Dhaka (TDI): Police and paramilitary forces were deployed across Dhaka and other major cities in Bangladesh on Friday after violent protests erupted over the death of a prominent youth leader, raising concerns about further unrest ahead of national elections.
Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, a spokesperson for the revolutionary student platform Inquilab Mancha, was shot in the head last Friday by masked assailants while launching his election campaign. Hadi was flown to Singapore for advanced medical treatment but succumbed after six days on life support.
Hadi, known for his outspoken criticism of India, had played a leading role in the student-led protests that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India last year. Inquilab Mancha describes itself as a revolutionary cultural platform inspired by the spirit of uprising, Reuters reported.
Videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalizing offices of Bangladesh’s leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, on Thursday night. Demonstrators chanted slogans in Hadi’s name, demanding swift justice and vowing to continue their movement. Several areas remained tense, with additional police and paramilitary units deployed to maintain order. Firefighters rescued journalists trapped inside The Daily Star building, where the blaze was brought under control.
Read More: Bangladesh Marks One Year of Protests That Ousted Hasina
The unrest comes amid ongoing political instability. Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after Hasina’s departure. The government faces mounting pressure over delayed reforms, while Hasina’s Awami League has been barred from participating in the upcoming February 12 elections.
In a televised address, Yunus described Hadi’s death as “an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere” and urged citizens to remain calm. He assured the public of a transparent investigation and called for restraint, warning that violence could undermine the credibility of the elections. The interim administration declared Saturday a day of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and special prayers scheduled across the country.
Read More: India Summons Bangladesh Envoy Over High Commission Security
Protests have targeted symbols associated with the former government and cultural institutions. The home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president and Hasina’s father, was vandalized and set on fire for the third time since last year. In Dhaka, the Bengali cultural organization Chhayanaut was also attacked, while New Age editor Nurul Kabir was harassed by demonstrators accusing him of collaborating with the Awami League.
Violence spread to several other cities, including Rajshahi, where protesters demolished an Awami League office using a bulldozer, and Chittagong, where demonstrators attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission and set fire to a former Awami League minister’s house. The unrest follows anti-India protests earlier in the week, reflecting deteriorating ties between the two neighbors since Hasina fled to Delhi.
