Seeking justice: Protestors blocking Shahbagh Square in Dhaka and demanding justice for the death of a student leader.
Dhaka has tightened security, deploying police and paramilitary forces in the capital Dhaka ahead of funeral prayers for a slain youth leader and election candidate whose death has sparked a surge of violence.
The unrest after the shooting death of Sharif Osman Hadi has included coordinated mob attacks on major newspapers and cultural institutions.
Hadi, 32, a key figure in the student-led uprising last year that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last week while launching his campaign.
He died on Thursday night in Singapore after six days on life support.
Bangladesh is to elect a new parliament on Feb 12 – a transition many hope will help the Muslim-majority nation of 175 million people recover from nearly two years of instability.
But frequent bouts of violent protests and political wrangling among disparate groups have punctured the national sense of euphoria that arose after Hasina was ousted in August 2024.
A protester holding a placard with shouting slogans after overnight attacks and vandalism in Dhaka. — Reuters/AP
It has also exposed the limitations of the interim government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, analysts say, raising questions over his grip on governance in the world’s largest apparel producer after China.
Yunus’ government, which declared yesterday a day of state mourning for Hadi, urged citizens to resist “mob violence by fringe elements”, warning that turmoil threatens Bangladesh’s fragile democratic transition.
Bangladesh ranks 149th of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.
Rights groups warn that continued attacks on journalists and activists could further shrink civic space ahead of the election.
Amnesty International urged prompt, independent investigations into Hadi’s killing and the subsequent violence, including the burning of newspaper offices and harassment of journalists.
Demonstrations continued on Friday in the Shahbagh area of the capital, where crowds demanded justice for Hadi and accountability for the attacks. — Reuters
