BREAKING: Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre In Dhaka Burnt To Ashes

Dhaka: An unruly mob damaged the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) located at the Dhanmondi area in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka. The protesters have set fire to several key locations in Dhaka, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, also known as the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, at Dhanmondi 32, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The museum was dedicated to Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated while serving as president in 1975.

The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre located in the same area was also damaged by the unruly mob, according to eyewitnesses. News agency Reuters has shared a video showing books and other stuff gutted in the fire.

The Centre, formally inaugurated in March 2010, promotes bilateral cultural linkages between India and Bangladesh by organising cultural programmes, cultural seminars, workshops and engaging India-based Gurus professionals and trainers for Yoga, Hindi, Indian classical Vocal Music and Indian Dances such as Kathak and Manipuri.

It also engages high-class professionals from Bangladesh who had their training from Indian Gurus or in Indian Universities.

The Centre, a Cultural Centre of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations of India, has a library with over 21,000 books in the fields of Indian art, culture, politics, economics and fiction.

Yesterday, a massive protest forced Prime Minister Sheikh to resign and leave Bangladesh. Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced that an interim government was being formed and urged protesters to end the violence.

On the other hand, 24 people, including an Indonesian national, were burnt alive by a mob in Bangladesh at a starred hotel owned by a leader of Awami League party after its leader Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country.

The victims, mostly boarders, were burnt alive late on Monday night as the mob set afire Zabir International Hotel owned by district Awami League general secretary Shahin Chakkladar in Joshor district.

“The dead included an Indonesian national,” a local journalist told PTI in Dhaka over the phone.

He added the doctors at Joshor General Hospital confirmed they counted 24 bodies while surviving hotel staff feared more bodies could be found inside the debris.

Media reports suggested unidentified mob, opposed to the Awami League (AL) regime, set the ground floor of the hotel on fire which quickly spread to the upper floors.