Bangladesh in turmoil: Radical mobs unleash wave of arson, actress Meher Afroz Shaon’s ancestral home torched

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

In a shocking act of fanatic violence, a mob torched the ancestral home of actress Meher Afroz Shaon, widow of legendary writer Humayun Ahmed, on Thursday evening in Narundi village, Jamalpur.

The attack followed Shaon’s scathing social media post criticizing the interim government, triggering a wave of backlash from radical elements.

The assault on Shaon’s home was just one among multiple coordinated attacks that erupted across the country, as enraged mobs torched, looted, and vandalized properties belonging to prominent political and cultural figures, signaling a complete breakdown of law and order.

According to eyewitnesses, a furious crowd gathered in Narundi Bazar before marching towards Shaon’s father’s residence.

Her father, engineer Mohammad Ali, and mother, Tahura Ali, both former lawmakers, were not present when the mob set fire to the two-story building.

Md Zia Uddin, a local witness, described the horrifying scene:

“The mob first staged a protest, shouting slogans against Shaon. Then they stormed the house and set it ablaze. They called her a ‘broker of autocracy’ and accused her of working against the government.”

The attack was reportedly fueled by a Facebook post made by Shaon on February 1, the opening day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair, where she sharply criticized Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to interim leader Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

In her viral post, Shaon condemned the cultural and political landscape under the interim government:

“Today marks February 1, the inaugural day of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. This gentleman in the picture, who holds a position of responsibility, could have shared a delightful image from the fair, perhaps highlighting the books he purchased or those he intended to buy. Instead, he chose to unveil his dustbin-grade taste with the image he posted on his Facebook wall.

Alas… Do the powerbrokers of ‘Bangladesh 2.0’ also harbor illusions of perpetual rule?

Fortunately… Humayun Ahmed is no longer here to witness this book fair.”

The post sparked an immediate backlash, with radicalized groups branding Shaon as a threat to the government.

Her family home was attacked and burned down. Later that evening, she was detained by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on allegations of “conspiring against the state.”

Rejaul Karim Mallik, Additional Commissioner of DMP’s Detective Branch (DB), confirmed her detention but refused to disclose any formal charges.

Shaon’s case is just one example of a far more extensive wave of political violence gripping Bangladesh. On the same day, homes of multiple former ministers and national figures were set on fire in coordinated attacks:

The ancestral home of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was vandalized, looted, and set ablaze, in an unprecedented assault on Bangladesh’s history.

Former Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder’s residence was torched, leaving nothing but charred ruins.

Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam’s home was set on fire in another politically motivated attack.

The ancestral home of Shamim Osman’s grandfather in Narayanganj also fell victim to arsonists.

Violence in Joypurhat—where a girls’ football match was disrupted by extremist groups and followed by acts of vandalism—further illustrates the rising tide of radicalism.

Observers note that police and administrative forces have remained conspicuously absent, allowing mob rule to dominate the streets. Many suspect that elements within the interim government are either unable or unwilling to control the escalating violence.

“There is no police, no administrative intervention—mob rule is dictating the streets of Bangladesh. The Yunus government, in coordination with militants, is systematically destroying the country,” a social media user stated.