New Delhi: Amid the ongoing violence over a student leader’s killing in Bangladesh, another student leader was shot Monday in the head by unidentified gunmen in Khulna.
Mohammad Motaleb Sikder is the central organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Khulna—an offshoot of the Students Against Discrimination that led to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Sikder is currently out of danger, according to local media reports.
Earlier, student leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Bangladesh. His killing came just a day after the Election Commission announced that parliamentary elections would be held 12 February next year.
Violence broke out across Dhaka and several other parts of Bangladesh late Thursday after news emerged that Hadi had died in Singapore, where he was undergoing treatment.
Two major media houses, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, were set on fire, while Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi 32 was attacked again. Protest marches were also reported near Indian diplomatic missions in Rajshahi and Chattogram.
A prominent figure of the radical platform Inquilab Moncho, Hadi was known for his sharp criticism of what he termed “Indian hegemony.” Protest leaders alleged that his attackers fled to India after the shooting, though authorities have not produced conclusive evidence so far.
As unrest spread, at least one communal incident was reported, with police confirming that a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten to death by a mob in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.
Bangladesh’s interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus announced a day of national mourning following Hadi’s death on Friday and ordered special prayers across the country. Hadi’s funeral was held Saturday at Dhaka University.
Demonstrations intensified in Dhaka, Rajshahi and other cities, with protesters attempting to march towards Indian diplomatic premises and attacking properties linked to the former ruling Awami League.
In Rajshahi, police blocked protesters from reaching the Indian mission, while social media videos showed stone-pelting incidents near the Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI). In Shahbagh, demonstrators raised slogans such as ‘Delhi na Dhaka? Dhaka, Dhaka’ and called for surrounding the Indian embassy.
In Dhaka earlier this week, police used tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to assemble outside Indian diplomatic residences, including that of India’s deputy high commissioner. Members of the NCP joined the protests, raising anti-India slogans and demanding the extradition of Hadi’s alleged killers.
In a press conference Sunday, the Additional IGP said that there was no specific information about the whereabouts of Hadi’s killer, adding that they had not received “any reliable information” that the gunman had left the country.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also read: Violence over Osman Hadi is about Islamist Bangladesh. India-baiting is a distraction
looks like Shri Shri Yunus Ji has got a taste of power and will not leave his seat ! All this drama won’t last long !