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The many scenes of loot and rampage at the Ganabhaban in Dhaka.
Credit: Reuters Photos
Protesters stormed the Ganabhaban, the Bangladesh Prime Minister's official residence in Dhaka on Monday—after Sheikh Hasina fled the country to find a safe temporary haven in India—and indugled in looting stuff from her personal belongings.
Pictures have surfaced of people carrying away a bottle of vodka, paintings, a PlayStation, wall clocks, and others. Some even feasted on the food kept on a dining table, while another protester decided to flop down in her bed.
One individual was seen carrying away a microwave oven on his head, while others stole a duck and a rabbit.
Among the many things looted from Hasina's personal belongings, one was most shocking—two pairs of brassieres that were lifted high in the air by one of the looters.
A number of social media posts have shared this picture (whose authenticity was not verified by DH). From furniture and food stored in the refrigerator to livestock, the protesters laid their hands on almost everything owned by Hasina at her Dhaka residence.
Rabbits, fish and chicken along with goats were also some of the things looted.
Footage on social media showed protesters climbing a statue of Hasina's father in Ganabhaban and smashing it with hammers.
A man held aloft his child, hundreds broke in to the beating of drums, and one protester proudly proclaimed to the media that he had taken a red lipstick. “I will keep it as a memento of our struggle… to remember we broke free from a dictator. She used to wear this lipstick,” he said.
Another young man carrying a planter said, “This is freedom. I can’t put this feeling into words.”
The Bangladesh flag draped around his neck, a protester said he was 35 years old and had not been able to cast his vote for three elections.
A young woman said she was very happy to see this freedom. "This celebration is for everybody," she added.
An unruly mob vandalised the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in the city’s Dhanmondi area. Four Hindu temples suffered "minor" damages across the country, eyewitnesses and a community leader said.
With PTI inputs