Dhaka : A massive crowd gathered in Dhaka on Saturday under tight security measures to bid farewell to Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent young political figure, whose killing has escalated tensions across Bangladesh.
The funeral procession drew tens of thousands of mourners, including interim government head Muhammad Yunus, senior military officials, and representatives from various political factions.
The 32-year-old Hadi had risen to prominence during last year’s student-led uprising, which played a key role in ending the long tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hadi was shot in the head by masked gunmen last week in the capital while formally launching his campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for February. After spending six days on life support, Hadi passed away on Thursday in a Singapore hospital.
The news of his death ignited widespread unrest across the nation, with organized groups targeting prominent newspapers and cultural institutions. To prevent further violence during the funeral, police and paramilitary units were deployed across Dhaka. Authorities later confirmed that the ceremony ended without any significant disturbances.
During the funeral, Yunus addressed the mourners, vowing that Hadi’s struggle and vision would live on. “Today, we promise you that we will fulfill what you stood for,” he said, as the crowd stood in solemn reflection.
In a remarkable tribute, Hadi was buried at Dhaka University grounds, next to the resting place of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, underscoring the symbolic importance of Hadi’s role in Bangladesh’s recent history.
Bangladesh is set to hold parliamentary elections on February 12, which are seen as a crucial step towards stabilizing the country after nearly two years of political turmoil. Many view the elections as a chance for the nation of 175 million Muslims to move beyond instability and rebuild both domestic and international confidence.
However, ongoing street violence and deep political divisions have dampened initial optimism following Hasina’s removal from office in August 2024. Analysts suggest that the unrest has revealed the challenges faced by Yunus’s interim government and raised concerns about its ability to maintain order in the world’s second-largest garment-exporting nation, after China.
In Hadi’s memory, the government declared Saturday as a day of national mourning and called on citizens to reject violence perpetrated by fringe elements. Officials warned that continued instability could undermine the country’s delicate democratic transition.
Human Rights Watch condemned Hadi’s killing as a “terrible act” and urged swift action by the authorities to curb the ongoing violence since Hasina’s ouster. The organization also criticized the attacks on media outlets, describing them as a direct assault on freedom of expression.
Bangladesh ranks 149th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, with rights advocates warning that the ongoing violence against journalists and activists threatens to further limit civic space in the lead-up to the elections.
Amnesty International called for immediate, independent investigations into Hadi’s killing and the subsequent unrest, which included the burning of newspaper offices and the intimidation of journalists.
Protests continued on Friday in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, where demonstrators demanded justice for Hadi and accountability for those behind the attacks. During the unrest, a crowd stormed the Dhaka office of Udichi Shilpigosthi, one of the country’s leading progressive cultural organizations.
The violence has spread beyond the capital. In Chittagong, protesters targeted the Indian Assistant High Commission, reflecting a rise in anti-India sentiment following Hasina’s departure to New Delhi after being removed from power.
Meanwhile, Hasina’s Awami League, which has been barred from contesting the upcoming election, has threatened further protests, raising fears that prolonged unrest could disrupt or derail the elections.
