Dhaka, Dec 22: Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Bangladesh’s capital on December 20 to attend the funeral of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, whose killing has sparked nationwide protests and heightened political tensions ahead of next year’s general election.
The funeral was held under heavy security near the parliament complex, with police deploying body cameras and authorities declaring a national day of mourning, during which flags were flown at half-mast across the country.
Hadi, 32, was a prominent figure in the 2024 student-led pro-democracy uprising that led to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He was preparing to contest the February 2026 parliamentary elections when he was shot by masked assailants on December 12 while leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He later died in a hospital in Singapore on December 18.
Addressing mourners, interim leader Muhammad Yunus paid tribute to Hadi, calling him a symbol of the nation’s democratic aspirations. “You are in our hearts, and you will remain in the heart of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists,” Yunus said.
Hadi’s death has triggered widespread unrest, with protests escalating into arson attacks on newspaper offices, cultural institutions, and political buildings in several cities. Police said a manhunt is underway for those responsible for the killing, though no major breakthrough has yet been announced.
The violence has also exposed rising communal tensions. During the unrest, Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker, was lynched in the central district of Mymensingh. Yunus said seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing. Rights group Amnesty International expressed alarm over the incident and urged authorities to carry out “prompt, thorough, independent and impartial” investigations into both the lynching and Hadi’s murder.
Anti-India sentiment has featured prominently in the protests, with demonstrators accusing New Delhi of harbouring figures linked to past repression. Hadi was an outspoken critic of India, where former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge since fleeing Bangladesh last year. Dhaka has formally demanded her extradition, a move that has further strained relations between the neighbouring countries.
Political parties across the spectrum condemned the violence and voiced concern over public order ahead of what will be Bangladesh’s first election since Hasina’s removal. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused unnamed groups of attempting to push the country towards instability, while student-backed parties criticised the interim administration for failing to curb lawlessness.
Despite appeals from Hadi’s political platform to avoid violence, sporadic incidents continued to be reported as the nation mourned one of the most prominent figures to emerge from its recent political upheaval.
