Bangladeshi folk Hindu singer Rahul Ananda’s house, once visited by French President, burnt – Times of India

Once a celebrated Hindu singer in Bangladesh Rahul Ananda‘s home was vandalised, looted, and burnt amid the ongoing violence targeting Hindu minorities and student protests across the country.
According to The Daily Star, Ananda, along with his wife and teenage son, was forced to flee to escape the assault.
Around this time, last year, Rahul Ananda’s residence at the Dhanmondi 32 premise was the center of attention as it was graced by the president of France Emmanuel Macron for a friendly visit.
One of the founding members of ‘Joler Gaan‘, Saiful Ismal Jarnal, told The Daily Star that Rahul Ananda and family
were shaken and took shelter to a secret place which is not even his house, it was a rental he was living in for decades.
“I came to know the incident happened around 4 pm. From what I have heard, a group of goons attacked the residence and as Rahul Da, Shukla Di (Rahul’s wife), Tota (his son) and other family members somehow got out,” said Jarnal.
He further said that Rahul lost around 10 lakh Bangladeshi rupee over the household things.
“As soon as they had broken the gate, they started ravaging the house taking whatever they could find for themselves. They took everything from furniture, mirrors to valuables. After that, they torched the whole house along with Rahul da’s musical instruments,” said another close family source, to The Daily Star.

“We know that the people of the country love Rahul Da, and this attack was not because of his religion. Rahul Da’s home was adjacent to the Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s home at Dhanmondi 32, and it fell under the radar of the goons. But how could we make sense of it even with that understanding?” said another of his friends, wishing to remain anonymous.

“Rahul Da and his family are not scared, they are just sad and devastated over what happened to their home and they will make their statements when they get a hold of it,” she added.
In response of the incident, Joler Gaan, posted a song from their official page with a caption that reads, “The house on Dhanmondi 32, once a sanctuary for Rahul Ananda and the Joler Gaan ensemble, was not just a residence but a creative hub where countless songs and instruments were crafted. Known for its open-door policy, the house welcomed all, where Rahul meticulously designed instruments that captured the unique sound of Bangladesh.”