Bangladesh ex-PM palace becomes revolution museum

Once a heavily guarded palace, the former official residence of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina is being turned into a museum as a lasting reminder of her autocratic rule.

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Photographs of jubilant flag-waving crowds clambering onto the rooftop of the Dhaka palace after Hasina fled by helicopter to India were a defining image of the culmination of student-led protests that toppled her government on August 5, 2024.

One year later, with the South Asian nation of around 170 million people still in political turmoil, the authorities hope the sprawling Ganabhaban palace offers a message to the future.

Graffiti daubed on the walls condemning her regime remains untouched.

"Freedom", one message reads. "We want justice."

Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 in her failed bid to cling to power, according to the United Nations.

The 77-year-old has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity in Dhaka, accusations she denies.

"Dictator", another message reads, among scores being protected for posterity. "Killer Hasina".