Following the death of Bangladesh’s student leader and supporter of the anti-India faction, Sharif Osman Hadi (also known as Usman Hadi), protesters carried out vandalism in the country’s prominent media institutions.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): Usman Hadi (who was currently associated with Inqilab Mancha and was campaigning as an independent candidate from Dhaka-8 seat for the elections to be held in February 2026) was seriously injured when masked attackers shot him on December 12 as he was exiting a mosque in Dhaka. Due to the seriousness of Hadi’s condition after the attack, he was taken to Singapore for treatment, where he died on December 18 during treatment at Singapore General Hospital. Following this, incidents of vandalism and violence were seen in the capital Dhaka and several other areas of Bangladesh.
Hadi was one of the main faces of the student movement against Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. After the movement turned violent, Sheikh Hasina was ultimately forced to step down. After that, she took refuge in India and is currently living in India.
Considered a supporter of the anti-India faction due to his anger over granting political asylum to Sheikh Hasina, after the news of his death was published, stone-pelting occurred at the house of the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong. The offices of two prominent newspapers of Bangladesh remained in the crosshairs of protesters during the intervening night of 18-19 December.
Protesters targeted the English newspaper The Daily Star’s office around 11 pm on December 18, where the ground and first floors were damaged and set on fire. Staff members of both buildings were trapped. The Bangladesh Army and Fire Brigade rescued the staff hours later (among whom 25-30 people were rescued from the rooftop).
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Additionally, Bangladesh’s largest Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo became a victim of the protesters’ anger. In the attack that started around 12 am on the newspaper’s office, the crowd entered the office, carried out large-scale vandalism, and set it on fire. Several parts of the building were completely burned.
After the incident, both newspapers could not be published on December 19. Protesters accused these newspapers of being linked to India or doing India-friendly coverage.
In addition, buildings related to Awami League and the Chhayanaut (Chhayanaat) cultural institution located in Dhanmondi were entered, where large-scale vandalism was carried out. Rare books, musical instruments (such as tanpura, harmonium), furniture, and cultural items present in the building were broken and set on fire. During the attack, the crowd accused Chhayanaut of “promoting Indian culture” and said that it has no place in Bangladesh.
Interim government’s cultural advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooqi visited Chhayanaut and called the attack “against the spirit of the July mass movement.” He promised that attackers would be identified through CCTV footage and strict action would be taken.
Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus called him a ‘martyr’, condemned the violence while appealing to stop it, and declared December 20 as a national day of mourning.