Bangladesh on edge as Sharif Osman Hadi killing triggers protests

Massive protests broke out across Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, with thousands gathering at Shahbag following the death of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, a polarising figure known for his strong anti-India rhetoric.

Chanting slogans and waving placards, protesters accused authorities of failing to protect Hadi, the spokesperson of the political platform Inquilab Mancha. The demonstrations soon escalated, with a group vandalising the office of Daily Prothom Alo, the country’s largest newspaper, amid heightened outrage. Local media reports several people are stranded inside the building that houses the offices of Prothom Alo & Daily Star. Protesters first vandalised these offices and then set them ablaze

Amid the unrest, interim government chief Muhammad Yunus appealed for calm, urging citizens not to take the law into their own hands. He announced a day of national mourning on Friday, with special prayers to be held at mosques across the country, and vowed that those involved in what he called the “heinous murder” would not be spared.