Osman Hadi: Bangladesh rocked by unrest over death of student leader

Bangladesh was rocked by violent protests in several cities after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi late on Thursday, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections.

Osman Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform and a candidate in general elections, was shot in the head by masked assailants last Friday while launching his election campaign in Dhaka. He was initially treated at a local hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced medical care, where he died after spending six days on life support.

In Dhaka, videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalising the offices of the country’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, as well as the Daily Star.

The demonstrations were marked by emotionally charged slogans invoking Osman Hadi’s name, with protesters vowing to continue their movement and demanding swift justice. Several areas remained tense, with additional police and paramilitary forces deployed to prevent further violence.

Police did not immediately comment, while the fire service said the blaze at the Daily Star was under control.

Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising.

The government has been grappling with fresh protests over delayed reforms, and warnings of unrest by Hasina’s party, which has been barred from the vote, scheduled for February 12.

In a televised address to the nation following Hadi’s death, Yunus said: “His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere.”

Urging citizens to remain calm, Yunus said the government was committed to ensuring a transparent investigation and bringing all those responsible to justice. He also appealed for restraint, warning that violence would only undermine the country’s path toward a credible election.

The interim administration has declared Saturday a day of state mourning in honour of Osman Hadi, with national flags to be flown at half-mast and special prayers planned across the country.

The United States approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan on Wednesday, marking the largest-ever U.S. weapons package for the island.

The home of the country’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Hasina, was vandalised and set on fire once again, after having been attacked twice previously in February and August last year.

In Dhaka, the premises of the prominent Bengali cultural organisation Chhayanaut were vandalised and torched. In the northwestern district of Rajshahi, protesters demolished an Awami League party office using a bulldozer, while demonstrators blocked major highways in several other districts.

Violence was also reported in a number of cities across Bangladesh, including the port city of Chittagong, where protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission and set fire to a house belonging to a former Awami League education minister.

The unrest follows fresh anti-India protests earlier in the week, with ties between the neighbours deteriorating since Hasina fled to Delhi. On Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators under the banner “July Oikya” (July Unity) marched toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, chanting anti-India slogans, while also demanding the return of Hasina.