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Protests successful Bangladesh continued for a 3rd consecutive time connected Saturday (December 20, 2025), with demonstrators demanding punishment for the killers of Sharif Osman Hadi, a salient younker person of the July 2024 uprising, adjacent arsenic his ceremonial was held nether dense security successful the capital.
Also work | Bangladesh unrest aft Sharif Osman Hadi’s death
Political parties and rights groups warned that the continuing unrest, which saw wide unit and arson attacks, could beryllium exploited to derail the coming elections, scheduled for February 2026. Protesters person besides renewed calls for the resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, whom they impeach of failing to guarantee the apprehension of the perpetrators much than a week aft Hadi was changeable successful Dhaka connected December 12.
Tens of thousands from crossed the state attended Hadi’s ceremonial supplication astatine Manik Mia Avenue, adjacent the National Parliament connected Saturday (December 20, 2025). The ceremonial was held amid choky security, with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police deploying a ample unit on with astir 1,000 body-worn cameras to negociate the crowd.
Abdullah Al Jaber, caput of Inqilab Moncha, a socio-cultural radical co-founded by Hadi, gave a 24-hours ultimatum for the resignation of the location adviser.
Hadi was buried astir 3:48 p.m., aft which the mourners moved towards Shahbagh intersection, chanting slogans specified arsenic “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Delhi na Dhaka-Dhaka, Dhaka.” Some protesters besides called for Shahbagh, wherever a monolithic assemblage has assembled, to beryllium renamed arsenic “Hadi Chattar.”
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who arrived astatine the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) earlier the ceremonial prayer, said Hadi would “never beryllium forgotten” and would unrecorded connected done the lessons helium near for the nation. “Dear Hadi, you wanted to instrumentality portion successful the election. In expressing your tendency to contest, you besides taught america however elections should beryllium conducted. Let america each judge that process,” Mr. Yunus said.
Although parts of the state showed signs of returning to normalcy, concerns remained precocious pursuing the recent attacks connected media and taste institutions. The offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, which were torched connected Thursday (December 18, 2025), resumed work connected Saturday (December 20, 2025).
Leaders of Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, a salient taste organisation, accused the interim authorities of failing to forestall an arson onslaught connected its cardinal bureau contempt anterior warnings. It alleged that the authorities had “moved distant from the tone of the July uprising and was appeasing fundamentalist forces.” Udichi said the occurrence destroyed 55 years of taste archives, calling it a nonstop stroke to Bangladesh’s progressive taste question and portion of a broader onslaught connected the tone of the 1971 Liberation War.
Amnesty International called for a swift, impartial, and autarkic probe into Hadi’s sidesplitting and consequent mob violence. In a statement, the organisation condemned the torching of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Chhayanaut, arsenic good arsenic the harassment of New Age exertion Nurul Kabir.
Amnesty besides expressed sedate interest implicit the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment idiosyncratic who was lynched successful Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila implicit allegations of blasphemy.
Bangladeshi authorities arrested 7 suspects successful connection with that lawsuit connected Saturday (December 20, 2025).
As governmental unrest continues crossed the country, governmental analysts person raised doubts implicit whether Bangladesh volition beryllium capable to clasp the nationalist predetermination connected February 12 arsenic scheduled. Several governmental leaders person urged vigilance to guarantee that the concern is not exploited to derail the electoral process.
BNP Standing Committee subordinate Salahuddin Ahmed warned that “fallen fascist forces and anti-election conspirators” could exploit the sidesplitting to hold the polls.
“Some fallen fascist forces and those conspiring against the elections mightiness effort to usage this incidental for governmental gain. I telephone connected the radical of the state to beryllium vigilant truthful that nary conspiracy tin beryllium made to hold the elections,” said Mr. Salahuddin connected Saturday (December 20, 2025) astatine Manik Mia Avenue portion attending the ceremonial supplication of Hadi.
