Violence has broken out in Bangladesh following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in the movement that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi, 32, was shot by masked attackers while leaving a mosque in Dhaka last week and later died from his injuries on Thursday while undergoing treatment in Singapore. The attack occurred just a day after authorities announced the date for Bangladesh’s first national elections since the 2024 uprising, elections that Hadi had planned to contest as an independent candidate.
As news of his death spread, hundreds of supporters gathered in central Dhaka in protest. The demonstrations later turned violent, with protesters vandalising the offices of leading newspapers The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, setting fire to one of the buildings. Police said troops were deployed to restore order, while firefighters rescued journalists trapped inside the premises.
Hadi was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha and a vocal critic of India, where former Prime Minister Hasina has remained in self-imposed exile since fleeing the country on 5 August last year.
Political parties across Bangladesh condemned the killing and called for swift justice. Interim government head and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus described Hadi’s death as “an irreparable loss for the nation,” warning that attempts to derail the country’s return to democracy through violence would not succeed.
“The country’s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed,” Yunus said in a televised address, adding that the shooting appeared to be a premeditated attempt to disrupt the election process.
The interim government has declared a day of national mourning on Saturday. Investigations into the killing are ongoing, and several suspects have reportedly been detained.
The unrest comes amid continued political instability following the 2024 student-led protests that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule. In November, she was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over the use of lethal force against protesters, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 people.
