Dhaka, Bangladesh – A day after Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year autocratic rule ended, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, took on a sombre and unusual appearance.
The city’s streets, which had been filled with jubilant crowds following Prime Minister Hasina’s fall around 2pm (08:00 GMT) on Monday, were now notably less busy, with fewer vehicles and pedestrians.
Most striking was the complete absence of police – no constables, officers or traffic sergeants were visible in the city of about 20 million residents.
In many locations, traffic was being managed by people in their early 20s. At the Bijoy Sarani intersection, a major crossroads leading to the airport and parliament, about five or six young men were directing traffic with bamboo sticks, even a cricket bat.
One man with a pointed goatee controlled the flow of cars heading towards the Tejgaon Industrial Area by waving a bamboo stick, first directing traffic towards the airport and then allowing vehicles bound for Tejgaon to proceed in an orderly manner.
The scene where there once stood an iconic bronze statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s father and Hasina’s father, had also dramatically changed.
On Monday night, a throng of people used ropes to topple the statue and dismantled its base using hammers and chisels. Enthusiastic crowds then moved in to collect pieces of the overturned statue.
“It reminded me of the video of Saddam Hussein’s statue being pulled down,” said Asraf Ul Jubair when he shared a video of the scene on Facebook.
It was a similar scene at the Mohakhali intersection, another typically busy area of the city, where young people were directing traffic.
One of them, Rabbi, who did not provide his surname or age, smiled when asked about his role. “There are no police… ‘shob bhagse’ – which means they [the police] have all vanished out of fear,” he explained.
Monday night violence
On Monday night, after the massive crowds celebrating Hasina’s fall had dispersed, a wave of violence erupted. Groups armed with sticks and sharp weapons moved through various parts of Dhaka, attacking individuals affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League party.
Mahbubul Haque, a resident of Dhanmondi, an Awami League stronghold, told Al Jazeera that around midnight, a group of people arrived in a car and began vandalising the gate of an apartment building across from his home.
The building was occupied by a prominent intellectual known for his strong support of Hasina’s controversial actions, such as the suppression of students during the quota protest.
“At one point, they started firing guns, and we were terrified,” Haque recounted. “Then some armed forces arrived, and they fled in the car. It’s frightening.”
The violence continued throughout the night, with hundreds of videos of various attacks across the country circulating on social media and going viral.
This led to widespread speculation, including claims that Hindu homes in Muslim-majority Bangladesh were being burned, and that police were firing bullets from police stations in different places as angry mobs tried to enter and burn those down.
Jumanah Parisa, a third-year student at Brac University, told Al Jazeera that she stayed up all night reading and watching videos about events. She felt panicked. “We didn’t protest to make this land lawless,” she said.
On Monday, clashes across the country resulted in at least 119 deaths – the deadliest day in the week-long protest. Because the police are seen as corrupted by the Hasina administration, many police stations were targeted by protesters. Moreover, Hasina’s close ties with the Indian government had led to rumours Indian agencies were helping her government suppress the protests.
While some protest videos depicted atrocities like arson and violence, the speculation surrounding them was often exaggerated, according to Qadaruddin Shishir, a fact-checking editor for AFP, who spent Sunday night debunking claims and posting clarifications on social media.
“The images of burning temples are outdated,” Shishir explained to Al Jazeera. “Yes, there were attacks on police stations due to grievances over police brutality, but the police involved were Bangladeshi, not Indian.”
Meanwhile, images of people, including madrassa students, standing guard in front of temples and Hindu homes circulated widely on social media.
Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, a leader of the Hindu community in Bangladesh, told Al Jazeera that Hindu temples were protected and no Hindus were killed. However, he noted that many Hindu homes and businesses were attacked by mobs in over 20 districts.
“But those Hindus were associated with the Awami League party and they were not attacked because of their religious identity, rather because of their connection with Awami League,” said Pramanik. “I haven’t heard any news that a regular Hindu family without any political connection was attacked anywhere.”
“Anyway, law enforcement must be immediately reinforced,” he said. “Otherwise, the situation will spiral out of control.”
‘We will leave no trace of the Awami League’
On Tuesday morning, the talk of the town was who would head the interim government.
In most households and places, people were discussing that Muhammad Yunus, the country’s Nobel laureate, is going to head the government as its chief adviser.
Most of the city meanwhile was calm, with no signs of violence or confrontation.
However, in the upscale Dhanmondi area, crowds continued to gather at the remains of the Awami League chairperson’s office, the Bangabandhu Museum and Hasina’s former residence, Sudha Sadan. These sites had been set ablaze by an angry mob the previous afternoon.
At noon, another building beside the Bangabandhu Museum, which was previously used for Awami League gatherings, was burning.
“We will leave no trace of the Awami League in the country,” a young man, who declined to give his name, told Al Jazeera while he struck the building with a hammer.
Road No. 3A, which housed several Awami League buildings including the party chairman’s office, resembled a war zone. At least three buildings were completely destroyed.
Yusuf Banna, a resident of the road, told Al Jazeera he had been in a state of panic throughout the night. “People had such intense anger against the Awami League that it seemed unstoppable. I was worried about my family’s safety, as an angry mob is unpredictable.”
In the nearby Kalabagan area, residents were seen using chisels and screwdrivers to deface a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sabur Ali, a middle-aged man, proudly told Al Jazeera that he had been destroying symbols of the Awami League and Rahman since Monday noon.
Saiyeed Abdullah, a law graduate and social media influencer, called for the immediate restoration of law and order. “We have successfully ousted a dictator and aspire to build a just nation. While I understand the grievances against the Awami League and Hasina, allowing angry mobs to control the streets is not sustainable,” he said.
Abdus Shakur, a motor mechanic who spent Monday night awake in front of Dhaka’s Dhakeshwari temple, told Al Jazeera that citizen volunteers would ensure no vandalism, communal violence or crimes occur in the absence of police or law enforcement.
“We are expecting a new government that will not only restore law and order but also provide proper justice,” said Shakur, 28. “Until then, we will remain vigilant on the streets.”
