Officials at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, which is housed in the Setu Bhaban in Dhaka’s Mohakhali are fearful of entering the building that was targeted and suffered severe damages during the recent student-led protests in the country.
This ministry, led by an Awami League minister, has been at the center of controversy, facing intense backlash during the quota demonstrations. During the protests, angry students set fire to the ministry building and vandalized government property and vehicles parked inside its premises.
An estimated Taka 65 crore worth of vehicles were reduced to ashes, including 57 cars ranging from SUVs and pickup trucks to minibuses and motorcycles, all of which were used for ministry operations and official engagements. The incident has left the Setu Bhavan building a charred and uninhabitable structure.
Ministry officials that ANI spoke to say they are now fearful of entering the building due to its damaged state. They have been forced to carry out their duties outside, operating from makeshift setups. The protest, which began as a demonstration against the government’s quota system, quickly escalated into a larger movement, raising serious concerns about the safety and stability of government institutions in the capital.
Leading Bangladesh publication Prothom Alo had in a July 27 report stated that “several hundred of miscreants stormed into the Setu Bhaban on July 18 and vandalized it badly, set it on fire, and looted government property from the bhaban.” “They also vandalized many vehicles, motorbikes, ransacked different sheds and rooms and later set those on fire and beat many employees of the Setu Bhaban black and blue” the publication reported.
The vandalism was part of protests led by students who were demonstrating certain quotas in government jobs. Sheikh Hasina left the country for New Delhi on August 5 after stepping down as Prime Minister, An interim government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, was sworn in on Thursday.