Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 21: Tens of thousands of people joined the funeral prayers on Saturday for a key figure in last year's mass uprising in Bangladesh, whose death has sparked nationwide protests and vandalism.
Sharif Osman Hadi, head of the Inqilab Mancha cultural group, died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday, a week after being shot by helmeted assailants in Dhaka on December 12.
Hadi, a critic of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was ousted during last year's uprising, had planned to contest the upcoming election from a Dhaka constituency. The national election is scheduled for February 12.
Mourners began gathering at the south plaza of Bangladesh's national parliament building on Manik Mia Avenue in the morning. By noon, key points along the nearly 1 kilometre stretch of the avenue were packed, with many holding the national flag.
The crowd chanted slogans such as, "We will all become Hadi, we will fight on through the ages," and, "We will not let Hadi's blood be in vain."
The attendees, who police estimated numbered nearly 100,000, included Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim administration, his cabinet colleagues, leaders of major political parties, and activists from last year's uprising.
Dear Osman Hadi, we have not come here to say goodbye. You live within our hearts. As long as Bangladesh exists, you will remain an inseparable part of this nation," Yunus told the crowd in an emotionally charged tribute.
He said the gathering was not a final farewell, but a collective oath to fulfil Hadi's vision.
After the prayers, Hadi's national flag-draped coffin was taken to the Dhaka University campus and buried in a grave beside the mausoleum of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Soon after Hadi's death was announced on Thursday evening, protests erupted across the country demanding the arrest of his killers, their masterminds, and those who sheltered the assassins.
Protesters vandalized and set fire to the headquarters of two leading Bangladeshi newspapers in Dhaka, accusing them of serving Indian
interests.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled the country on August 5, 2024, and Hadi was a harsh critic of Indian influence in Bangladesh. Protesters also allege Hadi's killers fled to India.
Investigators, who say they have identified the assailants, have yet to make any arrests and believe they may have slipped across the porous border into India.
Source: Qatar Tribune