding president, late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital Dhaka.
The building was razed to the ground cruelly by using crane and bulldozer on February 5 and many other establishments were also destroyed and set on fire with law enforcement agencies鈥� knowledge, they said in the statement shared by non-government organisation Association for Land Reforms and Development executive director Shamsul Huda.
鈥榃e are deeply shocked, stunned and ashamed after watching this [destruction] as citizens of a civilised country. We demand justice over the incident,鈥� they said in the statement.
The signatories in the statement include former Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhamamd, former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Choudhury, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, rights activists Sultana Kamal and Khushi Kabir, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust honorary executive director Sara Hossain, ALRD executive director Shamsul Huda, Dhaka University anthropology professor Zobaida Nasreen and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath.
The responsibility for the February 5-6 incidents mostly falls on the interim government and its home adviser, they said.
鈥楾he government cannot avoid the responsibility only issuing a statement following any incidents,鈥� the statement added.
It is the state authorities鈥� responsibility to protect any country鈥檚 historic monuments, places and establishments, it said.
鈥榃e cannot find the exact words to express condemnation of the incident. We strongly protest at the incident and demand ensuring justice through a fair investigation.鈥�
In the statement, they also asked the law enforcement agencies why they played the role of onlookers during the incident.