Massive Protests have erupted in Bangladesh after a renown youth leader of the student movement, Sharif Osman Hadi died from gunshot wounds.
The violent protesters have set fire and looted buildings, alleging that India was responsible for the shooting.
Shafiqur Rahman, the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party in Bangladesh, has urged for calm and national unity as protests spread throughout the capital.
“The frustration and emotions expressed by students and the public are valid and understandable,” Rahman stated, cautioning that any attempts to manipulate this sentiment for other agendas “cannot be tolerated.”
He emphasized that attacks on The Daily Star and Prothom Alo newspapers are assaults on democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law, insisting that “any legitimate movement must remain peaceful and orderly.”
Rahman also called for the swift identification and punishment of those responsible for Hadi’s death.
In anticipation of protests, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has increased security in various locations across Dhaka as Hadi’s body is returned.
Read Also:
- Bangladesh’s earthquake death toll climbs to 10
- Ex-Bangladesh PM sentenced to death over brutal crackdown on protesters
- 19 dead after air force jet crashes into Bangladesh school
Some BGB personnel have been deployed to the airport, where the Platform for Revolution group instructed its supporters to gather earlier today.
Others are stationed at Karwan Bazar, close to the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as the Hotel InterContinental, just a short walk from the protest site at Shahbag Square, according to a statement from journalists.
Reports indicate that protesters have blocked a highway in Gazipur, a city north of Dhaka, demanding justice for Hadi’s killers.
Demonstrators have halted traffic in both directions on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in the Chandona Chowrasta area of Gazipur, according to the newspaper.
Shahidul Alam, an assistant commissioner of traffic police in Gazipur, confirmed that the blockade was still in effect just before 4 PM local time (10:00 GMT).
Hadi’s body, which was repatriated from Singapore, has arrived in Bangladesh and left the airport, according to Inqilab Moncho.
The group, also known as Platform for Revolution, posted on Facebook that the vehicle carrying Hadi’s body was en route to Shahbag in central Dhaka.
At the request of Hadi’s family, his body will not be taken to the Dhaka University Central Mosque today, as previously reported, but will be taken there tomorrow instead.
“Students will continue their disciplined movement today and tomorrow to prevent any infiltration by other groups,” the organization stated. “There will be no opportunity to view the body.”
The Daily Star, one of the two newspapers in Dhaka whose offices were vandalized last night following Hadi’s death, has published an article detailing the attack.
According to the publication, approximately 100 to 200 individuals broke through a gate and entered the premises.
