Bangladesh Live Updates | Yunus Says 'Not Goodbye' At Sharif Osman Hadi's Funeral In Dhaka

Samajwadi Party MLA and Maharashtra state unit chief Abu Azmi condemned the lynching of the Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh, while speaking to reporters in Mumbai, on Saturday.

He insisted that whoever has done any wrong to anyone, that person should receive a severe punishment, referring to the lynching in the South Asian neighbourhood.
Azmi was also quick to demand justice for minorities in India. He charged that Muslims who fought for freedom were now being called "traitors" by a section of political parties.

"Whether it's a Hindu or a Muslim, if anyone does any wrong to anyone, it should lead to punishment(according to law)," he said. He added that "wherever it happens, to whomever it happens, we should condemn it."

"Shouldn't I first condemn what's happening in my own country? In my country, those of whom Muslims fought for freedom and who have never betrayed the country, are now being called traitors. What kind of justice is this?" He wondered, without delving into details.

Many of the mourners expressed strong anti-India sentiments. An AFP reporter cited a government employee as saying the death of student leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, had something to do with his staunch anti-India stand.

According to Iqbal Hossain Saikot, a government employee who travelled from afar to attend the prayers, Hadi was killed because "he staunchly opposed India." The 34 year-old man told AFP that Hadi will continue to live "among the millions of Bangladeshi people who love the land and its sovereign territory."

Hadi's death has triggered widespread unrest that plunged the troubled South Asian nation into a chaos reminiscent of the July 2024 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tens of thousands of mourners prayed for the soul of a the slain student leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Saturday, at his funeral, after two days of violent protests over his killing.

Huge crowds accompanied the funeral procession of the key figure in last year's pro-democracy uprising who died in a hospital in Singapore on Thursday after being shot by masked gunmen while leaving a Dhaka mosque, AFP reported.

Police seen wearing body cameras were deployed in front of the parliament building where the funeral prayers were held.

Hadi's body, which was brought to the capital on Friday, was buried at the central mosque of Dhaka University. (with AFP inputs)

The interim government leader Muhammad Yunus said that the slain student leader will continue to live in the hearts of Bangladeshis as long as the state exists, on Saturday, while he attended the funeral. "We have not come here to say goodbye," AFP quoted Yunus as saying in an emotional speech. "You are in our hearts and you will remain in the heart of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists." His social media handle published four images from the funeral showing the hearse draped in a Bangladeshi flag.

The funeral prayers for Sharif Osman Hadi concluded in Bangladesh's capital city, with a large crowd praying for the Inqilab Moncho convenor's soul. As per the family's wishes, Hadi was buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Mourners started arriving in groups at Manik Mia Avenue early in the morning. The thoroughfare in front of Parliament was filled with a sea of people. ANI reported saying it saw some in the crowd covering them with the national flag amid loud sloganeering seeking justice for Hadi's killing, amid Saturday state mourning.

In line with the state mourning protocol, national flags were flown at half-mast and special prayers held at places of worship. It was also a day of relative calm in the capital after two days of protests by supporters of the Inqilab Moncho. As insisted by the Inqilab Moncho, only the national flag of Bangladesh was used at the funeral. (with ANI inputs)

Congress senior leader and Thiruvanathapuram MP Shashi Tharoor lent his voice against the mob lynching of a Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh in a purported blasphemy charge. "An unbearably tragic incident amid the mob rule that is raging across Bangladesh. While mourning the loss of this poor Hindu man at the hands of unspeakable criminals, I appreciate the condemnation issued by the Government of Bangladesh," he wrote in a post, questioning the Bangladeshi regime about actions against perpetrators and measures to prevent such incidents.

The Border Guard Bangladesh and police have stepped up their protection at the Parliament building and other key locations across Dhaka ahead of the funeral prayers for Sharif Osman Hadi, ANI reported citing BDNews24. The border security force shared the development in a message issued on Saturday.
It further reported that the Inqilab Moncho convenor's body was taken to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital's morgue shortly before 10AM (local time) on Saturday from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, according to Deputy Commissioner Ibne Mizan of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Tejgaon Division. "The post-mortem is under way and security measures have been put in place," he said. (with ANI inputs)

The Bangladesh government Saturday announced that it had arrested seven people in connection with the lynching of a Hindu man. A mob lynched Dipu Chandra Das, 25, to death and set his body afire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city on Thursday.

The interim government in a post in Bangla on X, announced that its Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had made the arrests and reeled out a list of all seven suspected perpetrators.

The Hindu population in Bangladesh, PTI wrote, has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country after the ouster of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. Read More

The situation in Bangladesh remained chaotic following the violence unleashed by certain "groups" under the garb of blasphemy after the Thursday death of its prominent youth leader. Here is the complete recap from India's neighbourhood.

1. The interim government urged citizens to resist violence unleashed by “fringe elements” as the body of Sharif Osman Hadi arrived in Dhaka from Singapore as a fresh unrest swept through the capital in sequel to overnight violence
2. Police alleged radical right-wing activists set fire to the main office of the left-leaning Udichi Shilpigoshthi in the capital shortly after Sharif Osman Hadi’s body arrived in Dhaka from Singapore, where he had been undergoing treatment for fatal gunshot wounds inflicted by masked gunmen on December 12.
3. Hadi's corpse arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at around 6 pm local time on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, amid tight security and widespread public mourning, PTI reported citing state-run news agency BSS quoting Biman General Manager (Public Relations) Boshra Islam.
4. Interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in his address to the nation on late Thursday, assured that those involved in Hadi's assassination will be brought to justice swiftly, without any "leniency". He also declared a one-day state mourning on Saturday. Parts of Bangladesh were rocked Thursday night by attacks and vandalism, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram, soon after Yunus confirmed Hadi's death.
5. Bangladesh government announced the funeral prayer will be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building at 2 pm on Saturday. Those wishing to attend the janaza have been specially requested not to carry any bags or heavy items. Inqilab Mancha said Hadi will be laid to rest beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam as wished for by his family and his funeral prayer will be held later in the afternoon. It also stated there will be no public viewing of the body, and requested people to pray for Hadi while maintaining order.
6. On Thursday evening, protesters attacked the offices of two leading newspapers -- Prothom Alo and Daily Star, besides vandalising Bangabandhu Memorial Museum with hammers in Dhaka, and demolished a party office of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in northwestern Rajshahi city. A mob attack was reported at a progressive cultural group Chhayanat, founded in 1961, at Dhnmando area. The seven-storey building was ransacked by the mob floor by floor. It also destroyed musical instruments, artworks, and dossiers preserved there.
7. Protesters stoned the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram at 1:30 am. Fortunately, there was no damage to the structure and the personnel. Security personnel and police responded with tear gas and baton charges, to disperse the crowd. They also detained 12 protesters from the site. Some of them injured in the standoff. Government assured the assistant high commissioner of enhanced security. On Thursday night, a mourning procession at the Dhaka University campus became a platform to raise anti-India slogans. The participants alleged that Hadi’s assailants fled to India after carrying out the murder, and demanded that the interim government shut the Indian High Commission until the suspects are returned.
8. A Hindu man accused of blasphemy was lynched to death and his body set on fire in Mymensingh city. PTI identified the deceased as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a factory worker in the city. In a statement, the interim government condemned the lynching, saying there is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. "The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared," it added.
9. The US Embassy in Dhaka on Friday issued an advisory, urging American citizens in Bangladesh to exercise caution, warning that "gatherings intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence". The mission advised them to avoid demonstrations and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings.
10. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has also issued a travel advisory, urging British citizens to avoid travel, unless very essential, to the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, citing reports of violence and other criminal activity, particularly in remote parts. (With PTI inputs)

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said his government is ready to deal with any situation in the wake of violent protests in neighbouring Bangladesh.

"All of us know under what circumstances, elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave her country. After Hasina's ouster, fundamentalists, criminals and thieves walked free from jails in Bangladesh. What we had anticipated is now happening in the neighbouring," the chief minister told the reporters. Since the matter is an international issue, the state government is sending updates to Delhi, he said. "Nowadays, war is not fought physically, and it is based on technology. We are ready to deal with any situation," the CM said when asked about the Bangladesh situation.

The funeral prayer (janaza) of Osman Hadi will be held at 2 pm on Saturday at the South Plaza of the parliament. Authorities have advised people not to carry bags or heavy items to the venue.

The body of activist Sharif Osman Hadi arrived in Dhaka on Friday as tensions continued to rise across Bangladesh following his killing. His death has sparked widespread outrage, with many people demanding justice and accountability. Large crowds gathered as the body arrived. The situation in the capital remains tense.

The Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) - a partnership of over 50 countries from six continents working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists all over the world - has severely criticised the attacks carried out against journalists, editors, and media houses across Bangladesh.

The strong criticism came as several media outlets and journalists in Bangladesh were targeted in arson attacks following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of a radical group, Inqilab Mancha, on Thursday.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed at multiple strategic locations across Dhaka to maintain law and order ahead of the arrival of the body of slain political activist Sharif Osman Hadi from Singapore.

According to ANI, in a statement issued on Friday, the BGB said troops have been positioned in the airport area, Karwan Bazar, the Hotel InterContinental zone and other key points in the capital, as security concerns remain high following protests and incidents of violence triggered by the youth leader Hadi's killing.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said his government is ready to deal with any situation in the wake of violent protests in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Tension gripped Bangladesh on Friday after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the key leaders in the student uprising there, triggered protests and violence in various parts of the country.

"All of us know under what circumstances, elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave her country. After Hasina's ouster, fundamentalists, criminals and thieves walked free from jails in Bangladesh. What we had anticipated is now happening in the neighbouring," the chief minister told the reporters. Since the matter is an international issue, the state government is sending updates to Delhi, he said.

The BJP on Friday claimed that the recent attacks on media houses, journalists, and cultural centres in Bangladesh were carried out "under Islamist pressure", and issued a warning for West Bengal's TMC government, alleging that “appeasement of extremism” could push societies towards instability.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the situation should serve as a warning and claimed that West Bengal was on a “dangerous path” under the Mamata Banerjee government.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) objected to Malviya’s remarks, accusing him of insulting West Bengal and making provocative statements, and demanded legal steps against him.

Calling it the "darkest night" for journalism in the country, Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif on Friday said the vandalism of the newspaper's office in Dhaka's Karwanbazar was a direct assault on freedom of speech and the news media in Bangladesh, forcing the newspaper to halt print publication for the first time in its 27-year history since its establishment in 1998.

The attack on the news outlets came after the death of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, one of the prominent figures of last year's July Uprising, when a group of people gathered in front of the offices of the newspapers and attacked them, as per Nagorik. The "miscreants" described by the Sharif also attacked another media outlet, the Daily Star, in the same area.

As violence escalates in Bangladesh following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the radical Inqilab Mancha group, the US Embassy in Dhaka on Friday urged American citizens in the South Asian nation to exercise caution, warning that gatherings intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational.

Hadi succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a Singapore hospital, after battling for his life for six days. Addressing the nation on Thursday night, the interim government’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus confirmed Hadi's death. Citing media reports, the US Embassy in Dhaka stated that Hadi’s body was expected to arrive in Dhaka on Friday evening. His funeral prayers, it said, are likely to be held on Manik Mia Avenue in front of the National Parliament Building on Saturday.

As Youth Tripra Federation (YTF), youth wing of Tipra Motha Party launched a demonstration near the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, security was tightened near the diplomatic mission at Agartala.

The protest was against the "anti-India campaign" by the slain leader Sharif Osman Hadi and National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah. The latter had threatened to split the seven sisters of the Northeast from India and provide shelter to separatist leaders of the region.

The agitators also raised slogans against the present regime in Bangladesh.

"The only political party in Northeast to publicly protest outside the Bangladesh High commission after statement’s were made against our northeast is Tipra Motha and YTF .Wake up political rivals our real fight should be against the new mini Pakistan (Bangladesh) not each other(sic.)," Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma wrote in a post on X.

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The interim government on Friday condemned the lynching, saying there "is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared."

An angry mob lynched a 25-year-old Hindu worker and hanged his body on a tree before setting it on fire over accusing of having committed blasphemy, in the spate of violence unfolding in Bangladesh. PTI identified the deceased as Dipu Chandra Das who worked in a factory worker in Mymensingh city.

Citing the Bangla Tribune news portal, PTI said the Bangladesh police said Das was first beaten up by a mob outside the factory on Thursday night and was hanged from a tree.

"After the incident, the angry crowd left the body of the deceased on the side of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set it on fire. This stopped traffic on both sides of the highway," Inspector (Investigation) of Bhaluka Model Police Station Abdul Malek was quoted as saying by the news portal.

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Indian Agencies had said that they had found the imprint of Pakistan's-ISI in the Bangladesh violence. According to officials, the ISI-backed social media accounts spread fake narratives blaming India for the death of the Bangladesh student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. IANS said the Indian agencies had found that ISI-backed handles became active in large numbers soon after Hadi's death. They accused that ISI had pre-planned the violence. The Pakistan's intelligence wing had even instructed the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, the Islamic Chhatra Shibir (ICS), to stay away from the protest. The Jamaat fueled the violence by using the propaganda weaponised by the ISI, leading to violence.

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Sharif Osman Hadi was instrumental in the student protests that led to the culmination of the 15-year regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. Hadi became a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho culture group following Hasina's ouster. The group and other anti-Hasina organisations hardened their stance against India and had been accusing Hasina of being subservient to India. Hadi had plans to contest from a key constituency in Dhaka in the upcoming February elections, which the interim government has announced.