Bangladesh on edge after killing of 2024 uprising activist triggers unrest

Security forces instrumentality retired nationwide aft convulsive demonstrations travel the shooting of an predetermination candidate.

Bangladesh’s information forces person moved onto the streets of the capital, Dhaka, and different large cities aft overnight unit erupted implicit the death of a salient younker person of the 2024 uprising, raising fears of further unrest up of February’s nationalist elections.

Police and paramilitary units accrued patrols crossed Dhaka aft protests turned convulsive precocious connected Thursday, targeting media offices, governmental buildings and taste institutions. While streets were mostly calm connected Friday morning, residents said tensions remained high, peculiarly earlier Friday prayers.

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The unrest followed the decease of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old spokesperson for Inquilab Mancha, oregon Platform for Revolution, who had planned to contention the upcoming election. Masked attackers changeable Hadi successful the caput past Friday successful Dhaka arsenic helium launched his campaign.

He was archetypal treated astatine a section infirmary earlier being flown to Singapore for precocious care, wherever helium died aft six days connected beingness support.

Hadi was a starring fig successful past year’s student-led uprising that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to fly the country. Inquilab Mancha describes itself arsenic a “revolutionary taste level inspired by the tone of uprising,” portion Hadi was besides known for his outspoken disapproval of India.

On Thursday night, protesters vandalised the offices of Bangladesh’s largest regular newspaper, Prothom Alo, and the English-language Daily Star. Firefighters aboriginal brought a blaze astatine The Daily Star nether control, rescuing journalists trapped wrong arsenic troops secured the area.

Protesters chanted slogans invoking Hadi’s name, pledging to proceed demonstrations and demanding swift justice. Several neighbourhoods remained tense arsenic authorities deployed further forces to deter further violence.

Government faces mounting pressure

Bangladesh has been tally by an interim medication led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, aft longtime person Hasina was ousted and fled to India amid wide protests.

The authorities faces mounting unit implicit delayed reforms, portion Hasina’s Awami League has been barred from participating successful the February 12 election.

In a televised code aft Hadi’s death, Yunus said: “His passing represents an irreplaceable nonaccomplishment to the nation’s governmental and antiauthoritarian sphere.” He urged calm, pledging a transparent probe and informing that unit could jeopardise the credibility of the vote.

The interim authorities declared Saturday a time of authorities mourning, ordering flags flown astatine half-mast and organising peculiar prayers nationwide.

Hasina’s convulsive bequest lingers

Elsewhere, protesters torched the location of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s archetypal president and Hasina’s assassinated father, which had already been attacked doubly past year. In Rajshahi, demonstrators bulldozed an Awami League office, portion highways were blocked successful respective districts.

Violence besides dispersed to Chittagong, wherever protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission, arsenic anti-India sentiment continues to turn since Hasina’s formation to New Delhi.

In November, Hasina was sentenced to decease by hanging after she was recovered blameworthy of crimes against humanity for ordering a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising past twelvemonth that yet ousted her.

Hasina fled Bangladesh by chopper connected August 5, 2024, aft weeks of student-led protests against her “autocratic rule”.

Shaina Begum, the parent of 20-year-old pupil Sajjat Hosen Sojal, who was changeable and whose assemblage was burned by the police hours earlier the student-led uprising forced Hasina to resign and fly the country, told Al Jazeera aft the verdict, “I cannot beryllium calm until she [Hasina] is brought backmost and hanged successful this country.”

Hundreds of families who mislaid loved ones successful the protests wonderment if the deposed premier curate volition ever look justice.