Dhaka, Dec 20: Bangladesh’s interim government on Friday appealed for restraint and unity amid mounting tensions following the death of a key July Uprising leader, whose body arrived in Dhaka six days after he was shot.
In a televised address, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus confirmed the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure in last year’s student-led July Uprising and a candidate in the upcoming February 12 general elections. Hadi, who served as spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha, succumbed to his injuries at a Singapore hospital on December 13.
His death sparked a wave of unrest across the country on Thursday night, with incidents of vandalism, arson, and clashes reported from several districts. Protesters attacked government offices, media establishments, and even hurled stones at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram. However, officials said there were no fresh reports of violence on Friday morning.
According to a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) report, Hadi’s body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 6 p.m. on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Security was heightened as personnel from the Army, Armed Forces Battalion, and police lined the route to maintain order amid a large turnout of mourners.
State-run media said Hadi’s death triggered widespread grief among political workers, civil society groups, and supporters of the Inqilab Mancha. In recognition of his role in the pro-democracy movement, Yunus declared Saturday as a national day of mourning.
Unrest broke out soon after Yunus’s announcement on Thursday night. Protesters attacked newspaper offices, vandalised 32 Dhanmandi—a building long associated with Bangladesh’s pre-independence struggle—and destroyed an Awami League office in Rajshahi.
The Dhanmandi property, largely demolished in February this year and previously torched following the August 5, 2024 fall of the Awami League government, was again targeted by mobs using hammers and excavators.
In Chattogram, demonstrators attempted to damage the Assistant Indian High Commissioner’s residence around 1:30 a.m. but were dispersed by police using tear gas and batons. Authorities detained 12 protesters, with minor injuries reported. Officials later assured Indian diplomats of greater security at their premises.
In Dhaka, protesters also ransacked the office of cultural organization Chhayanaut, setting its furniture ablaze. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from other regions overnight, though the situation remained tense but under control by Friday afternoon.
