The ancestral home of Rowshan Ershad, wife of late Jatiya Party chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad and former opposition leader, has been vandalised by members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and agitated students and locals.
The act of vandalism took place at around 3:00pm on Thursday. The house was located on Gangadas Guha Road in Mymensingh city.
It has been learned that following the events of August 5, in the changing political landscape of the country, Raushan Ershad’s ancestral home was rented out to a restaurant named Kutumbari. Since then, the restaurant authorities had taken over the house and began construction and decoration work for the new establishment.
This move drew sharp criticism from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and agitated students and locals, who organised protests and human chains, demanding that the building be declared a “collaborators’ house” (Dalaal Mohol). However, the restaurant authorities continued with their work after receiving permission from the owners.
In protest, on Thursday at around 3:0pm, members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the agitated student-public marched to Shundor Mohol and interrupted the ongoing construction of the restaurant. During the demonstration, they entered the under-construction restaurant and the interior of the house, damaging portions of the walls and several pieces of furniture.
Those involved in the vandalism included Fuad Khan, Waliullah Oli — both joint conveners of the city unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement — as well as student leaders GK Omar, Abdul Alim, and others.
Regarding the incident, Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) of Kotwali Model Police Station Md Saiful Islam confirmed that students and locals vandalised parts of the residence.
He added that the matter is currently under investigation.