Protests in Bangladesh continued for a third consecutive day on Saturday (December 20, 2025), with demonstrators demanding punishment for the killers of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader of the July 2024 uprising, even as his funeral was held under heavy security in the capital.
Also read | Bangladesh unrest after Sharif Osman Hadi’s death
Political parties and rights groups warned that the continuing unrest, which saw widespread violence and arson attacks, could be exploited to derail the coming elections, scheduled for February 2026. Protesters have also renewed calls for the resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, whom they accuse of failing to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators more than a week after Hadi was shot in Dhaka on December 12.
Tens of thousands from across the country attended Hadi’s funeral prayer at Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament on Saturday (December 20, 2025). The funeral was held amid tight security, with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police deploying a large force along with around 1,000 body-worn cameras to manage the crowd.
Abdullah Al Jaber, secretary of Inqilab Moncha, a socio-cultural group co-founded by Hadi, gave a 24-hours ultimatum for the resignation of the home adviser.
Hadi was buried around 3:48 p.m., after which the mourners moved towards Shahbagh intersection, chanting slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Delhi na Dhaka-Dhaka, Dhaka.” Some protesters also called for Shahbagh, where a massive crowd has assembled, to be renamed as “Hadi Chattar.”
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who arrived at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) before the funeral prayer, said Hadi would “never be forgotten” and would live on through the lessons he left for the nation. “Dear Hadi, you wanted to take part in the election. In expressing your desire to contest, you also taught us how elections should be conducted. Let us all accept that process,” Mr. Yunus said.
Although parts of the country showed signs of returning to normalcy, concerns remained high following the recent attacks on media and cultural institutions. The offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, which were torched on Thursday (December 18, 2025), resumed publication on Saturday (December 20, 2025).
Leaders of Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, a prominent cultural organisation, accused the interim government of failing to prevent an arson attack on its central office despite prior warnings. It alleged that the government had “moved away from the spirit of the July uprising and was appeasing fundamentalist forces.” Udichi said the fire destroyed 55 years of cultural archives, calling it a direct blow to Bangladesh’s progressive cultural movement and part of a broader attack on the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.
Amnesty International called for a swift, impartial, and independent investigation into Hadi’s killing and subsequent mob violence. In a statement, the organisation condemned the torching of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Chhayanaut, as well as the harassment of New Age editor Nurul Kabir.
Amnesty also expressed grave concern over the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker who was lynched in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila over allegations of blasphemy.
Bangladeshi authorities arrested seven suspects in connection with that case on Saturday (December 20, 2025).
As political unrest continues across the country, political analysts have raised doubts over whether Bangladesh will be able to hold the national election on February 12 as scheduled. Several political leaders have urged vigilance to ensure that the situation is not exploited to derail the electoral process.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed warned that “fallen fascist forces and anti-election conspirators” could exploit the killing to delay the polls.
“Some fallen fascist forces and those conspiring against the elections might try to use this incident for political gain. I call on the people of the country to be vigilant so that no conspiracy can be made to delay the elections,” said Mr. Salahuddin on Saturday (December 20, 2025) at Manik Mia Avenue while attending the funeral prayer of Hadi.
Published – December 20, 2025 08:58 pm IST
