Ganabhaban

Ganabhaban
Gate of Ganabhaban
General information
Status	Closed (under renovation for convertion to a memorial museum for the July Uprising against the Hasina regime)
Location	Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka
Country	Bangladesh
Construction started	1973
Completed	1974
Owner	Government of Bangladesh
Management	Government of Bangladesh
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Amir Hossain

The Ganabhaban (Bengali: গণভবন, lit. 'People's House') was former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence, which is located on the north corner of the National Parliament House in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.^[1]

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after switching from presidency to premiership following the independence of Bangladesh and founding of a parliamentary government,^[2] used to have his office at what was known as the President House (later more commonly, State Guest House Sugandha),^[3] which he called the "People's House" and serves as the Foreign Service Academy office since 1996, located on Baily Road.^[3][4][5] Due to inadequate office space, following the 1973 general election, he had the Ganabhaban built as his official residence and secretariat, though he never resided there.^[4] After its completion the following year, he would work there until 1975 and it would subsequently be turned into a court-martial by the succeeding martial law administration.^[6]

After 6 April 1979, the building remained closed until 1985 when Chief Martial Law Administrator HM Ershad, on the occasion of the first SAARC summit, undertook the initiative to renovate it for the first time.^[7] Following the completion of renovation work, it was rechristened to State Guest House Karatoa in 1986. During his Bangladesh tour, Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi stayed at the place.^[7]

Right before the end of her first tenure as prime minister from 1996 to 2001, Sheikh Hasina, Mujib's daughter, leased the Ganabhaban for just one taka during a regular cabinet meeting presided by her.^[7] Such a move offended the people and came under much criticism at the time from both national and international media. Reluctant to tolerate such criticism, PM Hasina left the building with her sister, likely planning to complete rest of the formalities in her next premiership after the election.^[7] However, she would not come to power again until 2009 and the lease would get canceled by the caretaker government of Latifur Rahman.

On 13 October 2009, a law, passed by the parliament as part of an act to provide state security to Mujib's family members, assigned the Ganabhaban to Hasina.^[8] The law was repealed, following Hasina's overthrow on 5 August 2024, by the Yunus interim government on the 29th, describing it as discriminatory.^[9]

Sheikh Hasina moved into the Ganabhaban on 6 March 2010, more than a year after she had been elected.^[1] Before that, she had to move from her late husband's house Sudha Sadan to Jamuna State Guest House in February of the same year on the advice of intelligence agencies and the Special Security Force,^[10] and stayed there while the Ganabhaban was being renovated.^[1] She hosted the wedding of three women who were victims of the 2010 Dhaka fire in Nimtoli at the Ganabhaban.^[11] U Pha Thann, Ambassador of Myanmar to Bangladesh, visited Hasina and discussed the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.^[12]

In October 2013, Hasina invited another former prime minister Khaleda Zia to the Ganabhaban to discuss the 2014 national elections.^[13]

A constable of the Special Security and Protection Battalion, guarding the Ganabhaban, was shot accidentally by a colleague in February 2018.^[14]

Politicians of the Awami League and affiliated bodies have special passes to access the Ganabhaban.^[15] In September 2019, the special passes of the president and general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League were suspended.^[15] Bangladesh police stopped victims of 2012 Dhaka garment factory fire from reaching the Ganabhaban in November 2020.^[16] In April 2022, Sohel Taj announced plans to march to the Ganabhaban.^[17]

During the 2024 anti-government pro-democracy protests, the Ganabhaban was stormed and looted by protesters after Hasina's forced resignation and many things were stolen from the building.^[18] Animals such as fish, ducks and rabbits, and other things like cash, sarees, jewelry and furniture were carried off as well, with some protesters even eating the rich food prepared in the kitchen.^[19] However, later that day students came together and stopped the looting, made a human chain guarding the building and were able to recover about 80% of the looted items. Many also came forth and returned some of the animals and other items to the army who were on guard on the few days that followed.^[20][21]

On 5 September, the interim government announced plans to open the place to the public converting it into a museum named "July Uprising Memorial Museum", with its condition maintained as it was left following its storming.^[22]

Beside residing there, Sheikh Hasina used to exchange Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha greetings with people including party leaders, professionals, senior civil and military officials, judges and diplomats at the place. On the day of the two Eids, the gate used to be opened to all visitors at nine in the morning, when people from all walks of life used to wait in queue to meet her after the special prayers.^[23] The custom was in place during Ershad's presidency also.^[7]

It is on the northwest corner of the Mirpur Road and Lake Road crossing and a five-minute walk from the National Parliament House. The area is one of the highest security zones of Dhaka. The Prime Minister's Office is a little way off.

Media related to Ganabhaban at Wikimedia Commons