Key points
• Youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi dies in Singapore a week after assassination attempt in Dhaka
• Violent protests erupt; offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo vandalized
• The caretaker government warns the killing may be part of a wider plot to disrupt upcoming elections
Bangladesh witnessed widespread unrest on Thursday after Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader and key figure in the 2024 student-led uprising, died in a Singapore hospital following injuries sustained in an assassination attempt last week.
Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in Dhaka. Local doctors said his brain stem had been critically damaged, and he was flown to Singapore General Hospital for specialized care on December 15.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his death late Thursday, saying he “succumbed to his injuries despite the best efforts of the doctors.”
Protests escalate following news of Hadi’s death
News of his passing triggered immediate protests in Dhaka and other cities.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside major media houses, vandalizing the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.
Both newspapers suspended operations on Friday after the violence.
Footage circulating on local media showed crowds entering the buildings and setting parts of them on fire.
Security forces including soldiers and paramilitary border guards, were deployed but did not disperse protesters.
Hadi had gained national prominence as a senior leader of the Inqilab Mancha movement. Furhtermore, he was seen as a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in February’s upcoming national elections, the first since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in 2024.
Government calls for calm as investigation widens
Caretaker government chief Muhammad Yunus described Hadi’s death as “an irreparable loss for the nation” and said the shooting appeared to be a “premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network” seeking to destabilize the election process.
Police have launched a major investigation, releasing photographs of two suspects and arresting at least 20 people so far.
Authorities have announced a national day of mourning on Saturday while Hadi’s body is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Friday evening.
Elections are scheduled for February and the government has urged the public to maintain calm, warning that further unrest could undermine the political transition underway.
Read more: India Relaunches Winter “Water War” as Sudden Chenab Flow Manipulation Alarms Pakistan
