After clashes on Thursday night, the central office of the Jatiya Party, a coalition partner of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was set on fire in Dhaka. Witnesses reported that the office sustained partial damage. 

Founded by the late President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the Jatiya Party was a member of the Grand Alliance led by the Bangladesh Awami League and took part in the previous three general elections even though the BNP, the main party, boycotted them. Protesters opposed to Sheikh Hasina reacted angrily when the Jatiya Party announced plans for a rally in Dhaka on Saturday. Tensions rose when protesters, carrying banners from the Chhatra Sramik Janata group, marched with torches in front of the Jatiya Party's central office in the Kakrail area, which is located in the centre of Dhaka. Clashes broke out during this demonstration.

The fire department arrived on the scene and put out the flames. The Jatiya Party departed the office when a sizable contingent of demonstrators appeared in front of it. Witnesses reported that protesters smeared ink on the photo of party founder Ershad on the wall, tore down a signboard, and damaged Jatiya Party headquarters. The army and police were stationed outside the Jatiya Party headquarters. "We were passing in front of the Jatiya Party office with a torch procession. At that time, terrorists of the Jatiya Party threw bricks at our procession from the roof of the Jatiya Party office", said Shakiluzzaman, leader of the Gono Audhikar Parishad, a political party that was heavily involved in the anti-Sheikh Hasina agitation.

"Jatiya Party terrorists themselves set fire to their office and escaped. Jatya Party acted as a proxy of the fascist Awami League in the 2014, 2018 and 2024 elections", Shakiluzzaman said."We the students, workers and citizens have declared that we will not allow Jatiya Party to hold any rally", he added. There was no immediate comment from the Jatiya Party, but they are expected to respond officially later today.

Two months ago, a student-led movement forced Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to leave office after weeks of protests and violence that resulted in more than 600 deaths. Consequently, Hasina fled to India on August 5, and an interim government headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was established.