Protests escalate in Bangladesh after death of student leader Hadi

Demonstrators gathered throughout Bangladesh for a 2nd consecutive time demanding justness for Sharif Osman Hadi, a salient fig successful past year’s pro-democracy question who died Thursday successful a Singapore infirmary aft being changeable by masked gunmen.

The 32-year-old pupil leader, an outspoken professional of India, was attacked portion exiting a mosque successful Dhaka past week. As quality of his decease spread, mourning rapidly transformed into nationalist outrage connected Friday.

Several buildings were vandalised, including offices of media organisations perceived arsenic sympathetic to India – the longtime state of Bangladesh’s precocious overthrown leadership.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, presently successful exile successful India, was precocious sentenced to death in absentia implicit past year’s deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising.

“People person gathered present demanding the swift apprehension of those who killed Hadi,” 20-year-old pupil protester Sajid Al Adeeb told the AFP quality bureau successful Dhaka connected Friday. He claimed the perpetrators were “currently successful India”, an allegation New Delhi has not addressed.

“I impulse the authorities to instrumentality contiguous and due steps to apprehension those responsible,” helium added. “Above all, I privation Hadi’s ideals to unrecorded on.”

Thousands joined the demonstrations successful Dhaka, carrying nationalist flags and placards portion chanting demands for justice. Similar protests occurred successful Gazipur, Sylhet, and Chattogram.

Thursday nighttime saw protesters acceptable occurrence to respective Dhaka buildings, including the offices of salient newspapers Prothom Alo and the Daily Star. Critics impeach these publications of favouring India, wherever erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought refuge aft fleeing during the 2024 uprising.

Staff trapped successful the Daily Star gathering reported unsafe conditions. “I can’t respire immoderate more… You are sidesplitting me,” newsman Zyma Islam wrote connected Facebook earlier firefighters rescued employees.

Prothom Alo’s enforcement exertion Sajjad Sharif condemned the incidental arsenic “an onslaught connected state of the press, expression, dissent and diverseness of opinion”.

The interim government, led by 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, reached retired to some newspapers’ editors and denounced the vandalism. Officials urged citizens to defy mob unit perpetrated by “fringe elements”.

“This is simply a captious infinitesimal successful our nation’s past erstwhile we are making a historical antiauthoritarian transition,” a authorities connection declared. “We cannot and indispensable not let it to beryllium derailed by those fewer who thrive connected chaos and cull peace.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists called connected authorities to guarantee media information and accountability for those responsible.

Protesters had antecedently marched towards the Indian High Commission successful Dhaka connected Wednesday, reflecting deteriorating relations betwixt the neighbouring countries since Hasina’s authorities collapsed.

Hadi, who led the pupil protestation radical Inqilab Moncho, had planned to tally for parliament successful the February 2026 nationalist election. Police person launched a manhunt for his killers, releasing photographs of cardinal suspects and offering a reward for information.

Special prayers were held successful mosques nationwide, and Saturday was designated an authoritative time of mourning for the slain pupil leader.