DHAKA – The former palace of Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina is set to be transformed into a museum dedicated to the revolution that forced her from power, caretaker government leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus announced on October 28.
Ganabhaban, once the official residence of the prime minister, witnessed the height of Hasina’s controversial rule and is now deemed a “symbol of repression” by the new administration. Yunus, who assumed the role of “chief adviser” after the student-led uprising in August, visited the palace, stating that the museum will “preserve memories of her misrule and the people’s anger.”
During her 15-year leadership, Hasina faced accusations of human rights abuses, with widespread reports of political detentions and extrajudicial killings. Her government was also accused of overseeing the notorious “House of Mirrors” detention center, where detainees were kept in solitary conditions. The museum will feature a replica of this facility, intending to remind visitors of the torture endured by her regime’s political prisoners.
In the chaotic aftermath of her flight, thousands stormed Ganabhaban, leaving the palace looted and vandalized, its walls scrawled with anti-regime graffiti. Hasina has not been seen publicly since her departure from Bangladesh, with her last reported location at a military base near New Delhi, India.
Plans for the museum are moving swiftly, with construction anticipated to start by December, according to Yunus’ office. The museum aims to offer a lasting reminder of the struggle that ended Hasina’s time in power, shedding light on a pivotal period in Bangladesh’s history.