Large-scale violence erupted in Bangladesh on Thursday after the death of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was a prominent leader in the 2024 student protest that led to the ouster of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government, reported the BBC.
Hadi had been shot on December 12 while he was leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He died on Thursday at a hospital in Singapore, where he had been flown for treatment, reported Prothom Alo. The authorities have accused a person identified as Faisal Karim Masud of shooting Hadi and named another person, Alamgir Sheikh, as his accomplice.
After news of Hadi’s death broke on Thursday night, his supporters took to the streets of Dhaka, demanding action against his killers.
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Groups of protesters vandalised the offices of two Bangladeshi newspapers – Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. As a result, the print edition of the papers could not be published on Friday. The online portals were also temporarily unavailable.
The Army was deployed at the offices of the publications and several staff members were rescued by firefighters, reported Deutsche Welle.
The country’s interim government stated that Muhammad Yunus, who had taken over as the chief adviser after Hasina resigned and fled to India in August 2024, spoke to the editors of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. “I am deeply saddened by this unwanted and heinous attack on your institutions and journalists,” Yunus told them. “The government stands beside you in this difficult time.”
In a televised address, Yunus described Hadi’s death as an “irreparable loss for the nation” and urged protestors to maintain calm. He also announced special prayers at mosques on Friday and a day of mourning on Saturday.
Demonstrators also bulldozed the regional office of Hasina’s Awami League in the northern city of Rajshahi, Deutsche Welle reported, citing footage from local media.
Hadi was a senior leader of the student group Inqilab Mancha. The group distanced itself from the violence during the protests, alleging that opportunists were trying to derail the demonstrations. “They essentially want to turn Bangladesh into a dysfunctional state through vandalism and arson,” the group stated. “They want to endanger the independence and sovereignty of this country.”
Hadi was shot a day after the Bangladeshi authorities announced that the country would hold its 13th national election on February 12.
This will be the first election in the country since the resignation of Hasina, who had fled to India after several weeks of widespread student-led protests against her government. She was ousted from power after 16 years in office.
Yunus has pledged to step down once an elected government is in place.
While announcing the elections, the country’s Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said that a national referendum on the “July Declaration” would also be held on the same day of the polls.
The declaration promises full state and constitutional recognition of the 2024 student protests.
In August, Yunus said that the declaration was essential to ensure “no future government can become fascist again”.
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