Bangladesh on edge after Hadi's death: Riots spread, Hindus targeted, media offices torched

Protesters on Friday blocked the Shahbagh intersection in central Dhaka, demanding justice following the death of prominent July Uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, who was a candidate in the scheduled February 12 general elections, died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore after battling for his life for six days. He was shot in the head last week by masked gunmen while launching his election campaign in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. The killing has triggered widespread outrage, with demonstrators calling for swift action against those responsible and raising concerns over political violence ahead of the upcoming elections.

Amid ongoing protests in Bangladesh, former Indian High Commissioner to the country Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty has issued a strong statement, warning that criminal and Islamist forces are gaining the upper hand. Chakravarty said the governance structure in Bangladesh has become extremely weak, creating an opportunity for disruptive elements to exploit the situation. "Bangladesh’s system of governance is very fragile. People are taking advantage of this. Right-wing forces, criminals and Islamist elements are benefitting from the prevailing situation," he said.

China on Friday said it wishes to see safe, stable and smooth elections in Bangladesh, which is currently witnessing turmoil ahead of the February general elections. China noted that Bangladesh has announced it will hold parliamentary elections on February 12, 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing, commenting on the current situation in Bangladesh. "China wishes Bangladesh safe, stable and smooth elections and believes that various sectors of Bangladesh will properly advance important political agendas and uphold national solidarity and stability,” he said.

Anti-India protests have gained momentum in Bangladesh, with incidents of arson and violence turning increasingly intense. Miscreants have launched demonstrations targeting Indian diplomatic missions as well as Hindu individuals and establishments linked to the community, triggering serious security concerns across the country.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said his government is ready to deal with any situation in the wake of violent protests in neighbouring Bangladesh. Tension gripped Bangladesh on Friday after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the key leaders in the student uprising there, triggered protests and violence in various parts of the country. "All of us know under what circumstances, elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave her country. After Hasina's ouster, fundamentalists, criminals and thieves walked free from jails in Bangladesh. What we had anticipated is now happening in the neighbouring," the chief minister told the reporters. Since the matter is an international issue, the state government is sending updates to Delhi, he said. "Nowadays, war is not fought physically, and it is based on technology. We are ready to deal with any situation," the CM said when asked about the Bangladesh situation.

Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi will be laid to rest beside national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, following a request made by his family, Dhaka University Central Students' Union official Fatima Tasnim Zuma said. Zuma, who serves as the Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary of DUCSU, shared the update in a Facebook post around 6 pm, which was later confirmed by Inqilab Mancha on its official social media page. She said that a janaza prayer for Hadi will be held on Saturday after Zuhr prayers at Manik Mia Avenue. She also clarified that the funeral procession will bring Hadi’s body to Dhaka University’s central mosque on Saturday, instead of Friday as previously planned.

The Border Guard Bangladesh has stepped up security at several key locations across Dhaka ahead of anticipated protests linked to the repatriation of Hadi's body. Additional BGB personnel have been deployed, including at the airport, where the Platform for Revolution had earlier called on its supporters to assemble.

Security has been stepped up at the Indian mission in Dhaka after a hardline Islamist mob in Bangladesh attempted to target the embassy. Authorities enhanced security arrangements after the crowd was seen marching towards the diplomatic premises.

A Hindu man was lynched to death and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Bangladesh, in the latest incident of violence against the religious minority in the country. The deceased, identified as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was a factory worker in Mymensingh city, the Bangla Tribune news portal reported on Friday. In a statement, the interim government on Friday condemned the lynching of the Hindu man in Mymensingh city, saying there is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. "The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared," it added.

The body of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi arrived in Dhaka, as per officials. The flight carrying Hadi’s body landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 5:50pm. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-385 had departed Singapore’s Changi International Airport at 2:03pm Bangladesh time.

The mortal remains of Osman Hadi are expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka shortly. According to sources, his last rites will be performed on Saturday. The airplane carrying the dead body has entered Bangladesh's sky zone.  The place of burial is still not decided yet. 

Bangladesh's leading newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, have come under attack which prompted a strong response from The Daily Star. In its first reaction after the incident, The Daily Star said that the assault on the offices of the country’s two biggest newspapers marked one of the darkest days for independent journalism in Bangladesh. The newspaper stressed that attacks on media institutions are an attack on press freedom itself and warned that such incidents pose a serious threat to democratic values and the right to free and independent reporting in the country.

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya expressed serious concern over the evolving situation in Bangladesh, alleging that fundamentalist forces are driving recent developments in the neighbouring country. Addressing a press conference, the Rajya Sabha MP said radical elements appear to be firmly in control, warning that fundamentalism and extremism are spreading rapidly across Bangladesh. He described the trend as deeply alarming and urged all "right-thinking people" to come together to counter what he termed a growing menace.

Bhattacharya added that the Union government and the Ministry of External Affairs are closely monitoring the situation and handling it in an appropriate manner. He said India would respond as required, underscoring confidence in the Centre’s diplomatic approach to developments in the neighbouring nation.

Reacting to the protests in Bangladesh following the death of Osman Hadi, former minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury has alleged that the unrest is being deliberately engineered to create chaos and derail the electoral process. Chowdhury described Hadi as a radical figure who frequently incited violence, claiming that his death is being used as a pretext to mobilise extremist elements. According to him, the Yunus-led dispensation is allegedly exploiting these groups, along with other hardline political forces, to trigger nationwide disturbances with the primary aim of delaying elections.

The Bangladesh interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Friday issued its first response to the ongoing unrest in the country, urging people to resist acts of mob violence.

Former ambassador Anil Trigunayat said attacks on the Minority communities as well as the Indian High Commission were not a good sign for Bangladesh as the nation was heading towards election in February. 

Tipra Motha Party's youth wing on Friday staged a demonstration near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission here to protest "anti-India campaign" and remarks made by a leader of the neighbouring country about the Northeast. Security has been beefed up near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in the wake of the protest staged by the Youth Tripra Federation (YTF).

The body of slain student leader Sharif Osman Hadi will reach Dhaka by today evening, as per a Facebook post by Inquilab Mancha. Hadi’s family is set to depart Singapore with his body at 3:50 pm, with arrival in Bangladesh expected around 6 pm. Inqilab Manch said Hadi’s main funeral prayers will take place in Dhaka on Saturday after Zohr at Manik Mia Avenue.

The US Embassy in Dhaka on Friday expressed anguish over student leader Sharif Osman Hadi’s demise.   

Visuals from Chhayanaut, an institution devoted to Bengali culture in Bangladesh, surfaced after the mob attack. The office was vandalised and set on fire.  

The Election Commission has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Inquilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi, remembering him as a dedicated activist who gave voice to the hopes and aspirations of Bangladesh’s youth.

BJP West Bengal unit rebuked the lynching of a Hindu man amid protests in Bangladesh. The saffron party claimed that the situation was same in both West Bengal and Bangladesh. 

A Hindu man has allegedly been lynched in Bangladesh amid ongoing protests over the death of student leader Hadi in the country. He was reportedly accused of blesphemy, as per BBC Bnagla. 

The body of slain student leader Sharif Osman Hadi will reach Dhaka by today evening, as per a Facebook post by Inquilab Mancha. Hadi’s family is set to depart Singapore with his body at 3:50 pm, with arrival in Bangladesh expected around 6 pm. Inqilab Manch said Hadi’s main funeral prayers will take place in Dhaka on Saturday after Zohr at Manik Mia Avenue.

The angry mob on Thursday evening vandalised the office of Daily Star newspaper in Dhaka. The visuals of the charred remains inside the office have been making the rounds across social media platforms.

While delivering the news of youth leader Osman Hadi’s death, Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has appealed for peace. He declared a one-day national day of mourning on the Saturday.  

Amid massive violence in Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Khaleed Zia's son Sharif Osman Hadi is likely to return to the country soon. Rehman has been living in exile in London. According to Prothom Alo, Rahman has applied for a travel pass at the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

India on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and lodged its protest over plans by certain extremist elements to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.

The ancestral home of Bangladesh's founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has once again been vandalized. This property has faced at least three previous attacks and was entirely destroyed.

The protesters attacked and vandalised the offices of several Bangladeshi newspapers, including those of the 'Daily Star' and 'Prothom Ali'. According to the Associated Press (AP), some paramilitary soldiers were deployed outside the two buildings but did not take any action to disperse the protesters. They later convinced the agitators to leave after firefighters arrived to douse the fire. Later, the officials rescued at least 25 journalists.

Protests erupted across major cities in Bangladesh on late Thursday night after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was admitted to a hospital in Singapore after being shot in the head last week. The protesters, who have alleged that Hadi's killers have fled to India, also staged a protest outside the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram.