A violent mob on late Thursday vandalised and set fire to Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's coalition, the Jatiya Party's central office in Dhaka, after clashes.
Clashes erupted after protesters carrying the Chhatra Sramik Janata banner marched with a torch procession in front of the Jatiya Party's central office following its announcement to hold a rally in Dhaka on Saturday.
According to witnesses, vandals pulled down party signboards and defaced party founder Hussain Muhammad Ershad's picture on the wall.
The fire service reached the spot and contained the fire after the protesters left. Following the incident, police and the army were deployed in front of the Jatiya Party office.
"We were passing in front of the Jatiya Party office with a torch procession. At that time, terrorists of the Jatiya Party threw bricks at our procession from the roof of the Jatiya Party office," said Shakiluzzaman, a leader of Gono Audhikar Parishad, a political party that actively participated in the movement against Sheikh Hasina.
"Jatiya Party terrorists themselves set fire to their office and escaped. The Jatiya Party acted as a proxy for the fascist Awami League in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections. We, the students, workers, and citizens, have declared that we will not allow the Jatiya Party to hold any rally," he added.
No comment was immediately found from the Jatiya Party, but they are likely to express their reaction officially later on Friday.
The Jatiya Party, founded by the late President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, was part of the Bangladesh Awami League-led Grand Alliance and participated in the previous three general elections despite the major party BNP's boycott.
Two months ago, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
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