New Delhi: Famous Hindu Bangladeshi singer Rahul Anand’s house was set on fire and looted by protesters. The incident took place amid massive uprising in Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Violent mobs attacked the musician’s house in Dhaka on Monday afternoon (August 5, 2024).
One of the founding members of Jollar Gaan, Saiful Islam Jarnal told The Daily Star, According to an English daily newspaper in Bangladesh, “Rahul da and his family are in shock and are taking refuge in a secret location which only a few people know about. We have not been able to contact them yet. It was not even their house, it was a rented house they had been living in for decades. I came to know that the incident happened around 4 pm. According to what I heard, a group of goons attacked the house and Rahul da, Shukla di (Rahul’s wife), Tota (their son) and other family members somehow managed to get out.”
Welcome to the taste of “newly independent” Bangladesh. It’s not just Rahul Anand’s house; many minorities’ properties, homes, businesses and farms are being looted and destroyed.
pic.twitter.com/xRgLSjXREU— 47Sha (@47Sha_) August 7, 2024
The singer’s wife and son managed to escape the attack, but the attackers reportedly looted the house.
“Rahul da had a collection of over 3000 musical instruments that he had designed and made over the years. I can say he must have lost Tk 10 lakh on household items, but how can you put a price on the instruments that he had made with so much love?” Jarnal, who is himself a musician, said.
Protests have intensified in Bangladesh in recent weeks, with students demonstrating over job reservations and demanding the resignation of Sheikh Hasina.
