Who Is Rahul Ananda? All About Hindu Bangladeshi Singer Whose Dhaka House Was Looted & Burnt By Mob Amid Protests

In a shocking turn of events, the house of Hindu singer Rahul Ananda, located in Dhaka's Dhanmondi 32, was looted and set on fire by an angry mob earlier this week. The protestors took away everything they could lay their eyes on, however, Rahul and his family members, fortunately, managed to escape the attack unharmed.

Reportedly, protesters stole 3,000 handmade musical instruments and other valuable items. They also burnt his home.

Who is Rahul Ananda?

Rahul runs a folk band called Joler Gaan. He was born in Moulvi Bazar in 1976. The musician holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from University of Dhaka.

Reportedly, he is a leading actor and musician of Prachyanat, a theater group in Bangladesh. Over the last few years, he attended eight residency programs in the UK, Japan, India, Egypt and Brazil as visual artist, musician and actor.

Protests in Bangladesh

On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and flew to India. Moments after the news of her fleeing from Bangladesh surfaced, protesters stormed into her official residence and looted whatever they could find there. The Bangladesh Parliament was also taken over by the protesters who caused panic and chaos.

Hasina resigned following massive protests that initially began as an agitation against a job quota scheme but weeks later they turned into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power. The controversial quota system provided for 30 per cent reservations in civil services jobs for the families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war.