Violence erupts in Bangladesh as media offices attacked after death of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson

The offices of two leading Bangladeshi newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, came under attack in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area shortly after midnight on Thursday. 

According to Nagorik, a group of people vandalised both premises, with The Daily Star building reportedly set on fire. Live footage circulating on social media showed assailants smashing property with sticks, while fires were seen burning on the road in front of Prothom Alo. Nagorik also reported that several employees were trapped inside the buildings during the violence.

The attacks reportedly followed news of the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, who succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore.

Death of Sharif Osman Hadi

Hadi was critically wounded in a gun attack in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area on Friday, December 12, while campaigning ahead of the upcoming national election. Investigators said he was shot in the head by an assailant on a motorcycle while travelling in a battery-powered rickshaw. He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being transferred to Evercare Hospital and later airlifted to Singapore, where he died.

National Mourning Announced

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus declared Saturday, December 20, 2025, a national day of mourning. The national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country and at Bangladesh missions abroad, with special prayers to be held after Jummah. Yunus also announced state responsibility for the welfare of Hadi’s wife and child, as protests continue to escalate in the capital following the assassination.