A Dhaka court has rejected an application seeking to file a case against 27 people, including former interim government Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus and former Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, over alleged vandalism and arson at the residence associated with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32.
The application was dismissed after the court found that there were not sufficient grounds or materials to proceed with the proposed case, according to the state counsel.
The application was filed on Thursday, 20 August, by a woman identified as Tamanna Chowdhury Priyanka before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana. The court recorded the complainant’s statement before reviewing the allegations and documents submitted in support of the case.
State counsel Shamsuddoha Sumon later confirmed that the court had dismissed the application because it did not find the necessary materials to take cognisance of the proposed case.
Among those named in the application, alongside Yunus and Nazrul, were former interim government adviser for Environment and Disaster Management Dr Syeda Rizwana Hasan, former Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, former Home Adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and former Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.
Several prominent figures of the National Citizen Party were also named. They included party convener Nahid Islam, spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, former adviser Mahfuz Alam, member secretary Akhter Hossain, southern chief organiser and parliamentarian Md Hasnat Abdullah, Noakhali-6 MP Abdul Hannan Masud, northern chief organiser Sarjis Alam, senior joint convener Samanta Sharmin and reserved-seat MP Nusrat Tabassum.
The application also named Dr Tasnim Jara, a former senior joint member secretary of the National Citizen Party and an independent candidate in the 13th parliamentary election; chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari; senior joint convener and Dhaka North City unit convener Ariful Islam Adib; and joint member secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat.
Online activist and political commentator Pinaki Bhattacharya, online activist Ilias Hossain, activist Konok Sarwar, retired Colonel Nurnabi, Tahreema Jannat Survi, Md Millon, Fahim Al Chowdhury and Abul Kalam Azad were among the other individuals named as accused.
Allegations in the application
According to the complaint, on 5 February 2025, several thousand people gathered at Dhanmondi 32 and allegedly attacked the residence with the direct support, encouragement or assistance of the accused. The application alleged that those involved were carrying sticks, hammers and inflammable materials.
It further alleged that at around 10pm, the attackers entered the building and carried out extensive vandalism before setting parts of it on fire. Historical artefacts, documents, records relating to the Liberation War, documentaries, books and other valuable materials were allegedly damaged or taken away.
The complainant also alleged that two bulldozers, excavators, heavy hammers and other machinery were subsequently brought to the site to demolish the structure. According to the application, the demolition continued throughout the night and lasted until about 5pm the following day, leaving a substantial part of the building destroyed.
Another allegation concerned social media broadcasts. The complaint claimed that some of the accused appeared in live broadcasts and encouraged the vandalism and arson. They were also accused of supporting the removal of documents and papers from the premises, while some were alleged to have provided financial assistance for the activities.
The complainant further alleged that government officials responsible for protecting the premises had prior knowledge of plans and public announcements concerning the attack but failed to take necessary measures to prevent the incident.
Those allegations, however, were not enough for the court to accept the proposed case. After recording the complainant’s statement and considering the material presented, the magistrate dismissed the application.
The Dhanmondi 32 residence has long been associated with Bangladesh’s political history. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman lived at the property, where he and most members of his family were killed on 15 August 1975. The residence was subsequently preserved as a memorial museum and became a significant site in the country’s political and historical narrative.
The events of 5 February 2025 surrounding the property generated considerable political and social debate, particularly over the alleged vandalism, arson and destruction of the historic premises. The latest attempt to initiate criminal proceedings over those events has now been rejected by the court on the grounds that the materials presented did not provide sufficient basis for taking cognisance of the case.
