Hawk Eye

'Fall of the Golden Statue'

On August 5, 2024, a defining moment in Bangladesh’s modern political history unfolded in the streets of Dhaka.

This cinematic 4K drone footage documents the buildup around the golden statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Mrityunjayee Prangan, Bijoy Sarani, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid the Student–People's Uprising.

What began as a public gathering evolved into a symbolic act of protest. The golden statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—unveiled in 2023 at Mrityunjayee Prangan—had come to represent not just his legacy, but the state-sponsored cult of personality and political image-building associated with the Awami League. The ruling party’s identity machinery was challenged by citizens frustrated with its politicization and the broader cult surrounding Sheikh Mujib. In the eyes of many, its destruction marked a public rejection of authoritarianism and the use of Mujib’s likeness as a tool of political dominance.

📍 On this day, protesters climbed and chipped away at the statue’s foundation. By evening, it had been fully toppled—an event captured in global media broadcasts and compared to the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad (2003). Over 1,500 sculptures of Mujib were reported destroyed nationwide in the days that followed.

🎥 This footage was filmed in the afternoon of August 5, 2024, showing the crowd's buildup and the early stages of the statue’s dismantling.

⚠️ The final collapse—captured hours later in low-resolution, publicly sourced footage—is shown at the end for historical completeness.

From monument to memory.

This video is presented as an objective visual record, not a political statement. It does not endorse, celebrate, or glorify any action shown. Its purpose is to document a turning point in national memory.

📌 Let the footage speak. History will interpret.

📺 For the best experience, watch in full screen.

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