A banner reading “International Fascism and Mass Killing Research Institute” was seen hanging on the central office of the Awami League in the capital on Thursday. The 10-storey building, which had remained abandoned for nearly a year, began undergoing cleaning from Wednesday. However, the identities of those involved in the cleaning process remain unknown.
On Thursday, piles of brick debris and garbage were cleared from the third floor. Earlier, trash from the second floor was also removed. Reportedly, cleaning of the ground floor began on Wednesday morning.
About 10 to 12 individuals were seen cleaning the building. They stated that they intend to clean the entire structure. Several people were also seen sitting on plastic chairs in front of the building.
Those present told the media, “Once the whole building is cleaned, it will be handed over to those who were involved in the anti-discrimination student movement. The offices for those injured in the July–August 2024 uprising and for families of the martyrs will be set up here.”
They claimed that the building was originally constructed by forcefully occupying government land under the influence of political power. They added that the people—especially the students—would decide how each floor of the building would be used.
None of the individuals involved were willing to disclose their names or identities. They also declined to answer questions who established the institute, who is associated with it, or how the name came about.
The Awami League central office building in the Gulistan area was inaugurated on June 23, 2018, by party president and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Following the fall of the Awami League government during the student-people uprising on August 5, 2024, the building was set on fire. Looting continued throughout the month of August, and since then, the building had remained largely abandoned.