Bangladesh Gears Up For Anti-India Leader's Funeral Amid Violence, Arson

A tense Bangladesh is gearing up for the funeral of anti-India radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi amid nationwide unrest and arson by protesters seeking justice for his assassination. He will be buried next to the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, his party said in an online post.

Hadi, an Inqilab Mancha spokesperson and a prominent leader of the July uprising, died in a hospital in Singapore on Thursday, a week after being shot at by masked gunmen in Dhaka.

His death triggered mob violence and arson in Dhaka and other cities, even as the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government called for restraint. His body arrived in Dhaka last evening amid the unrest and security challenges.

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Bangladesh has tightened security for the funeral prayer at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building at 2 pm. Drones have been banned in and around the Sangsad Bhaban during the funeral prayer, local reports suggest.

"Upon the family's wishes, a decision has been taken to bury Hadi beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and to hold his funeral prayer after Zuhr tomorrow at Manik Mia Avenue," Inqilab Mancha said.

No public viewing will be allowed, and those attending the funeral have been asked not to carry any bags or heavy objects, the party said, asking people to maintain order while praying for Hadi.

The instructions follow widespread violence across Bangladesh after Hadi's death. The offices of two leading dailies, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, were set on fire by radical groups, trapping dozens of journalists who were eventually rescued.

The extremist elements even vandalised the office of the left-leaning Udichi Shilpigoshthi in Dhaka, after which police and border guard members were deployed in large numbers at the office. Jamshed Anwar, general secretary of the country's largest cultural organisation, stated that everything inside their office was destroyed in the arson.

Osman Hadi And Violent Protests

Hadi, a frontline figure in the 2024 student-led protests that ousted former premier Sheikh Hasina, was shot at by bike-borne gunmen on December 12. Known for his anti-India rhetoric, he reportedly circulated maps of the so-called 'Greater Bangladesh' that included Indian territories.

Read: Behind Sharif Osman Hadi's Rise: Anti-India Stance And Extremists' Support

A bullet pierced Hadi's head when he was returning after offering Friday prayers in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw last week.  A candidate for the February general elections, he was initially hospitalised in Dhaka but later shifted to Singapore on the suggestion of local doctors.

He died at a hospital in Singapore on Thursday, while Dhaka turned into a battleground amid mob violence by radical groups.
His body arrived around 6 pm in Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh flight, with protesters calling for justice. The interim government has announced a one-day state mourning on Saturday, with armed forces taking over the city, anticipating more protests and violence.

Bangladesh police have released the photographs of two suspects and offered a reward amounting to about $42,000 for information. Chief Adviser Yunus vowed "no leniency" to Hadi's killers in a televised address to the nation, and urged citizens to exercise restraint.

His call for peace followed massive violence across Bangladesh, including the attack on media offices and vandalism at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka. The protesters also demolished an office of Hasina's Awami League party, now disbanded, in Rajshahi.

The residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram also saw stone-pelting late at night, with the police using tear gas and baton-charges to push back the protesters. 

In Dhaka's Dhanmodi area, Chhayanat, a progressive cultural group, was ransacked, with strong visuals from inside the premises showing destroyed musical instruments, artworks, and important documents.