KOLKATA: Renowned Bangladeshi folk singer Rahul Ananda’s 140-year-old rented home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi 32 was targeted Monday by a mob of armed men, which broke down the main gate, ransacked and looted the house, and set it on fire, destroying more than 3,000 handcrafted musical instruments. The attack prompted the singer (48) and his family to go into hiding.
The single-storey, colonial-style house where the frontman of the popular folk band “Joler Gaan” lived with his wife and son for over a decade was one of the stops on French President Emmanuel Macron’s Bangladesh itinerary during his visit to Dhaka in Sept 2023.
The Daily Star quoted one of the band’s founding members Saiful Islam Jarnal, who described how the mob took whatever they could find — furniture, mirrors, and other valuables — before torching the house along with Ananda’s collection of musical instruments.
Videos and pictures of the attack have circulated online, eliciting widespread condemnation and regret over the destruction.
Bangladeshis, many of whom participated in the protests that led to the ousting of PM Sheikh Hasina, denounced Wednesday the act of vandalism, stressing that such mindless destruction tarnishes the country’s image.
“I am ashamed. This was not what our students laid their lives for. The Bangladesh I know is very different from what I have been witnessing the past 72 hours. Tolerance is the key here. The students have already appealed for peace,” Dhaka University professor Rafikul Hassan said.
Last Saturday, musicians in Bangladesh held a congregation at Dhanmondi to show solidarity with protesting students.
“Rahul-da and several other musicians arrived after 3pm and assembled at Rabindra Sarobar… It’s difficult to say if the attack on the house was targeted, but it is evident people disrespectful of art and culture were active. As part of the movement, I denounce this plundering and bloodshed. This portrays an exceedingly negative image of our nation, and we do not desire that,” said music researcher and cultural activist Gowtam K Shubho, administrator of Shonar Bangla Circus.
Actor Azmeri Haque Badhon criticised the groups disrupting the secular fabric of the nation. “This is an exceedingly abhorrent crime. I am convinced that some agenda-driven individuals are trying to solely perpetuate the conflict,” he said.
Dhaka-based writer Jobaed Ahsan expressed hope for a changed situation with the formation of an interim govt.
“This kind of reaction is inevitable in any transition, especially when the public has faced such oppression for 15 years. Some miscreants will take advantage,” he said.
The single-storey, colonial-style house where the frontman of the popular folk band “Joler Gaan” lived with his wife and son for over a decade was one of the stops on French President Emmanuel Macron’s Bangladesh itinerary during his visit to Dhaka in Sept 2023.
The Daily Star quoted one of the band’s founding members Saiful Islam Jarnal, who described how the mob took whatever they could find — furniture, mirrors, and other valuables — before torching the house along with Ananda’s collection of musical instruments.
Videos and pictures of the attack have circulated online, eliciting widespread condemnation and regret over the destruction.
Bangladeshis, many of whom participated in the protests that led to the ousting of PM Sheikh Hasina, denounced Wednesday the act of vandalism, stressing that such mindless destruction tarnishes the country’s image.
“I am ashamed. This was not what our students laid their lives for. The Bangladesh I know is very different from what I have been witnessing the past 72 hours. Tolerance is the key here. The students have already appealed for peace,” Dhaka University professor Rafikul Hassan said.
Last Saturday, musicians in Bangladesh held a congregation at Dhanmondi to show solidarity with protesting students.
“Rahul-da and several other musicians arrived after 3pm and assembled at Rabindra Sarobar… It’s difficult to say if the attack on the house was targeted, but it is evident people disrespectful of art and culture were active. As part of the movement, I denounce this plundering and bloodshed. This portrays an exceedingly negative image of our nation, and we do not desire that,” said music researcher and cultural activist Gowtam K Shubho, administrator of Shonar Bangla Circus.
Actor Azmeri Haque Badhon criticised the groups disrupting the secular fabric of the nation. “This is an exceedingly abhorrent crime. I am convinced that some agenda-driven individuals are trying to solely perpetuate the conflict,” he said.
Dhaka-based writer Jobaed Ahsan expressed hope for a changed situation with the formation of an interim govt.
“This kind of reaction is inevitable in any transition, especially when the public has faced such oppression for 15 years. Some miscreants will take advantage,” he said.
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