Uncovering The Inventory At House No. 32, Dhanmondi

Sajid Sami Chowdhury, Chittagong Bureau Chief

November 6, 2023 – Soon after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s death, a detailed inventory of the house at Dhanmondi’s House No. 32 surfaced. This is a significant aspect of the research Pinaki Bhattacharya did for the second part of his book that chronicles Bangladesh’s struggle for independence. This comprehensive catalogue, which is 71 pages long, is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the socio-political landscape of Bangladesh and the official lifestyle of the head of state.

The events of August 15, 1975, prompted an in-depth look and after recording of items discovered at Dhanmondi’s House No. 32. This led to a profound revision. This thorough inventory serves as a symbol of the progress of individual belongings and the broader socio-political culture that defines the country’s fight for independence and self-determination.

The inventory’s release, which was painstakingly described in a nationwide wthie paper published by the acting administration on August 30, exposed a sizable cache of valuables. The inventory included 503 pounds of elaborate gold jewelry, 4,054 pounds of fine silver items, and a sizable stash of cash, including 56,219,190 Bangladeshi taka, 9,088 Indian rupees, 25 US dollars, and 88 British pounds sterling. Remarkably, the inventory also listed prize bonds worth 220 taka, highlighting the residence’s wealth.

However, beyond the luxurious, the holdings also included the finding of grenades and explosives inside House No. 32. Interestingly, the list contained a variety of weapons that were obviously not properly licensed. A.303 rifle, two Point Thirty-Thirty revolvers with magazines, an SLR with two magazines and 78 rounds of ammunition, two SMGs, a Chinese rifle, a Point 22 rifle, a Bren gun with magazines, a GEIO Three rifle, two Mark 3 rifles with two boxes of ammunition, and an empty ammunition box were all included in this assortment. Moreover, the arsenal of weapons included an airgun and two grenades.

Notable is the alarming absence of official records linking these seized weapons to Sheikh Hasina, which adds to the murkiness and complexity surrounding the origin and intended purpose of this arsenal in Bangladesh’s historical narrative.

N.B – The blog is not to defame the father of nation. Rather it is just a piece of information about him. Since, all the weapons were returned; there stands no fraud on writing this and letting people know. The write-up is quoted from a visual content of Pinaki Bhattacharya, a Paris-based Bangladeshi and trained physician, is an influential blogger and social activist. In his younger years, he was part of the Leftist student movement.