Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed across Bangladesh after violent protests erupted overnight over the killing of a prominent youth leader, raising concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections.
Streets in the capital, Dhaka, were calm on Friday morning, but residents said tensions remained high, with fears of renewed violence later in the day following Friday prayers.
Security was stepped up in several cities as authorities sought to prevent further clashes.
The unrest follows the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha, or Platform for Revolution, who was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka last week while launching his campaign for February’s elections.
He died in Singapore after spending six days on life support. Hadi had been a visible figure in the student-led protests that toppled the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year.
His killing has sparked outrage among supporters, with demonstrators demanding swift justice and vowing to continue protests.
Violence flared in Dhaka on Thursday night, with crowds vandalising the offices of major newspapers including Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
Fires were set at the Daily Star building, forcing firefighters to rescue journalists trapped inside. Police and troops were deployed to restore order.
New Age editor Nurul Kabir was harassed outside the newspaper offices, with videos showing him being pushed and verbally abused by protesters accusing him of political bias.
Other targets included the offices of the cultural organisation Chhayanaut and the historic home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s first president. Both buildings were vandalised and set on fire.
Unrest was also reported outside Dhaka. In the north-western city of Rajshahi, protesters demolished an Awami League party office using a bulldozer.
Major roads were blocked in several districts, and violence was reported in the port city of Chittagong.
Bangladesh has been run by an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after Sheikh Hasina fled to India following mass protests.
The Awami League has since been barred from contesting the elections, scheduled for 12 February.
In a televised address, Yunus described Hadi’s death as “an irreplaceable loss” and urged the public to remain calm.
He said a transparent investigation was under way and warned that continued violence could undermine the credibility of the vote.
The government has declared Saturday a day of national mourning, with flags to be flown at half-mast and special prayers planned nationwide.
The unrest follows a series of anti-India protests earlier in the week, reflecting strained relations between Bangladesh and India since Hasina’s departure.
Israel said it had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard...
A U.S. federal judge raised concerns on Thursday about whether sanctions preventing Venezuela from funding the legal ...
Iran has alerted the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the killing of civilians, medical staff and aid workers in...
Pakistan has resumed military operations against Afghanistan after a brief Eid ceasefire, officials said on Thursd...
Israel said it had killed Iranian Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri in an a...
Georgia’s political crisis is intensifying as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze hardens his stance on protest-related arrests, insisting that detainees must show “repentance and confession” before any discussion of amnesty or pardon can begin.
Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil society groups in İstanbul and Ankara.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
The annual pro-Palestinian al-Quds Day march in London, scheduled to take place on Sunday, has been banned by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood following warnings from the Metropolitan Police about the risk of “serious public disorder.”
Both the United States and Iran are giving conflicting messages about trying to end the conflict in the Middle East as the rest of the world battle with the consequences of the war. Welcome to AnewZ's coverage of the tensions in the Middle East.
Israel said it had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy, on Thursday, as confict in the Middle East continued.
A drone has flown into Estonian airspace from Russia. It happened early on Wednesday morning and slammed into a chimney at a local power station, the Baltic country's Internal Security Service told public broadcaster ERR.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war, insisting any ceasefire will occur only on its own terms and timeline, according to a senior political-security official speaking to state-run Press TV on Wednesday.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), said on Wednesday that the U.S. had “clearly made a mistake” in launching strikes on Iran, arguing Washington misjudged the resilience of the Iranian regime.
A U.S. federal judge raised concerns on Thursday about whether sanctions preventing Venezuela from funding the legal defense of Nicolás Maduro could violate his constitutional rights, though he did not dismiss the drug-trafficking charges against the former leader.
The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Finland on Thursday (26 March) to discuss the Russia–Ukraine war, North Atlantic security and the coalition’s future.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced a policy requiring athletes to undergo a one-off gene test to compete in female Olympic events, limiting eligibility to biological women.
Northern European countries must significantly boost military drone production to help Ukraine defeat Russia, Latvia’s Prime Minister has said, warning that victory would be “impossible” without greater support.
Russia has welcomed remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggesting the U.S. is making security guarantees conditional on Kyiv relinquishing control of the Donbas region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment