Bangladesh: Massive Crowd at the Funeral of Assassinated Student Leader

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Dhaka for the funeral of an assassinated student leader, just two days after violent protests erupted following the announcement of his death.

A massive crowd accompanied the funeral procession of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure in the student uprising that led to the downfall of former autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The Bangladeshi flag was flown at half-mast on Saturday, declared a national day of mourning in honor of the slain leader.

Mr. Hadi, a candidate in the upcoming legislative elections on February 12, died Thursday in a Singapore hospital where he was receiving treatment.

The 32-year-old activist was critically injured on December 12 after being shot by masked assailants as he left a mosque in the Bangladeshi capital.

Police officers with body cameras were deployed in front of the Parliament, where a prayer was held in his memory.

Mr. Hadi's body, repatriated on Friday, was buried at the central mosque of Dhaka University.

- Lynching to Death -

"We did not come here to say goodbye to him," said interim government leader Muhammad Yunus in a poignant speech.

"You are in our hearts and will remain in the hearts of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists," stated the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Mr. Hadi was also known for his fierce criticism of India, Bangladesh's neighbor and supporter of Ms. Hasina's autocratic regime, who is currently in exile in New Delhi.

According to Iqbal Hossain Saikot, a 34-year-old official attending the funeral, Mr. Hadi was killed for his strong opposition to India.

He will continue to live "among the millions of Bangladeshis who love their land and its sovereignty," he told AFP.

The announcement of Mr. Hadi's death on Thursday evening sparked violent protests, with demonstrators demanding the arrest of those responsible for the assassination.

Bangladeshi police are searching for them but have yet to find any suspects.

Buildings in the capital, including those of major newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, were vandalized and set on fire.

These two newspapers are accused by their detractors of being pro-India.

Cultural venues and the residence of a former minister were also targeted by enraged protesters.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has urged the interim government to conduct a "swift, thorough, independent, and impartial" investigation into this assassination as well as the violent incidents that followed.

It also expressed concern following the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu textile worker accused of blasphemy, on Thursday.

- Anti-Indian Sentiment -

Mr. Muhammad Yunus indicated that seven people have been arrested, suspected of being linked to this murder in Bhaluka, in central Bangladesh.

Political parties across the board condemned the violence and raised alarms about the deteriorating public order as elections approach.

The powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused "a long-identified group" of being behind the violence.

Nahid Islam, coordinator of the National Citizens' Party—a movement largely composed of students who participated in the uprising—criticized the government for its inability to control the uncontrollable elements.

"There are elements within the government opposed to the popular uprising, and they are at work," he stated in a statement.

A significant number of protesters displayed their anti-Indian sentiment.

A 20-year-old student told AFP on Friday that he believed Mr. Hadi's assassins were hiding in India.

Relations between the two neighbors are at an all-time low, especially since Dhaka has urged New Delhi to extradite Ms. Hasina, who was sentenced to death by hanging in late November for violently suppressing the student-led uprising.

Ms. Hasina, who has always denied the charges against her, condemned the ruling as "politically motivated" and ordered by an "illegal court."