Dhaka, 20 December (H.S.): Bangladesh remains on high alert on Saturday as authorities prepare for the funeral of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, whose death has ignited widespread unrest, even as the nation reels from the brutal lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh.
Hadi's funeral prayer is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building (Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban), followed by burial beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at Manik Mia Avenue, per family wishes announced by his group Inqilab Mancha.
Hadi, spokesperson for Inqilab Mancha and a key figure in the 2024 student uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, succumbed Thursday in a Singapore hospital after masked gunmen shot him in the head on December 12 in Dhaka.
His body arrived in Dhaka Friday evening via Biman Bangladesh Airlines amid tight security, triggering mob violence including arson attacks on media offices like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, vandalism of cultural sites, and assaults on the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and an Awami League office.
Drones are banned near the funeral site, attendees must avoid bags, and no public viewing is permitted to maintain order.
In a separate tragedy, 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu factory worker at Pioneer Knit Composite in Mymensingh's Bhaluka area and sole breadwinner for his disabled parents, wife, and child, was lynched Thursday night over unverified blasphemy allegations sparked by a Muslim coworker.
A mob beat him severely, tied his body to a tree, doused it with kerosene, and set it ablaze on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, halting traffic; his father Ravilal Das learned of the horror via social media.
Bangladesh's interim government under Muhammad Yunus condemned the act, announced one-day mourning Saturday, and arrested seven suspects—including Md. Limon Sarkar and Md. Miraj Hossain Akon—via Rapid Action Battalion operations.
Exiled author Taslima Nasreen lambasted the lynching as a jihadist festival, alleging police complicity despite initially protecting Dipu, whom she described as a poor laborer falsely accused over a trivial dispute.
She questioned the future of his destitute family and justice for the perpetrators, highlighting minority vulnerabilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government continues to monitor the escalating crisis, prioritizing the safety of minorities in Bangladesh as per India's longstanding commitment to regional stability and human rights.
Yunus has vowed no leniency for Hadi's killers, offering a $42,000 reward, while armed forces patrol Dhaka amid fears of further clashes.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
