DHAKA (MNN); The body of prominent student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was assassinated last week, was flown back to Bangladesh on Friday as protests erupted in Dhaka and other cities, prompting the interim government to urge restraint and reject violence.
In a statement posted on X, the interim administration said a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying Hadi’s remains landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:48pm local time after departing from Singapore, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
Hadi, 32, was a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha (Platform for Revolution) and had actively participated in the student-led protests that led to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He was shot in the head by masked attackers in Dhaka last Friday while launching his election campaign. After initial treatment in Bangladesh, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he died after six days on life support.
Hadi’s funeral prayers was held after Friday prayers at around 2pm in front of the National Parliament building on Manik Mia Avenue, warning of severe traffic congestion and urging citizens to avoid large gatherings.
Interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus also confirmed that the funeral would take place at the southern plaza of the parliament building.
Although calm returned to many areas by Friday morning, protesters carrying national flags continued demonstrations at Shahbagh, chanting slogans and vowing to continue protests until justice was delivered. Residents expressed fears of renewed violence later in the day.
The National Citizen Party, formed by students who led last year’s uprising, warned of possible unrest, while several religious and political groups also held rallies demanding accountability for Hadi’s killing.
Local media reported that protesters accused India of involvement in the assassination and blamed the Awami League and its affiliated student wing, the banned Chhatra League. On Thursday night, mobs vandalised the offices of leading newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, with firefighters rescuing journalists trapped inside the burning building.
Chief adviser Yunus condemned the attacks on media houses and urged the public to resist mob violence, saying the country was at a critical stage of democratic transition that must not be derailed by chaos.
The United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk expressed alarm over Hadi’s killing and called for a swift, transparent and impartial investigation, urging calm and warning against retaliation ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for February.
Violence was also reported in other cities, including Chittagong, where protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission, amid growing anti-India sentiment following Hasina’s flight to New Delhi.
Earlier, Yunus declared Saturday a day of state mourning in honour of Hadi, calling on citizens to uphold peace and democratic values during this sensitive period.
