The day after in Dhaka

The city’s streets, now under the care of civilian traffic cops and property guards, tell a story of overnight destruction.

Dhaka, Bangladesh – A day after Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year autocratic rule ended, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, took on a sombre and unusual appearance.

The city’s streets, which had been filled with jubilant crowds following Prime Minister Hasina’s fall around 2pm (08:00 GMT) on Monday, were now notably less busy, with fewer vehicles and pedestrians.

Most striking was the complete absence of police – no constables, officers or traffic sergeants were visible in the city of about 20 million residents.

In many locations, traffic was being managed by people in their early 20s. At the Bijoy Sarani intersection, a major crossroads leading to the airport and parliament, about five or six young men were directing traffic with bamboo sticks, even a cricket bat.

One man with a pointed goatee controlled the flow of cars heading towards the Tejgaon Industrial Area by waving a bamboo stick, first directing traffic towards the airport and then allowing vehicles bound for Tejgaon to proceed in an orderly manner.

The scene where there once stood an iconic bronze statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s father and Hasina’s father, had also dramatically changed.

On Monday night, a throng of people used ropes to topple the statue and dismantled its base using hammers and chisels. Enthusiastic crowds then moved in to collect pieces of the overturned statue.

“It reminded me of the video of Saddam Hussein’s statue being pulled down,” said Asraf Ul Jubair when he shared a video of the scene on Facebook.

It was a similar scene at the Mohakhali intersection, another typically busy area of the city, where young