Vandals flee Dhanmondi 32 amid baton strikes, stun grenades; excavator driver bolts

An Army officer has been injured by a stun grenade hurled back by attackers

The Army and police have foiled an attempt by a group of people to demolish the ruins of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence on Dhanmondi's Road No. 32.

Around 12pm on Monday, two excavators were brought to the area by an organisation named “Red July”.

Police and later the Army dispersed them using batons and stun grenades.

Law-enforcers at the scene said a group of students hurled an unexploded stun grenade back towards them, and it detonated on impact, injuring an Army officer. Blood was seen dripping from the soldier’s foot.

One excavator remained loaded on the truck used to transport it, while the driver of the unloaded one fled the scene, leaving the machine behind.

The “Red July” regrouped after being chased away by police, blocking Mirpur Road to shout slogans, prompting police to fire several astun grenades to disperse the crowd once more.

Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna Division Police, said: “They came to demolish the building. We tried to stop them by reasoning with them.”

After Hasina fled the country on Aug 5 last year, the residence of her father at Dhanmondi 32 was attacked, looted, and set on fire.

Marking six months since the incident, a “excavator march” was held on Feb 5, during which more than half of the house on Road 32 was torn down.