Bangladesh will observe a day of national mourning on Saturday (December 20, 2025) and all places of worship on Friday (December 19) will offer special prayers for Sharif Osman Hadi, the upcoming right-wing leader who passed away in Singapore on Thursday (December 18, 2025). Hadi was shot by unknown assailants on December 12 and he was sent to Singapore for medical care earlier this week.

 In a speech telecast late night, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh Mohammed Yunus announced that Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, had called him and conveyed the news about the passing of Hadi. The disrupting effect of Hadi’s passing was amplified by the announcement by Mohammed Sarjis Alam of National Citizen Party who has accused India of sheltering the killers of Hadi and called for shutting down the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

“Once again, I want to say this clearly that Osman Hadi was the enemy of the defeatd fascist forces. The attempt to silence the voice of the revolutionaries by silencing him will be fully defeated. No one can stop the democratic progress of this country through terrorism or bloodshed,” said Mr. Yunus announcing that the government of Bangladesh will look after Hadi’s family.

Mr. Yunus said the perpetrators of the murder of Hadi will be given strictest punishment adding “We will not show any lineancy towards the perpetrators of this heinous crime.” The Chief Adviser said that Bangladesh should not fall for the trap set by “defeated fascist forces” and avoid instability. Acting Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, London-based Tarique Rahman has also condoled the passing of Hadi who was the leader of Inquilab Mancho, a radical outfit and was expected to contest from Dhaka in the upcoming election.

“After the July mass uprising, he played an incredible role in defending the rights of the July fighters, upholding democratic values, and protecting national interests,” said Mr Rahman condoling the untimely death. Mr. Rahman is expected to return from London, ending 18-years of exile, on December 25.

Dhaka erupted with the news of the demise of Sharif Osman Hadi with thousands of his followers gathering at the capital’s central neighbourhoods chanting slogans. In the process, two offices belonging to Prothom Alo and Daily Star – the biggest Bengali and English newspapers of Bangladesh were burnt down by the mob.

Late evening’s developments came after days of tension in which Hadi’s supporters have said that the assailants who shot him have escaped to India. Echoing the sentiment, Mohammed Sarjis Alam, prominent leader of the newly launched National Citizen Party (NCP) in a social media post has said, “Indian High Commission should be shut till the time murderers of martyred brother Hadi are returned by India.” Protesters tried to attack the Assistant High Commission of India in Rajshahi on Thursday and a similar attempt was made on Wednesday when a radical outfit July Mancho had tried to march to the Indian High Commission. In both instances, the police provided security to the Indian missions. Earlier, on Wednesday morning India had summoned the High Commissioner of Bangladesh Riaz Hamidullah and reminded Dhaka about the responsibility of the host country towards the safety and security of Indian missions in Bangladesh.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has demanded extra security for its chief, other commissioners and officials as fresh unrest visibly gripped Bangladesh after gunmen shot an upcoming parliamentary polls candidate and frontline leader of last year’s violent street movement dubbed ‘July Uprising’.

“The EC has written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) urging comprehensive security arrangements for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Election Commissioners (ECs), senior officials of the Election Commission Secretariat,” the state-run BSS news agency reported on late Saturday (December 13, 2025). 

The EC simultaneously sought extra security for its field-level offices ahead of the 13th national election, as two of them came under attack in southeastern Lakshmipur and southwestern Pirojpur by unidentified miscreants after the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming polls on Thursday (December 11, 2025). 

The commission demanded an additional escort vehicle for the CEC, while one such police escort with a vehicle was currently in place for him. It asked for round-the-clock police escorts for the four commissioners and the senior secretary. 

The letter said the enhanced security measures were “urgent and necessary,” while EC officials said their 10 regional offices, 64 district election offices and 522 sub-district level offices would store important documents and election materials. 

The EC on Thursday (December 11, 2025) said the upcoming parliamentary election would be held on February 12 next year, while a day later, Sharif Osman Hadi was shot from a close range in the head, critically wounding him, as he initiated his election campaign from a constituency in the capital. 

Critically ill former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) simultaneously asked Muhammad Yunus’ government to provide security for all candidates in the upcoming election after the attack on Hadi, who leads a radical right-wing cultural group called Inquiab Mancha. 

“We demand that the real culprit be identified immediately and brought under the law, and we call upon this government to ensure the security of all candidates without delay,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. 

Hadi was also a frontline leader of last year’s student-led violent uprising that toppled then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. 

His Inquilab Mancha was also at the forefront of a campaign to disband the Awami League, which the interim government complied with in May this year, disqualifying the party from contesting the polls. 

The government on Saturday (December 13, 2025) ordered a nationwide security clampdown called ‘Operation Devil Hunt 2’ amid escalated fears over the law and order situation and promised to issue firearms licenses for election candidates for their own security. 

Home adviser (retd) Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the government had taken steps to ensure special security for the “frontline fighters” of the July Uprising and promised to issue firearms licenses for the election candidates. 

He emphasised that the second phase of the ‘Devil Hunt’ was aimed at helping ensure public safety and combat the growing threat of illegal arms. 

The operation was initially launched in February this year following protests over an attack on the private house of a former minister of the ousted government in the northern suburb of the capital, when it targeted alleged “henchmen” and supporters of the now disbanded Awami League.