Tensions spread in various cities, including the capital Dhaka, after the killing of a popular young political leader in Bangladesh, while the public believes that the facilitator managed to escape to India.
Authorities and civic groups are also expressing concerns about further unrest ahead of the upcoming general elections, in which the leader himself is a candidate. The situation on the streets remained relatively calm on Friday morning, but citizens of this Muslim-majority South Asian country expressed fears that violence could break out again after Friday prayers.
Sharif Usman Hadi, 32, was the spokesman for the revolutionary platform Inqilab Mancha and had played a prominent role in student-led protests against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government last year. He was shot in the head by masked assailants during an election campaign rally in Dhaka last Friday. He was initially taken to a local hospital, then to Singapore for better treatment, where he died after being on life support for six days.
Hadi was considered a staunch critic of India, while the Inqil Mancha describes itself on its website as a revolutionary and cultural platform inspired by the spirit of rebellion. In Dhaka, angry mobs vandalized the offices of the country’s major dailies, Pratham Aloo and The Daily Star, with protesters shouting emotional slogans, demanding the continuation of their agitation in Hadi’s name and immediate justice.
Tensions remained high in several areas, while additional police and paramilitary forces were deployed to prevent further violence. lsat night, protesters attacked the Indian High Commission and Awami League offices over Usman Hadi’s killing. According to the fire service, the fire at The Daily Star building has been brought under control. Meanwhile, military forces remained at the scene, and firefighters safely evacuated the journalists trapped in the building.
