Dhaka woke up to an eerie silence on Thursday. The streets, usually bustling with life, were almost empty. Shops remained shut. Traffic was minimal. The city was under a lockdown announced by the Awami League ahead of the International Crimes Tribunal verdict against former PM Sheikh Hasina and two others.
Despite the quiet, tensions simmered. Activists of the Students’ Rights Council gathered near the Raju Memorial Sculpture. They held a protest rally. Voices rose. Shoes flew. A portrait of Sheikh Hasina, mounted on a metro rail pillar, was targeted. The scene was chaotic, brief and intense.
Meanwhile, Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists stationed themselves outside the central office of the banned Awami League on Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue. They watched, waited and maintained their positions through the day.
The city’s calm was broken by a fire at the Awami League’s central office in Gulistan. It started around 1:00 pm. Eyewitnesses said 10 to 15 people had gathered wood, cartons and other materials on the fourth floor. They set them ablaze. After the first flames died down, the fire was reignited. The blaze was controlled eventually, but the sense of danger lingered.
In Dhanmondi, fear and anger collided on the streets. A woman was attacked for chanting Joy Bangla. Bystanders watched, some frozen, some shocked. The attack was swift, leaving a deep impression on those who witnessed it.
Thursday’s events painted a tense picture. A city under lockdown, yet alive with protest and unrest. Empty streets, scattered fires, chants of defiance and fear in the air. The city waited. People stayed indoors. Eyes turned to the unfolding political drama, unsure of what tomorrow might bring.
