Second Bangladesh Youth Leader Shot: Who Fuels The Unrest?

Tensions between India and Bangladesh have reached a boiling point amid fresh unrest in Dhaka. The assassination of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi-who died on December 18 after being shot on December 12-sparked violent protests across Bangladesh, including attacks on media offices, cultural sites, and attempts to storm Indian diplomatic missions, with crowds chanting anti-India slogans and demanding former PM Sheikh Hasina's extradition. This chaos coincided with the brutal lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh-initially blamed on blasphemy but now revealed as stemming from a workplace dispute-yet it heightened fears for minorities. In retaliation, a small protest outside Bangladesh's High Commission in New Delhi drew sharp rebukes: Dhaka threatened to scale back its diplomatic presence, calling it a security lapse, while India dismissed exaggerated reports as propaganda. As bilateral ties fray-with mutual envoy summons and accusations flying-concerns grow over stability ahead of Bangladesh's February elections.