A case petition has been filed against Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus, former Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and 25 others over alleged vandalism, looting and arson at the historic Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka.
The petitioner has also sought to name between 3,000 and 5,000 unidentified people as accused in the case.
The petition was submitted on Thursday (20 August) before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jewel Rana by a woman identified as Tamanna Chowdhury Priyanka. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, A.K.M. Sharif Uddin, the court recorded the complainant’s statement and kept the matter pending for an order.
The petition names several prominent figures in addition to Professor Yunus and Dr Asif Nazrul. They include former advisers Dr Rezwna Hasan, Shafiqul Alam, Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Mustafa Sarwar Faruqui, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Mahfuz Alam.
Other named accused include Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Akhter Hossain, Abdul Hannan Masud, Nusrat Tabassum, Dr Tasnim Zara, Nasiruddin Patwary, Pinaki Bhattacharya, Ilias Hossain and Kanak Sarwar, among others.
According to the allegations set out in the petition, the accused entered the Dhanmondi 32 premises as part of a pre-planned operation and broke through the main gate before carrying out acts of vandalism. The petitioner alleges that bulldozers were brought to the site following alleged incitement and instructions from the accused.
The petition further alleges that the historic building was extensively damaged, while documents and memorabilia were looted. It also claims that the property was set on fire and eventually reduced to a pile of debris.
The allegations remain claims made in the case petition and have yet to be established through judicial proceedings. The filing itself does not constitute a finding of guilt against any of the named individuals.
The petitioner has sought legal action under several provisions of the Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the Explosives Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act. The complainant’s side has also requested that arrest warrants be issued against the accused.
The court has not yet issued an order accepting the case or directing the arrest of any of the accused. The next judicial order will determine whether the petition proceeds as a formal case and what legal steps, if any, will follow.
Dhanmondi 32 holds particular significance in Bangladesh’s political history. The building was the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was later associated with a memorial museum. Any allegations concerning damage to the premises therefore carry wider historical and legal significance.
For now, the matter remains before the metropolitan magistrate’s court, with the decision on the petition awaited.
