A wave of arson and anti-India protests has swept across Dhaka following the death of a prominent student leader who succumbed to gunshot wounds in a Singapore hospital.
Bangladesh has descended into widespread unrest after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in the 2024 “July Uprising” and spokesperson for the radical political platform Inqilab Mancha. Hadi, 32, died late Thursday (18 December) at Singapore General Hospital, where he’d been receiving emergency care after being shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last week.
News of Hadi’s death triggered immediate and violent demonstrations in the capital. Thousands of students and activists gathered at the Shahbagh intersection and Dhaka University, chanting slogans like “Who are you, who am I – Hadi, Hadi.” The protests quickly turned destructive:
- Media Houses Targeted: Angry crowds stormed and set fire to the offices of the country’s two leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, in Karwan Bazar. Protesters accused the publications of being aligned with India. Journalists were reportedly trapped inside for hours before being evacuated.
- Vandalism of Landmarks: Protesters targeted the partially demolished ancestral home of the nation’s founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at Dhanmondi 32, setting fire to posters of former PM Sheikh Hasina.
- Anti-India Sentiment: Demonstrators raised anti-India slogans and demanded the closure of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, claiming the gunmen responsible for the assassination had fled to India.
Hadi was shot on December 12 while launching his campaign as an independent candidate for the upcoming general elections. Police have identified suspects they say are active members of the disbanded Awami League.
“His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere,” Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said in a televised address. He described Hadi as a “fearless frontline fighter” and declared Saturday a day of national mourning.
“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I am inside. You are killing me,” Zyma Islam, a reporter for The Daily Star, posted while the building was under attack.
The violence shows just how fragile the political situation in Bangladesh has become since Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024. The targeting of media houses and the return of anti-India rhetoric suggest a deepening domestic divide and growing friction with New Delhi. The interim government is now facing its most serious security challenge as it tries to steer the country toward credible elections in February 2026.
Hadi’s body is expected to be brought back to Dhaka this evening. With the army now deployed to secure key locations and media houses, authorities are bracing for potential escalations during the funeral and the planned day of mourning on Saturday.
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