Fresh protests erupted across Bangladesh on late Thursday night after Sharif Osman Hadi, 32-year-old youth leader, died days after being shot in the head. The protesters even attacked and vandalised the offices of several Bangladeshi newspapers, including those of the 'Daily Star' and 'Prothom Ali'.
The office of the 'Daily Star', Bangladesh's leading English-language daily, at Karwan Bazar area near the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, was attacked and set on fire, trapping several journalists and staff inside the building. "I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I'm inside. You are killing me," Zyma Islam, a 'Daily Star' journalist, wrote on Facebook.
The office of 'Prothom Alo', a Bengali-language daily, near the 'Daliy Star' was also attacked. According to reports, the agitators vandalised the building and set a fire in front of it, trapping many journalists and staff members. "Several hundred demonstrators reached the Prothom Alo office around 11 pm and later surrounded the building," news agency PTI quoted an eyewitness as saying.
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.
Hadi's killing sparks fresh protests
The killing of Hadi, the convener of Inquilab Mancha, was shot in the head last week. He was shifted to Singapore, where he died on Thursday, following which massive protests erupted across Bangladesh. Hadi was known for anti-India and anti-Sheikh Hasina rhetoric.
Hadi's supporters have alleged that his killers have fled to India and have urged Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to close the Indian High Commission. Yunus, who has declared a one-day state mourning on Saturday, has vowed strong action against Hadi's killers.
"The government will take responsibility for the wife and only child of Shaheed Osman Hadi," the chief adviser said in a late-night address on Thursday.
