Bangladesh Protests Live Updates: Dhaka On High Alert Ahead Of Osman Hadi’s Funeral Prayers, To Be Buried Beside National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has strongly condemned the brutal murder of a young Hindu man named Dipu Chandra Das in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, in Bangladesh. "Yesterday (18 December) around 9:00 pm in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, a group of miscreants brutally beat to death a garment worker named Dipu Chandra Das on allegations of so-called blasphemy. They then hung his body from a tree and set it on fire, provoking actions that undermine communal harmony," the group said in a statement.

 Executive Editor of Prothom Alo, which was burned down by protesters, Sajjad Sharif said to ANI, "Some miscreants vandalised our (media) house. Last night, while our journalists were working on tomorrow's newspaper and online, a sad thing happened. One of the steerers of last year's uprising, Sharif Osman Hadi, was killed by someone, and he died yesterday. There was anger in society. The miscreants steered the anger to demolish newspapers. They attacked us, and our journalists were scared to death. They had to flee the office. We couldn't publish our newspaper today, and our online site has been off since last night. Since its establishment in 1998, in 27 years, it's the first time we haven't published our newspaper. It is the darkest night for newspapers. It's an attack on our freedom of speech and freedom of the news media. We urge the government to conduct a proper investigation to find out the miscreants and bring them under the law." 

Security was stepped up at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi following violent protests back home. Indian officials said precautionary measures were taken to prevent any breach of law and order amid heightened regional sensitivities.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the state government is prepared to deal with any fallout from the unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh. He cited concerns over extremist elements exploiting the instability

The interim government announced a period of state mourning to honour Sharif Osman Hadi. National flags will fly at half-mast, and official programmes have been scaled back as the country grapples with widespread anger and grief.

Bangladesh police launched a nationwide manhunt for suspects involved in Osman Hadi’s killing, announcing a reward of five million taka for information leading to arrests. Investigators are analysing CCTV footage and tracking possible cross-border movements.

Authorities described the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi as a premeditated act aimed at destabilising the political process ahead of elections. The investigation, they said, would be pursued with international cooperation if required.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that Osman Hadi’s funeral prayers will be held on Saturday afternoon at the South Plaza of the Parliament complex. Authorities have appealed to attendees not to carry bags or heavy items, citing security concerns amid ongoing unrest in Dhaka.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern over the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, urging Bangladeshi authorities to conduct a swift, impartial, and transparent investigation. He stressed the need for accountability and due process, warning that political violence threatens democratic stability.

China said it hopes Bangladesh will witness safe, stable and smooth parliamentary elections amid the current turmoil. Beijing noted that the February 2026 polls are crucial for national stability and urged all stakeholders to uphold unity and democratic processes.

"China wishes Bangladesh safe, stable and smooth elections and believes that various sectors of Bangladesh will properly advance important political agendas and uphold national solidarity and stability,”  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said while addressing media briefing said.

Sharif Osman Hadi will be laid to rest beside Bangladesh’s national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, following a request from his family. The decision carries strong symbolic weight, reflecting Hadi’s stature among supporters who view him as a voice of resistance and reform. The burial is expected to draw large crowds amid heightened security.

On Friday evening as the body of youth leader and pro-democracy activist Sharif Osman Hadi was flown back to Dhaka from Singapore, hours after violent protests and arson attacks erupted across the capital following confirmation of his death. Hadi, 32, a senior leader of the student-led platform Inqilab Mancha, succumbed to his injuries at a Singapore hospital on Thursday, a week after he was shot by masked assailants outside a mosque in Dhaka. His death has reignited street anger in a country already navigating a fragile political transition ahead of elections scheduled for February 2026.

Hadi’s body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on Friday evening. His funeral prayers are scheduled for Saturday afternoon near the Parliament complex, with burial to take place beside national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, following the family’s request.

According to Bangladeshi investigators, Faisal Karim made the remark while staying at a resort in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, with his girlfriend and close associate, Maria Akhtar Lima. During questioning, Faisal allegedly told her that something significant was about to happen the next day.

“He said something would happen that would shake the entire country,” investigators were quoted as saying by local media. Jamuna Television reported that Faisal showed Lima a video clip of Sharif Osman Hadi while making the statement. Authorities say the statement points to prior knowledge and careful planning, strengthening the case that the shooting was premeditated and coordinated.

Former information minister Mohammad A Arafat said Sheikh Hasina was “deeply worried” and closely monitoring developments in Bangladesh. “There is no effective law and order. Extremists are attacking academics, journalists, cultural activists and minorities. This is not new; it has been happening for months,” Arafat said, claiming that secular and liberal voices were being systematically targeted.

He also pointed to attacks on leading newspapers such as Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, saying the shrinking space for dissent reflected growing radical influence.

Mahibul Hasan Choudhury, a former state minister in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet, accused members of the interim government and allied groups of fuelling violence instead of containing it. “Yunus called for peace, but members of his cabinet openly called for bloodshed. This instability is being deliberately created as elections approach,” Choudhury told, alleging that law enforcement agencies failed to act during attacks on diplomatic premises and public property.

The map depicts an expanded Bangladesh incorporating India’s West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, the entire Northeast, and Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Variants of similar maps, sometimes titled “Sultanate-e-Bangla”, have appeared at exhibitions in Dhaka, including during Pohela Baishakh events at Dhaka University.

The concept, rooted in fringe nationalist narratives, draws selectively from historical entities such as the Bengal Sultanate and the Pala dynasty. Analysts say these depictions have no legal or historical basis but carry strong political symbolism, particularly in the current charged climate.

The Bangladeshi government has denied any official endorsement of the idea and stated that the investigation into Hadi’s killing has no connection to territorial claims or foreign policy matters.

Bangladesh is on the edge following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a top leader of the Bangladesh student uprising last year. While more information on the killers is yet to be revealed, Indian agencies are of the opinion that the killing may be an internal hit.

The murder led to widespread violence in Dhaka, and those targeted included pro-India individuals, the neutral media, Hindus, and Awami League supporters and properties belonging to the party.

If one looks at the pattern in which the events have unfolded, it is clear that all this has been engineered with two intentions.One, an attempt is being made to delay the elections. Secondly, it is a clear intention to engineer anti-India sentiments

The Bangladesh interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Friday issued statement regarding lynching of Hindu man. Condemning the lynching in Mymensingh, it said "There is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared."

"We wholeheartedly condemn the lynching of a Hindu man in Mymensingh. There is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared", the statement said.

"At this critical hour, we call upon every citizen to honour Saheed Hadi by rejecting and resisting violence, incitement and hatred", it added.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday strongly condemned the attacks on media houses and journalists, including The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir and other media professionals, calling the perpetrators "enemies of Bangladesh".

The remarks were made by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir following reports that several media outlets and journalists were targeted in arson attacks after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the radical group Inqilab Mancha.In a statement on his social media platform, Fakhrul said that while the nation was grieving over Hadi's death, "shameful attacks" were carried out on media organisations, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as on journalist Nurul Kabir and several others.

In yet another disturbing act of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a young Hindu man was killed in a mob lynching in Bhaluka Upazila of Mymensingh district over allegations of insulting Islam, with his body subsequently set ablaze, local media reported.

The incident triggered heightened tension in the area, prompting a temporary halt of traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. The violence occurred on Thursday night at the Pioneer Knit Composite Factory in the Square Masterbari area of the upazila.

The deceased, identified as 30-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, was a worker at the factory and a resident of Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh.Citing local and eyewitness sources, Bangladeshi Bengali media outlet Barta Bazar reported that Dipu was accused of making derogatory comments about Islam and Prophet Muhammad during an event at the factory marking World Arabic Language Day. The allegations rapidly spread within the factory and surrounding areas, sparking tension.

Protesters also hurled bricks and stones at the residence the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram at 1:30 am, but failed to cause any damage. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges, dispersing the crowd and detaining 12 protesters. A few injuries were also reported. Senior officials assured the assistant high commissioner of enhanced security.

A Dhaka court today granted three days' remand each to Sibion Diu and Sanjay Chisim for allegedly helping Faisal Karim Masud, the prime accused in the attempted murder of Hadi, flee to India.

After they were produced before the court, Investigation Officer Faisal Ahmed sought seven days' remand, but the court allowed three days.

Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after Hasina fled to India following a student-led uprising. The government has been grappling with fresh protests over delayed reforms, and warnings of unrest by Hasina's party, the Awami League, which has been barred from the vote. The elections are scheduled for February 12.

Read full story here: Who Was Sharif Osman Hadi And Why His Death Sparked Anti-India Protests In Bangladesh?

As Bangladesh simmers amidst a violent riot afer the death of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, convener of the Inquilab Moncho, in a crucial development former Prime Minister Begum Khaleeda Zia's son Tarique Rehman is planning to return home to Bangladesh on December 25 ahead of the General Elections. According to Bangladesh Newspaper Prothom Alo, Rehman has submitted an application for a travel pass to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Rehman has been living in exile in London. Rahman was arrested in 2007 and after being released from prison in 2008, he travelled to the United Kingdom with his family for medical treatment and has remained there since.

On Wednesday, anti-India protesters attempted to march toward the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, prompting it to close its visa section. After Hasina’s ouster India stopped issuing tourist visas to Bangladeshis, citing security concerns, but continued giving visas for medical treatment in India.

On Thursday, protesters in the southwestern city of Rajshahi tried to march toward the office of a regional Indian diplomat. Police stopped both marches.

Aftermath from Prothom Alo office in Dhaka, which was burned down by protesters last night. Firefighters are present at the spot. After the death of Osman Hadi, a key leader in the protests against Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has erupted in unrest, and two newspaper offices have been set on fire in the capital Dhaka. The buildings of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo-- the country’s two major newspapers—were set on fire.

A mob lynched a Hindu man in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district on Thursday night (December 18, 2025) amid ongoing nationwide turmoil triggered by the death of key July Uprising figure Sharif Osman Hadi, according to reports from BBC Bangla cited by local media.

Soldiers and para-military border guards deployed outside the two buildings but did not take any action to disperse the protesters. Security officials tried to convince them to leave peacefully as firefighters arrived at the scene outside the Daily Star building.

The blaze trapped the newspaper’s staff working inside the building late Thursday. One of the Daily Star’s journalists, Zyma Islam, wrote on Facebook that she was inside the building.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZMio1mroX/

“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke,” she said.

Since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, the Inqilab Moncho group has promoted anti-Indian sentiment in the Muslim-majority country. Hasina now lives in self-imposed exile in India

Witnesses and media reports said hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka immediately after the news of Hadi’s death, rallying on Shahbagh Square near the Dhaka University campus where many chanted slogans such as Allahu Akbar, or God is great in Arabic. There were also similar protests elsewhere in the country.

Daily Star newspaper building was attacked in Dhaka following death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the July Uprising and a spokesperson of the Inqilab Manch who was shot last week. Protests erupted in Dhaka as soon as the news of his death came out.

Sharif Osman Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho culture group, died in hospital in Singapore earlier in the evening, after losing a weeklong battle for his life.

He was shot on the streets of Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, last Friday while riding on a rickshaw. Two men on a motorbike followed Hadi and one shot him before they fled the scene. After days of treatment in Dhaka, he was flown to Singapore in critical condition.